People love angelfish because they look fantastic in home aquariums. These fish are so much fun to observe, and they’re easy enough to learn how to take care of.
Despite the hardy nature of these fish, it’s going to be important to not let your guard down. If you make mistakes, then the fish might experience various problems.
For example, one day you might notice that your fish has white poop. This is certainly not typical, and you’ll be rightfully alarmed by this development.
What does it mean when an angelfish has white poop? Is the fish sick or is this just supposed to happen from time to time?
Read on to get all of the details about white angelfish poop. Once you’ve read everything, you’ll have a greater understanding of how to help the angelfish.
White Poop Likely Means That the Fish Has Internal Parasites
Sadly, the white poop is almost surely a sign that the angelfish is dealing with internal parasites. Internal parasites can become a problem when there are issues with water quality.
Try to get a good look at the poop to see exactly what it looks like. Is the poop long, stringy, and white?
This is a telltale sign that the angelfish has internal parasites. For the most part, parasites are only going to become a problem when something is wrong with the water.
There’s a chance that you haven’t been keeping a good eye on the water parameters. Have you been testing the water regularly to ensure that everything is in the right range?
You’re supposed to maintain a pH balance between 6.8 and 7.8 when caring for angelfish. It’s also recommended to keep the water temperature between 76 degrees Fahrenheit and 84 degrees Fahrenheit.
You should test the water to look for any signs of ammonia, nitrates, and nitrites. If the test is all good, then the water is fine and you don’t have anything to worry about.
If you’re seeing that the fish is producing white, long, and stringy poop, then you almost surely have water parameter issues. Correct the problems with the water so that the fish will be able to get healthy in the future.
How to Treat Internal Parasites
Treating internal parasites will involve giving the fish special types of medicated food. It’s also likely going to be wise to quarantine the fish while working on fixing any water parameter issues.
You can set up a hospital tank for your fish so that you can get it treated. There’s a good chance that the other fish are experiencing the same thing, though, and this means that you might need to treat all of the fish for internal parasites.
Just try to be observant to see what is going on with the fish. Hopefully, you can catch things fast and get the angelfish back to normal.
Medicated foods do a good job of getting rid of internal parasites. You should be able to get what you need from an exotic veterinarian, and it might also be possible to order something online.
Parasites Can Be Introduced to the Tank
Parasites can be introduced to the tank in a few ways. You could add a new fish to the tank that is already infested with parasites.
It’s also possible that parasites could come attached to aquatic plants. This is why it’s recommended to quarantine new fish and new plants before adding them to your main tank.
Taking this precaution will make it unlikely that you’ll introduce parasites to your tank. Aquatic plants should be quarantined in a tank that has no fish for several weeks to ensure that everything is safe.
You should quarantine new fish in a tank for six weeks to keep things safe. If you keep doing things this way, then you’ll protect your main tank home.
Healthy Fish Can Generally Resist Parasites
It should also be known that healthy fish are capable of resisting parasites. If the fish are in a healthy state, then they shouldn’t be dealing with problems like this.
In all likelihood, the angelfish are stressed in some way. When fish are dealing with stress, it weakens their immune systems and makes them susceptible to parasites.
There are many things that can cause fish to become stressed. This can happen because the fish are having to fight other aggressive fish.
External issues can cause the fish to get scared and become stressed, too. For example, having a fish tank in an area that has a lot of foot traffic can be stressful.
Placing a tank in a room that is very noisy will also stress the fish. Young children tapping on the glass constantly can negatively impact the fish, too.
You should try to keep the fish from becoming stressed so that they will maintain healthy immune systems. Just do your best to be mindful of potential stress sources and everything should be fine.
Constipation
Constipation issues can also cause fish to produce white poop. Sometimes you might make the mistake of feeding the angelfish too much.
When you feed the fish too much, it becomes hard for the fish to excrete everything in its digestive system. Constipation can be dangerous, too, because it can lead to swim bladder disease.
To solve constipation problems, you should feed the fish foods that are rich in fiber. This should allow the fish to excrete everything that they have eaten, and the poop will return to normal.
In the future, you should try to avoid feeding your fish too much. Mature angelfish are meant to be fed twice per day, but you shouldn’t feed them too much at one time.
Try to give the angelfish only as much food as it can finish in two or three minutes. This should help you to keep the fish healthy.
Final Thoughts
Learning more about why angelfish produce white poop will help you out. White poop isn’t normal, and you should try to help the angelfish if you notice such an irregularity.
It could be that the fish has internal parasites, but the fish might also just be constipated. If the fish has long and stringy white poop, then the parasites are the likeliest cause.
Treat the fish and everything should be fine before too long. Try to keep a better eye on the water parameters in the future.
Jeff has always enjoyed having pets, but as a child, he was drawn to his family’s fish tank. Being able to maintain a small ecosystem and observe the behaviors and interactions in the underwater world peaked his interest early on and has kept him hooked until this day. On Avid Aquarist, Jeff shares everything he’s learned about helping aquatic life survive and thrive in a home aquarium.
Julia
Sunday 20th of November 2022
I am stumped. My water parameter is good. I was treating ick the 4th day the whole tank went south. So I did a 50% water change put lots of carbon back in tank and turned down the heater. They were having a hard time breathing. I went through something similar but I had bought a bad heater and lost some good buddies. I quit trating for ick for now. They look much better on that end still signs of it though. Nothing in the tank is eating. Hanging at the bottom . The plants look like they are all dying. What should I do? One angle has white stringy poop. Jarrelljulia1@gmail.com