If you are here, I understand that your Flowerhorn might be experiencing some stomach discomfort, leading to white poop or feces in its anus.
This is a common issue faced by many Flowerhorn hobbyists. The most effective way to treat and restore your Flowerhorn to normal is by addressing the digestive problems it is facing.
In this blog post, we will guide you on how to treat Flowerhorn white poop disease, precautionary methods, and symptoms.
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What is white poop disease in flowerhorn?
The white poop disease in Flowerhorn is still a significant health issue faced by many ornamental hobbyists, such as Flowerhorn owners.
This condition is typically caused by four common factors:
- parasitic infection
- bacterial infection
- worms
- stomach lining
Parasitic infections, such as hexamitasis and octamitasis, can result in white syringe poop disease when the Flowerhorn’s stomach is infected.
Bacterial infections occur when there is an imbalance in the stomach bacteria or an excess of negative bacteria, leading to digestive issues and the manifestation of white poop.
Worms: Occasionally, what appears to be white feces is a worm, not a poop.
Stomach lining: during transport or fasting periods, Flowerhorns may display white poop due to issues with the stomach lining.
Symptoms of Hexamitasis in flowerhorn cichlid:
The major symptom of this disease is the Flowerhorn’s poop itself. When observing the Flowerhorn, you may notice white stringy poop attached to its anus, indicating the presence of Flowerhorn white poop.
If you observe this, it indicates that your Flowerhorn is already affected by the disease.
Additionally, it may exhibit the following symptoms: not eating food, showing signs of stress, lying at the bottom of the tank, darkened skin, a shrunken kok, and reduced activity in swimming.
These are additional symptoms, but the presence of white poop serves as the conclusive confirmation of the disease.
Flowerhorn white poop treatment:
Disclaimer: If you lack confidence in saving your fish or have doubts about completing the treatment for your flowerhorn, we strongly recommend seeking assistance from a nearby vet to ensure the well-being of your flowerhorn.
When you have identified the disease and begun taking action to cure your Flowerhorn from the white poop disease, the solution is to normalize the Flowerhorn’s stomach.
The step-by-step treatment phase is listed below:
Treatment Tank Set up:
Creating a suitable treatment tank is crucial for Flowerhorns, as the disease might spread to its tank mates. Therefore, follow these steps
- STOP the feeding.
- Remove tank mates and provide a hospital tank dedicated to the affected Flowerhorn.
- Add aged and conditioned water,
- set up filtration and a heater, and include an air pump for improved oxygen supply.
- Do not add any gravel, substrate, plants, or decorations inside the tank.
Medicines:
This white poop disease medication procedure can be divided into two treatments:
Stage One: Mildly affected Flowerhorns are categorized under stage one.
In such cases, the Flowerhorn may remain active, experience minimal stress, and continue eating during feedings.
To address this stage, add deworming medicines like metronidazole, metrogyl 400, or any other cichlid-prescribed medicine to the water (dosage depends on the Flowerhorn’s age, size, and tank volume). Initially, mix the medicine in water (separately), then later dissolve it in tank water.
Conduct a 50% water change daily and repeat the treatment for 3 to 4 days.
This approach helps halt the white poop, and the Flowerhorn should recover its colors and Kok.
Stage Two: For more severe cases falling under stage two, additional measures are necessary.
Add up an extra dosage of deworming medicine and provide additional care with supplementary medications recommended by veterinarians like stress relief.
Conduct a 50% daily water change and repeat the prescribed medications for 3 to 4 days.
Bath: The flowerhorn should given with a salt bath or permanganate bath (anyone) to destroy the remaining parasitic infection or bacterial infection inside its stomach (For both stages 1 & 2)
Post-treatment care:
Once the Flowerhorn starts to recover, you should reduce the dosage of medicines and perform a 20-30% daily water change, which is sufficient.
Ensure that filtration and heaters are consistently operational throughout the treatment procedure.
Once you observe that the Flowerhorn has returned to its normal state, gradually introduce food, such as bloodworms, starting with a minimal quantity (2 to 5 worms).
Gradually increase the amount of bloodworms. Monitor the appearance of the poop; if it appears normal, then gradually transition to feeding pellets with a limited quantity, progressively increasing it.
How to prevent white poop disease:
In most cases of white poop, the hobbyist may be anxiously concerned about the Flowerhorn’s condition day and night.
We suggest that “prevention is 100 times better than cure.” Learn preventive methods for Flowerhorn white poop problems to potentially avoid future issues. Follow the instructions below:
- Avoid overfeeding your Flowerhorn.
- Feed pellets at intervals and in the correct amount.
- Keep your aquarium heater always turned on.
- Stop feeding cheap-quality foods.
- Utilize parasite-free live food.
- Maintain clean and suitable water conditions.
- Regularly change 10-20% of the water weekly with conditioned water.
- Administer deworming to your Flowerhorn at least once every 3 months.
- Introduce fasting at least once every 2 weeks.
By following these simple methods, you can prevent the occurrence of white poop disease in Flowerhorns. For more detailed guidance, refer to the detailed Flowerhorn care guide.
Final Thoughts:
If identified early, the chances of saving the Flowerhorn’s life are high. It’s mostly a matter of luck, so always dedicate time to spend with your fish.
We trust that this blog post will assist you in curing Flowerhorn fish white poop disease and provide insights into prevention and symptoms of the condition.
If you have any further clarifications or doubts, feel free to comment below. Thanks for staying until the end.
Explore more treatments and diseases related to Flowerhorns that may be beneficial for you.
- Bloated Stomach Disease
- Pop eyes disease
- Intestine Coming Out (Hernia)
- White spot disease
- Swimming upside down
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How to identify Hexamita disease in Flowerhorn fishes?
The main symptoms of hexamita disease include stress, refusal to eat, loss of activeness, shrunken kok, and darkened color. However, since these symptoms are common for other diseases, the confirmative symptom is the discharge of white feces or white stringy poop by Flowerhorn
2. Can I give a salt bath for white poop disease in Flowerhorn?
Yes, giving a salt bath to Flowerhorn for 1 to 2 hours daily, repeatedly for 2 to 3 days, is advisable to cure the white disease completely, as concentrated salt can help destroy the infections. It is suggested to add one tablespoon of Epsom salt for every one gallon of water.