Regal has "string" coming from anus

[T-unit]

My regal has a string coming from her anus. I noticed it this morning. She has been acting as usual, not gasping for air or taking excessive breaths and also eating good portions. I had a similar issue with a clown a while back and was told it was a parasite, but he was flopping around the tank and would not eat. I treated him in a hospital tank for a week and he was fine. Is this also a parasite and if it is, do I have a problem in my tank? My tank has been set up of about 4 months and I have 2 clowns and a regal. My ammonia is 0, NO2 0, NO3 10, PH 8.4

Any advise would be great -Tom-

 

[billsreef]

If the regal is eating, feed it food soaked in praziquantel. It's a dewormer that is effective on common internal parasites that often cause those symptoms.

 

[T-unit]

Thanks for the advise. This morning the string was gone? She is still acting as usual, so I guess she is OK. I am going to get some praziquantel and give it to her anyway.-Tom-

 

[T-unit]

Well, another string is developing....If it is internal parasites what can I do to keep them reoccuring? Will feed all the fish some praziquantel wipe them out? Do I need to remove all the fish from my show tank so their is no host?

 

[Steven Pro]

You should not have to remove the fish. Just feed them all the food with Praziquantel in it. I would also be careful not to feed excessively if this is a reef tank. You probably don't want you corals ingesting this drug treated food.

 

[T-unit]

I guess what I am tring to find out is if once i kill the parasites inside the fish are they still inside the tank? Will they come back in my regal or anther fish later? If so what do I need to do to total remove them.