Possible internal parasite

[Shia]

Hey guys, questions about internal parasites. Here is my scenario. I have had a purple tang for a year, he was the only tang in the system and he pooped clumpy green poop. Added a yellow tang about 2-3 months ago. He was in captivity for over a year. I purchased him from a fellow reefer and acclimated to my system. He does eat, but not as voraciously as the purple tang.

The yellow tang has a mixture of things in his poop. He has some green clumpy poop, but also a few white strings. The white strings look exactly like chaeto but with all the chlorophyll removed.

The purple tang is starting to poop the same white stringy stuff. His appetite has not changed at all and both fish have gotten fat in my system. One change in diet is I don't have a lot of hair algae anymore, but they still pick whatever they can from the rocks. I have started feeding them more chaeto from my sump. My clown trigger eats any nori I put in the system, so they get a few scraps of nori.

I tried to get a picture, but it seems whenever I see them pooping I do not have a camera handy. Will continue to try.

I have no experience with internal parasite and don't know if I should be worried. What do you guys think?

 

[Jdub968]

The tangs diet has changed a bit and that is probably what your seeing (would be my guess)
However the meds to treat an internal parasite would be metroplex with focus, soak there food in it for about 15-30 min and feed for 10-14 days. If done this way you can treat in the DT

 

[lagatbezan]

The tangs diet has changed a bit and that is probably what your seeing (would be my guess)
However the meds to treat an internal parasite would be metroplex with focus, soak there food in it for about 15-30 min and feed for 10-14 days. If done this way you can treat in the DT

+1
1 Table spoon of food, 1 scoop of metro and 1 scoop of focus. you can make a batch, refrigerate and keep using within a couple of days.
you can setup two nori feeding station with the clips on opposite side of the tank this way they all can feed at the same time.
I think Chaeto is known for causing long stringy poop if I'm not mistaking.

 

[Shia]

Thank you for the info. Typically with internal parasites do the fish die rapidly or can they live with it for years? The above mentioned treatment, is there any hazard to treating my display tank just in case?

I think it may just be the chaeto, but would treat just to be safe.

 

[JustinM]

When metro is bound to food it is reef safe. Just feed so they are eating all the food.

Typically internal parasites don't kill as quick as velvet or brook but it is something that needs treated sooner than later.

Being that the chaeto is stringy, it would definitely give the appearance that it has parasites but the white color is the concerning part. Is it possible that he is eating dead chaeto that is no longer green?

 

[Jdub968]

+1 will Justinm i don't know how long a fish could live with internal parasites but it isn't going to kill them fast usually what you would see is the fish slowly wastingaway

 

[JustinM]

One thing you will notice with internal parasites is a bloated stomach when they're barely eating.

 

[Shia]

Appreciate the info. Been watching the fish for a few days and still not sure if there is an internal parasite. So when I added the yellow tang he was super thin. The system he came from he was in for a year with no other fish. In my system he has gained a good amount of weight. Yesterday his waste looked normal (clumps of green matter) with what appears to be chaeto with no chlorophyll. I think the chaeto looks like that because every time he poops the purlp tang eats it all up, then when the purple tang poops the yellow tang eats it up. This chaeto may have been floating through intestinal tracks for weeks if not months. The purple tang is a very aggressive eater and has eaten a lot of chaeto in the last couple of weeks. I am remove the chaeto to watch and see what happens to the poop.

Also setting up two areas of nori, thank you for the suggestion.

I am strongly doubting there is a parasite based on their eating habits and the fact they have both been gaining weight. Would it be okay to monitor them for a few weeks, or should I start prophylactic treatment?

 

[JustinM]

You can monitor them for a few weeks. Stop feeding the chaeto and see if the poop changes.

 

[Shia]

Update: no parasite present. Was able to remove chaeto from their diet and waste back to being green clumps.