There can be various reasons for your guppy fish having white poop, which we will discuss in this article. We will also know if sickness is the reason behind it. So, let us find out.
Guppy fish not eating regularly is the primary reason behind the white stringy poop. Water condition, age, and stress are other factors. If you detect movement in poop, it is an internal parasite. Appropriate feeding, a stress-free environment, and good water condition will prevent such issues.
This article will discuss how we can prevent our guppies from diseases and parasites. So let us get into it.
Contents
Why does my guppy fish have white poop?
These are the reasons behind your guppy fish having white poop:
- Your guppy fish is getting old.
- Your guppy fish is under stress.
- Your guppy fish is suffering from internal parasites and bacterial infections.
- They are not getting food appropriately.
Aging
Guppies have a 3-5 years lifespan, depending on their genetics and other factors like water condition and diet.
Your guppy is getting old is also a reason for having white poop.
If you have guppy for one to two years in your aquarium and have white poop, then age is the reason behind that.
In such a situation, we can only make sure that our guppy is living comfortably by providing adequate water conditions and feeding them good nutritional food.
Stress
Stress can be the reason behind many issues your guppy can suffer.
Stress can indirectly be why your guppy has white poop, as stress can result in digestive diseases.
These are the factors that can make your guppy come under stress:
- Aggressive tankmates.
- Inadequate and unstable water parameters.
- Poor water quality.
- Overcrowded tank.
- Lack of supply of good nutritional food.
Preventing guppies from all these factors is essential for their healthy and happy lifespan.
Stress will lead to digestive issues in your guppy fish and result in your guppy having white poop.
Parasites or bacterial infection
Internal parasites can also be the reason behind guppy fish having white poop.
It is easy to detect if the internal parasite is the reason behind the white poop.
The white poop will move in the water if it is an internal parasite.
Maybe, there is a lot of movement in your aquarium, so you can just place that white poop in a still glass of water and see if it is moving.
If it moves, it is an internal parasite (internal worm).
Inappropriate feeding
Irregular feeding can also cause your guppy to produce white poop.
Food is the primary factor for any digestive issues in your guppy fish.
The condition of the poop is directly connected to the food guppy fish are consuming.
If all of your guppies are having a white poop issue, then there can be two reasons which will need immediate action:
- Water parameters
- Food
Fishes have cells in their body that produces mucus.
Mucus generally is a slimy substance secreted by the glands and membranes of animals for allowing smooth movement of the waste to slide out.
We cannot see the mucus coating as it gets covered by the waste of our guppy fish.
But, if our guppy fish is not eating appropriately and there is no waste produced, we will witness mucus coating.
Irregular and underfeeding is the primary cause.
Ensure not to overfeed your guppy fish in case of solving this issue, as it can result in your guppy fish suffering from constipation and becoming fat.
How to treat my guppy with white poop?
These are the ways to treat guppy with white stringy poop:
- Perform treatment for internal parasites if it is the reason.
- Provide a stress-free environment for your guppy fish.
- Feed your guppy fish appropriately.
- Maintain an adequate water condition for your guppies aquarium.
Perform treatment for intestinal parasites.
If your guppy is suffering from internal parasites, you have to run medication on the whole of your tank.
As sooner or later, the remaining fish present in the tank will also have white poop issues.
For treating internal parasites, you will need the help of copper medication.
You should use Seachem cupramine to treat internal parasites.
You can find this product on amazon- Seachem Cupramine Copper.
Remove shrimps and other invertebrates from the tank as they are susceptible to copper and can pass away because of copper.
To cure your guppies of most diseases like ich disease, fungal diseases, and more, you can use Seachem para guard.
You can find Seachem para guard on amazon- Seachem ParaGuard.
Stress-free environment
Making a stress-free environment will not directly help you to solve the issue of white stringy poop.
But, it will help you keep your guppy fish healthy and prevent infections.
For making a stress-free environment for your guppy fish, you can do the following things:
- Avoid adding aggressive tankmates. Add peaceful fish like tetras, molly, platy.
- Provide your guppies with good water conditions with adequate and stable water parameters.
- Feed your guppy fish good quality nutritional food on a regular basis.
- Don’t get your guppies aquarium overcrowded with guppies and other tankmates.
- Create plenty of hiding places for your guppies by adding live aquatic plants and other hiding decors.
Guppy will eat and be healthy in a stress-free environment with nothing to worry about, angry tankmates, and other problems.
Feed appropriately
Feeding your guppy fish appropriately and with good quality food is essential.
Make sure not to overfeed your guppy fish.
Guppies are the fish that will never neglect to feed. They will feed on everything you serve and every time you serve.
Serve the quantity of food your guppies can eat in 1-2 minutes.
Overfeeding can result in leftovers, making your tank dirty over time and producing ammonia and other harmful toxins.
Like overfeeding, underfeeding your guppy fish is also problematic for our guppies, as we discussed above.
You can set up an automatic feeder to ensure that your guppy gets enough food they require in their diet.
Make sure to feed a variety of food to your guppy fish.
However, guppy fish can live eating flake foods, but if you want them to grow with beautiful colors, then go with feeding them a variety of foods.
You can feed your guppies, mosquito larvae, veggie pellets, brine shrimp, earthworms, and tubifex worms.
Guppies will also love to feed on cooked or fresh vegetables like cucumber, carrots, and green peas.
| Food | Serving Quantity | No of Times |
|---|---|---|
| Veggie pellets | One pinch at a time | 2-3 times a day |
| Brine shrimp | One pinch at a time | 1-2 times a week |
| Tubifex Worm | One pinch at a time | 1 time a week |
| Bloodworm | One pinch at a time | 1-2 times a week |
| Mosquito larvae | 10-15 pieces | 2-3 times a week |
Adequate water conditions
| Particular | Guppy Fish Requirement |
|---|---|
| Water temperature | 72-82°F |
| Water pH level | 6.8-7.8 |
Guppies prefer to live in a warmer water temperature.
It is essential to provide adequate and stable water parameters to guppies for their health and happy lifespan.
Inadequate water conditions will make your guppy come under stress, and they will start refusing to eat.
Guppy not eating will result in having white stringy poop.
Provide your guppy with a water temperature between 72-82°F.
Make sure to maintain the pH level between 6.8-7.8.
How can we prevent our guppies from diseases and parasites?
You can prevent many guppy diseases and parasites by following these things:
- Maintaining the tank and performing water changes regularly.
- Feeding your guppies good quality nutritional food.
- Avoid overstocking your guppies aquarium.
- Consider isolating new fish or plants before adding them to your guppies aquarium.
- Avoid overfeeding your guppies and feed them food at once, which they can eat in 1-2 minutes.
- Consider adding an aquarium heater to keep a stable water temperature.
- Add filter and biofilter media to your guppies aquarium.
Conclusion:
Inappropriate eating is the primary reason behind guppy fish having white poop. Mucus is a slimy substance that helps in lubrication. We hardly see the mucus coating as it gets covered with the guppy’s waste. But when guppy doesn’t eat properly, we can see the mucus coating.
Provide a stress-free environment, adequate and stable water parameters, and good quality nutritional food regularly to your guppies to prevent such issues.
If your guppy is suffering from internal parasites, then use Seachem cupramine copper to eliminate the internal parasite.
Reference: Aquariumscience, NCBI