Flowerhorn not taking any food

Paolow

Gambusia
MFK Member
Oct 13, 2018
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My fish is about 4 inches in length. He has not eaten on his own since i got him. That was more than 2 weeks ago. First i noticed white stringy poo coming out from him from the lfs. I began reading on what the remedy is to this ailment. So i treated him with the 3% epsom salt. Manually using a 1 cc syringe to force it down his stomach. I then mixed crushed food with the solution so he would have some nourishment. After 3 days of just epsom, he still would not take anything. So i started giving him metronidazole following the dosage from a thread also from this forum. He is due for his 4th dose of metronidazole today. Still not interested in food. I tried pellets and freeze dried krill. His poop are not stringy anymore but still white and appear mucoid and spherical. about a quarter of an inch in diameter.
He doesn't appear weak though. But his head slightly did decrease in size. He is housed in a 55 gallon tank by himself. All water parameters are fine using api test kit.
I am still unable to post pictures since i am still new to this forum.
Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you!
 
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Paolow

Gambusia
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Oct 13, 2018
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Thank you for your reply. For how long should i continue the treatment? I am doing the every other day dosing regimen. So today would be his 8th day. The guide i have read says up to four doses. What if he still doesnt eat on his own? Should i just continue manually feeding him? Or try the fast him for a few days then try pellets approach. I really want to avoid force feeding him. I feel like it causes the little guy too much stress. As for the ghost shrimp, ill try to look for a shop that sells them. Thanks again.
 
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Deadliestviper7

The Necromancer
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If the fourth dose doesn't work, try a one time force feeding of peas (cooked and deshelled), then continue with epsom salt and water changes
 
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If the fourth dose doesn't work, try a one time force feeding of peas (cooked and deshelled), then continue with epsom salt and water changes
yeah sounds like a parasite, white and stringy is usually a sign of parasites, so yeah I would say these are your best options
1. tie a small piece of shrimp to a string to simulate a live fish (
for more info on that)
2. use live ghost shrimp to try to entice him to eat
3. try crickets or a feeder insect
4. use quarantined feeders (that you know doesn't have a disease or ones you have treated heavily with anti parasitic medications, here's a video with some more information on that
5. force feeding him (last resort, highly stressful to fish but if you have to do it then do it)
 
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Paolow

Gambusia
MFK Member
Oct 13, 2018
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Thank you for the videos. Yea its kinda hard to look for live feeders from where i am from. So i might try that string technique. If it still fails, then force feeding it is. And hope whitish slime poop stops in time. Im just kinda worried that my feeding is causing damage to his GI tract thus he continues to pass out linings.
 
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Sep 24, 2017
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Thank you for the videos. Yea its kinda hard to look for live feeders from where i am from. So i might try that string technique. If it still fails, then force feeding it is. And hope whitish slime poop stops in time. Im just kinda worried that my feeding is causing damage to his GI tract thus he continues to pass out linings.
I doubt it would cause more damage, he is just going to keep starving and the longer you wait the more damage that's done, the weaker he gets, the harder it gets to get him to eat, and the more likely he is to die and worse comes to worse, for the feeders you can get some other type of shrimp (amano, cherry, etc.)
 
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Paolow

Gambusia
MFK Member
Oct 13, 2018
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I tried the fresh shrimp on a string strategy. He didnt fall for it. He checks it out but then just swims away. Still excreting white poop. Maybe add another dose or two of metronidazole?

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