[clerbird321]

Hi all..

So I’ve already started crying because I’m panicking😅 My plakat boy who I’ve only had for a couple months has a long, white poop (I think?) that’s stuck to him. I noticed it this morning when trying to feed him. He has been eating slightly less than normal. I did some reading and read that this could be a sign of parasites. Could this be something to do with the orange/red algae stuff that’s growing in his tank that I’ve posted about?? I have recently had covid, idk if that matters.. Please help, what do I do?? I really don’t want him to die😭 The care sheet is filled out, I posted it in a separate comment here. Pictures posted separately below for reference.

 

[clerbird321]

 

[clerbird321]

Housing:
How many gallons is your tank? 5.5gal

Does it have a filter? Yes, HOB

Does it have a heater? Yes, Hydor Theo 25W

What temperature is your tank? 78-80°F

Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? No

Does your Betta have tank mates? What kind? No

Food:
What food brand do you use? Omega One Betta Buffet pellets mainly, sometimes frozen blood worms but haven’t in a while

Do you feed flakes or pellets? Pellets, I have fed flakes before

Freeze-dried? Rarely freeze dried bloodworms

How often do you feed your Betta? How much? 2x a day, 4 pellets each time. Depends on the other foods. I fed my last betta 2x a day, 3 pellets each and he became malnourished so I feed more now and just watch his weight

Maintenance:
Before your Betta became ill how often did you perform a water change? Once a week

What percentage of water did you change? 40-50%

What is the source of your water? Tap water

Do you vacuum the substrate or just dip out water? Vacuum as well as I can with the decorations he has in place

What additives do you use other than conditioner?
Seachem Neutral Regulator (due to the pH level in tap water), VitaChem, sometimes API StressZyme

What brand of conditioner? Seachem Prime

Water Parameters:
What are your water parameters? Please give exact numbers. If tested by pet store please get exact numbers. "Fine" or "Safe" won't help us help you. Important: Test your water before the regular water change; not after one.

This is right before his water change today, so this is testing after a week of no water change

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm
pH: around 7.0
Hardness (GH): around 100ppm
Alkalinity (KH): around 110ppm

Symptoms and Treatment:
When did you first notice the symptoms? The last couple days

How has your Betta’s appearance changed? Has a long white poop stuck to him this morning

How has your Betta’s behavior changed? Not eating as much, but he has gone through phases before where he eats less so I wasn’t thinking much of it until I saw the poop

Is your Betta still eating? Sometimes

Have you started treating your Betta? If so, how? No, just noticed it today

Does your Betta have any history of being ill? No, just history of eating less for a week or two then going back to normal

How long have you owned your Betta? Since early June 2022, just a couple months

Was he or she ill or suffering some sort of damage when purchased? No

 

[clerbird321]

Also, I wouldn’t say the poop is necessarily “stringy”, it’s more so just a little long to the point where it’s noticeable, it’s really just the color I worry about, but I guess that can also be a sign of him not eating as much which he isn’t. As you can see in the pics, it doesn’t look super thin and doesn’t have the “bulbous” parts on it that I’ve seen with other bettas on here. Idk, just kinda looks almost like a white “tube” poop? Idk how to explain it lol..

 

[clerbird321]

Please, anyone have anything to help?

 

[clerbird321]

The poop must have come off during the course of the day. He ate well this afternoon and I cleaned his tank and he offered his assistance as usual lol. If anyone has any suggestions or ideas, I’d love to hear them.

 

[BettaloverSara]

He might have just been constipated. Based on care and the length of time you have had him I highly doubt a parasite. Do you have any other tanks that you share equipment with? If he's acting normal I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[clerbird321]

He might have just been constipated. Based on care and the length of time you have had him I highly doubt a parasite. Do you have any other tanks that you share equipment with? If he's acting normal I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Yeah as I did more research I kinda calmed myself down about the parasite, I went straight to freaking out🤦‍♀️😂😂 Nope, just his tank and him.