Orange Flash Acting Odd

[doctorp]

I've got one male Cockatoo Orange Flash who has been acting odd the last couple days. He'll take food in his mouth and spit it out and also has been sulking around and not looking as lively as normal. Today I noticed a stringy, white/clear poo coming out that didn't look normal. Any suggestions on what this might be and what treatment? My first thought was Intestinal Protozoa and to put him in a QT with some Clout. I'd appreciate your input!

 

[fishgeek]

i think mos of our first thoughts would be intestinal protozoa and the use metronidazol, ( i m not sure what is in clout, one of the waterlife medications - protozin? is rumoured to be metronidazol)

the lack of appetite and mucoid stool defintely meansome intestinal irritation leading to increased mucous production adn probably some colic like gut pain reducing appetite

this could be due to worms and other issue's aswell
if your can microscopy of a feacal exam will allow you to be confident about the exact cause and have more certainity that your treatment is appropriate

andrew

 

[curviceps]

Hi Andrew, I think you were referring to Waterlife Octozin

Cheers

 

[fishgeek]

thanks - i just assumed protozoa- protozin
doesnt matter now as see that doctop is american and metronidazol is available in many over the counter proprietary remedies

andrew
was the user detail there before or am i just blind?

 

[doctorp]

I can easily pick up some Metronidazole from the LFS. Do you recommend a QT tank just for this guy or put it in my entire 55 gallon tank with the other inhabitants?

 

[fishgeek]

i think that when treating it is alway better to treat in a seperate tank and one fish intially

incase of miscalculations or adverse reactions you may only loose one fish

if you have more widespread infection and the other fish are feeding i would make metronidazol food, look at their stool first

some other members have had the novel idea of allowing daphnia to eat powdered metronidazol and then feeding these to their fish
or soaking food in liquid metronidazol before feeding etc

andrew

 

[Mike Wise]

This method of getting medication into live foods was suggest to me by a verteranarian. Take the live food, daphnia, brine shrimp, worms, etc. and remove them from the water for about 5 - 10 minutes. They will start losing water from their body. Then put them in water with a concentration of the medication. The animals will start re-absorbing water (with medication). Once rehyrated they can be fed to the ailing fish. I imagine this only works for water soluable medicines.

 

[doctorp]

Wow...that's a unique way to treat but I can imagine how it would be effective as the quickest way to get medicine internally into the fish. I did put my guy in a QT tank with some Clout for 24 hours and he's definitely acting more normal. He had a normal brown poop today so I'm going to watch him and see if he continues to improve.

 

[Apistomaster]

Hi doctorp,
You know that the Daphnia season is upon you over there?
Many of the lowland lakes and ponds are undergoing massive Daphnia blooms.

I lived in the Metro Seattle for about 30 years and went collecting every Spring.

Now I'm in Eastern WA and their is much less still water habitat but there is one
lake about 25 miles away where I can collect 5lb.s in an hour if I catch just the right timing.

That is a very interesting concept of partially dehydrating them and then rehydrate in the medicated water. Just what the doctor ordered because most Dwarf Cichlids will at least eat a few Daphnia unless they are very far gone.