# White Stools from Plecos



## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

Came home to find white stools from a med. sized BN Pleco.
Also what appears to be disintegrating tail fin in med. sized BN Pleco. (no apparent fungus though)
Anyone have any medicine or treatment suggestions? 
Willing to treat entire 75 gallon tank in which the fish resides so as not to damage anyother tank mates.
tank houses one 7" Chocolate Cichlid and approx 10 med plecos.

recently removed all substrate from tank but water is otherwise reading normal parameters across the board (slightly high ph of 7.3 ish)

Cichlid has a so far untreatable cloudy eye. 
she has been treated with a variety of mardel and api products but always in a hospital tank. 

Any whole tank mediaction suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks


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## Adz1 (Apr 21, 2010)

Russ are we sure the fish is not constipated?
i would try prazi pro for intestinal worms if not constipated.


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## ibenu (Apr 21, 2010)

What is your water change schedule like and what do you buffer water with? On the medicated cloudy eye have you used both gram positive and gram negative spectrum antibiotics? its possible even different brands were only one spectrum, hence the "untreatable" feeling label... On white poo, yes I would be worrying about an internal parasite too...


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## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

tried gram negative and gram positive 
lets see
maracyn
maracyn 2
api fungus cure
api tetracyclene
I am thinking of melafix or pimafix for the whole tank.
Good news though, after receiving message from ADZ1 he reminded me that cucumber and zuchinni can cause white stools. hopefully that is all it is.
melafix and pimafix both cover fin rot as well as eye cloud so I will try that unless I hear otherwise.

20% water change weekly, over filtered 75 gallon with eheim 2213 and 2217
no buffer as hardness is good and ph is above 7. Planning on adding almond leaves or almond leaf extract to lower ph and soften water (all South American fish in tank)


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## kelly528 (Apr 21, 2010)

The pleco sounds like maybe hexamita? It causes both white stoll and, in advanced stages, fraying of the fins. Can be treated with metronidazole (treated food is usually the best route).


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

If you recently fed zucchini or cucumber I wouldn't worry about it. Plecos digest huge amounts of fibrous materials, especially panaque and ancistrus species and they're not very efficient in processing it. So if you feed orange food, the poop's orange, white food, the poop is white, etc. To try to get it through their system and clear the gullet, I would try shelled peas. Peas seem to purge their systems (other fish as well). I try to feed mine peas once every week or every other week at least.


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## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> If you recently fed zucchini or cucumber I wouldn't worry about it. Plecos digest huge amounts of fibrous materials, especially panaque and ancistrus species and they're not very efficient in processing it. So if you feed orange food, the poop's orange, white food, the poop is white, etc. To try to get it through their system and clear the gullet, I would try shelled peas. Peas seem to purge their systems (other fish as well). I try to feed mine peas once every week or every other week at least.


cool I went with the peas for breakfast this morning, thanks


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## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

kelly528 said:


> The pleco sounds like maybe hexamita? It causes both white stoll and, in advanced stages, fraying of the fins. Can be treated with metronidazole (treated food is usually the best route).


Frightening disease, I pray that is not it, I will watch close


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Did this ever get resolved?


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## Adz1 (Apr 21, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> Did this ever get resolved?


i believe it turned out to be veggie poo Gary.....


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Cool. I like to see the orange poo from my plecos from feeding yams.


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## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> Did this ever get resolved?


Yeah It looks like it was either veggie (zuc, cuc) or all the new manzanita that I put in the tank. It is amazing how many small fibers they put out. I am going with the zucchinni.
the tail rot is hopefully going to wait another week or so till I am home to do a treatment on the tank. It is my favourite pleco(calico BN very active day and night and not too shy at all) so I hope I can really cure her asap.
My wife just didnt think she could do the meds for the 75 g tank as well as care for two toddlers, who could blame her.
thanks for the follow up


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## gimlid (Apr 23, 2010)

Just wanted to thank everyone who helped on this. The tail rot is resolved by itself, it may have been an injury.
After one week of no cuc or zuc there are no white stools.
thanks again and sorry for the false alarm.


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