White stringy fish poo

Question
My Jack Dempsey who is about 3 inches long is pooping like a tiny bit reddish (like his food) and the rest is clear/whiteish and very stringy.. I have had him for at least 2 months now and I dont think I have ever seen him not poop this way.  Everything I have read says that it is probably an internal parasite and that usually along with the clear poop their appetite dramatically decreases.  However, my Jack eats A TON and probably would eat all day long, if I let him.  (I only feed my fish once a day, with the occasional treat of a pinch of freeze dried blood worms or brine shrimp or a few feeder guppies.)  He also acts totally normal and is territorial and chases around the other fish as Jack Dempsey's do.  I have not noticed any other fish in the tank pooping this way but my understanding is that if it is internal parasites, the others will get them if left untreated.  I just treated my tank with PIMAFIX and MELAFIX because my Blood Parrot had Fin and Tail Rot, Mouth Fungus and was not as bright as usual/acting normal, but no other fish had any of it.  I have since cleaned the tank thouroughly and replaced the carbon fiters.  I did notice those planaria- tiny white worms on the glass, a week or so ago while I was treating them for the Fin and Tail Rot, etc.  I have since reduced their food amount practically in half and now that the tank is clean, I don't really see any.  I also read that those worms will not harm the fish but it means there's too much uneaten food in the substrate which could cause other problems due to poor water.  So by cleaning it and cutting back on food, I've solved that problem.  

I guess my question is, do you think it is actually internal parasites making my fish poop clear/whiteish and stringy since he is acting totally normal and eating a ton?  Should I just leave it alone until his appetite deacreases or should I treat the tank anyway?  If I should treat, what kinds of meds do you recommend? Do you know of any natural ways to treat the parasites without using chemicals/meds?  I heard minced garlic or something..

I have a 65 gallon tank with the 3in Jack Dempsey, 6in Blood Parrot, 10in Pleco, 3in Tinfoil Barb, and an 8in Ropefish.  No live plants.

Thank you for your time!!

Answer
Hi Joelle,
  You are right about the internal parasites -- that is what the white poop indicates.  You are also correct about the planaria and the fact that you were overfeeding.  As for treating the white poop, you might try feeding him thawed frozen peas.  These have the effect of clearing out the gut in some cases and I see no reason why they could harm him.  I am not a big fan of medications so I tend to avoid those if possible.

-- Ron C.
   rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
   Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>