[macneto]

Hello recently i have noticed that my Betta has been swimming around with a very long, what looks like, piece of brown poop hanging from him. Its very stringy and does fall off eventually. This is only a few days old so im worried he may be sick.

I have tried googling this issue and came up with so many different answers.

A little backround:

I have a 3.5 gallon tank with him and a small catfish. I have the water between 79-82 degrees. Recently my filter broke. I didnt realize and crap started to build up in the tank. i got a new filter and did a heavy water change.

when the filter was starting to break down is when this long brown stringy poop started to develop.

I have tried fasting him for two days or so then feeding him a pea...doesnt seem to affect his condition.

he swims around normally and eats regularly, so i dont know if this is something i should be concerned with or not.

Here is a pic of him....you can see it hanging down beneath his chin..

Any help would be great. Thanks!

 

[macneto]

Wow...did not realize the pic would be that large...Sorry

 

[Geomancer]

Let the poor guy do his business in piece I haven't heard of that being a problem, and that's what it looks like for a lot of larger fish.

However, I will say that you can't have a catfish with the betta in a 3 gallon tank...

If it's a cory catfish, they are schooling and need to be in groups of at a bare minimum 4, but they do better in larger schools. Even if they were not 3 gallons is tiny and isn't really adequate space for even a betta alone. I know a lot of people around here say it's fine, but I'd personally say 5g is the smallest for a single betta.

 

[macneto]

Well this is a relatively new development, this long brown poop thing...and its constant so i dont think its normal.

And yes it a Corey Catfish. the Betta tends to sit near him and they sleep in the same together at night. They get along just fine.

As far as the size of the tank is concerned, i would like a larger tank but space is a real issue at the moment and even another 2 gallons would be problematic for where the tank is located.

Thanks for replying.

 

[Geomancer]

The problem with the cory is not a compatibility one, it's a mental health one.

Cory cats are a schooling fish, they need more of their own species to feel safe and secure. As the only one he is likely stressed, unhappy, and can develop aggression issues. In nature there is a reason they are found in large groups, it isn't by accident. "Safety in numbers" as the saying goes.

Stressed fish are more likely to get disease as stress weakens the immune system. In addition they will release hormones that can affect other fish as well "the scent of fear" as an analogy. Stress also will shorten their lifespan, just as it will in us humans.

You can view the profiles here depending on the species you have, the link is on the blue bar at the top of the page, second one from the left. Just expand the Catfish list to see them, for example Pepper Cory. Or you can hit the order by scientific name button at the top of the page and look for Corydoras. Those profiles will give you a lot of information on how to keep your fish as happy as possible. Happy fish = healthy fish.