Oh poop

[mr72country]

Little GT has the stringy poop. Hasn't had a tank mate in a few months so if it's a parasite which I think it is, it mush have been from back then. He's really actively swimming and seems pretty happy, appetite definitely has taken a dip. Api master test kit has everything at low range/ zero. pH around 7.5 it's usually around 6.5 but apparently my towns pH has gone up so I used a little vinegar to bump it back down. On mobile sorry for the text wall. Pics of poop attached ordered some hex shield and I'll probably pick up some general cure tomorrow.

 

[kno4te]

Try the hex shield first if it’s got an appetite still. What are u feeding?

 

[mr72country]

Hikari gold floating, excel sinking, and omega one floating cichlid pellet. Usually twice a day a few pellets morning and night. I've put a few peas in and there's live plants he seems to have chewed on a few times. He's probably killed 15-20 guppies and tetras since I've had him, but he hasn't had any company in a while.

 

[duanes]

GTs do not need you to lower pH for them. They come from west of the Andes, where natural water conditions are more alkaline than the Amazon region.
So if you are adding vinegar you may be creating a fluctuating pH and alkalinity bouncing situation which may be causing stress.
And stress can create an upset of balance of bacteria in the gut.
An introduced parasite does not sound like the problem in your tank (unless the reason the GT is solo, because all other fish died from some disease), but if stress is occurring, a bacterial imbalance could bring on the symptoms you describe.

As to your tap water changing, when seasons change, the source of your water parameters can change, including the pH.
Here in Panama I keep cichlids of the genus Andinoacara (same genus a your GT), and even here as seasons change, so do the natural water conditions.
In the dry season, pH can reach above 8, (almost 9 in certain riverine areas)
In the rainy season pH easily drops to 7 or below.
These seasonal pH changes are relatively gradual, and the native Andinoacara adjust.
The same type seasonal changes happen west of the Andes, with rain and snow melt in the mountains.

Above is pH of my tank during the "dry season" (I had to use the high range standard)
Below during the rainy season, as you can see, the low range standard needed to be used.

These gradual seasonal changes even prompt breeding activity in my Andinoacara, so if it were me, I'd stop fooling around with vinegar and allow your normal seasonal changes to occur naturally in the tank.
Below
The wild caught Andinoacara I keep below.

 

[mr72country]

GTs do not need you to lower pH for them. They come from west of the Andes, where natural water conditions are more alkaline than the Amazon region.
So if you are adding vinegar you may be creating a fluctuating pH and alkalinity bouncing situation which may be causing stress.
And stress can create an upset of balance of bacteria in the gut.
An introduced parasite does not sound like the problem in your tank (unless the reason the GT is solo, because all other fish died from some disease), but if stress is occurring, a bacterial imbalance could bring on the symptoms you describe.

As to your tap water changing, when seasons change, the source of your water parameters can change, including the pH.
Here in Panama I keep cichlids of the genus Andinoacara (same genus a your GT), and even here as seasons change, so do the natural water conditions.
In the dry season, pH can reach above 8, (almost 9 in certain riverine areas)
In the rainy season pH easily drops to 7 or below.
These seasonal pH changes are relatively gradual, and the native Andinoacara adjust.
The same type seasonal changes happen west of the Andes, with rain and snow melt in the mountains.
View attachment 1439939
Above is pH of my tank during the "dry season" (I had to use the high range standard)
Below during the rainy season, as you can see, the low range standard needed to be used.
View attachment 1439940
These gradual seasonal changes even prompt breeding activity in my Andinoacara, so if it were me, I'd stop fooling around with vinegar and allow your normal seasonal changes to occur naturally in the tank.
Below
The wild caught Andinoacara I keep below.
View attachment 1439941

Sorry if I wasn't clear about this but I'm not regularly dosing vinegar. I was doing a 60% water change so I tested my tap and it was as dark purple as the test kit showed on the high ph. My tank was just under 7 so I didn't want to have a ph change that was too drastic stress him out. I've done this in a pinch with no negative effects in the past.

 

[Rocksor]

Too high protein of a diet (after 4" TL) will cause stringy poop white poop. That's what happened with my GT. Feeding a more regular diet of NLS algaemax made the stringy poop go away. GTs are more on the herbivorous side, and you can tell by how much longer their poop is than an oscar. Longer poop is indicative of a long digestive system.

 

[Rocksor]

Sorry if I wasn't clear about this but I'm not regularly dosing vinegar. I was doing a 60% water change so I tested my tap and it was as dark purple as the test kit showed on the high ph. My tank was just under 7 so I didn't want to have a ph change that was too drastic stress him out. I've done this in a pinch with no negative effects in the past.

PH changes don't affect fish that much (barely even stresses them out) in a short period of time. A water change that decreases the total dissolved solid levels will stress fish out, causing them to lose minerals too quickly. People who inject C02 in their tank have daily PH swings once the CO2 and lights are off, sometimes as high as 2 pts. You will more likely see stress due to the water change, and in rare cases, non-toxic ammonium being converted to toxic ammonia when PH rises.

 

[mr72country]

PH changes don't affect fish that much (barely even stresses them out) in a short period of time. A water change that decreases the total dissolved solid levels will stress fish out, causing them to lose minerals too quickly. People who inject C02 in their tank have daily PH swings once the CO2 and lights are off, sometimes as high as 2 pts. You will more likely see stress due to the water change, and in rare cases, non-toxic ammonium being converted to toxic ammonia when PH rises.

Oh I've always heard PH shock was an issue, albeit not major issue. Good to know.