Is this normal? Stringy things coming out of my sailfin tang’s butt

[Brett S]

So I just noticed some white stringy things coming out of my sailfin tang’s butt. I’m not sure if these are some sort of parasite or worm or if maybe it’s just some undigested plant matter. I’ve tried to get some pictures.

 

[Brett S]

Oh, and I’m not sure if it matters, but this is not a new fish. I’ve had him for somewhere around 1.5 or 2 years and he has grown considerably since I first got him. I haven’t added any new fish to the tank for close to a year, so if it is a parasite it’s one that’s been in there for a while.

 

[CCauthers]

@Jay Hemdal

 

[\m/reefsnmetal\m/]

Is there any chance he's munching on chaeto? I've seen my fish crap like that after having a bit float around my display tank.

 

[Brett S]

Is there any chance he's munching on chaeto? I've seen my fish crap like that after having a bit float around my display tank.

It’s certainly possible. I have quite a lot of chaeto in the fuge in my sump. I haven’t really seen any in my DT, but it’s conceivable that some makes it up there occasionally.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I've seen this exact thing from fish that ate some 3-M doodle bug algae pads - any chance of that having happened?

If not, then it is likely algae or a parasite - which you already surmised (grin).

There is a nematode parasite called Capillaria that will cause worms to extend like this, but usually, it is a reaction to having used some antihelminthic - a worm medication or perhaps garlic. Worm parasite prefer to stay inside the fish and not leave if they don't have to.

Jay

 

[Brett S]

I've seen this exact thing from fish that ate some 3-M doodle bug algae pads - any chance of that having happened?

If not, then it is likely algae or a parasite - which you already surmised (grin).

There is a nematode parasite called Capillaria that will cause worms to extend like this, but usually, it is a reaction to having used some antihelminthic - a worm medication or perhaps garlic. Worm parasite prefer to stay inside the fish and not leave if they don't have to.

Jay

I don’t think there’s any way that he could have eaten 3-M algae pads. I do have some flipper magnetic cleaners that stay in the tank all the time, but that cleaning surface is black and I don’t think it’s really that texture.

I definitely haven’t used any medications on the tank and I don’t believe that anything I’m feeding is medicated or contains garlic.

I guess I’ll just keep an eye on him. If this is a parasite are there other symptoms I should be looking for? He certainly appears healthy as near as I can tell.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

It is very unlikely that a fish that is a long term captive like this, is going to succumb to internal parasites, they would have caused a problem long ago. Not to say that captive fish can't have parasites, just that they have reached a balance with them. Remember, parasites don't really want to kill their hosts, then they are out of a home!

Jay

 

[Brett S]

So this morning I noticed the same thing with my sohal tang. Although with him the stringy things have more of a green color to them.

I think it’s gotta be something they are eating although I really don’t know what. I don’t think I have any stringy algae like that in my DT (unless the reason I don’t have it is because these guys find every last bit and eat it).

It does look similar to chaeto, so maybe some of the chaeto is making it from the fuge to the DT and these guys are eating it.

 

[badluckman]

I've seen this on my tangs as well. Looking at the undigested parts of it it really looks like chaeto since some patches are still green which would make sense since there's a bit getting sucked into the DT every day. I'm hoping it is at least.

Is yours also "divided" by bands of green, brown, white, and clear sometimes?

 

[Brett S]

Well, one final follow up to this. I just broke off a bit of chaeto from my fuge and dropped it into the DT. The sailfin tang and the sohal tang immediately ate all of it. I’m feeling pretty confident now that they are just getting bits of chaeto that are working their way up from the fuge into the DT.