Internal Parasites?

[skoram]

Just noticed this white stringy feces from my male erythrura:

 

[gerald]

Not necessarily parasites - it could just be something he ate that wasn't digestible, like a hard-shelled bug. If he acts healthy otherwise and is eating well, then it's probably just some mucus passing through the intestines. Watch out for bloating, appetite loss, or rapid breathing that might indicate a real problem.

 

[skoram]

thank you for your advice Gerald. he seems very "normal" so far - swimming well, flaring at the mirror and sifting through the sand as he normally does, except for one oddity. i notice that he seems to have lost his interest in bloodworms. I don't know if there is any correlation between this and his stringy fecal matter.

 

[gerald]

Live or frozen bloodworms? If frozen (or freeze-dried), maybe they were partly spoiled before freezing, which might cause both the intestinal mucus and reluctance to eat more of them.

 

[skoram]

they were frozen bloodworms - I would say you were definitely right if not for the fact that he pooping out the same white stringy feces as I type this, and I have not put any bloodworms in his tank for several days ... other than that, he seems to be the model of perfect health ...

I have another male erythrura but he is my favorite (and shown in my avatar) so I'd like to take any precaution I can to avoid losing him.

 

[skoram]

It just occurred to me that he is eating a lot of banana worms these days as that is primarily what I have been feeding the fry in his tank - could that be a potential cause?