ancistrus waste

Question
I have a breeding pair of Ancistrus that are breeding well and have been for the last 2 years. the tank is bare except for a piece of bog wood and all water tests are ok. The female has now started to produce stringy waste, is this a problem? any advice would be much appreciated. many thanks

Answer
Hi Jon,

Stringy, whitish feces can be a sign of intestinal parasites - but there are usually other signs too, like emaciation or stick like protrusions out of the anus. I would not worry if this is the only symptom you see...if you haven't introduced any new living thing to the tank (livestock, plants) then chances are, this is not an issue.

I would try feeding some green foods to clear out the intestinal tract of the female. You probably give them veggies already, but in the unlikely case you do not, here are some suggestions:
zucchini
yellow squash
sweet potato
curly lettuce or romaine lettuce

less nutritious, but still good are:
cucumber
tomato
melon

If there are fish in the tank with them, try offering a shelled cooked pea. I usually use canned and unsalted, but frozen and defrosted works well too. The fish will eat some and the Ancistrus will eat the rest. Same goes with algae wafers and sushi nori, the roasted seaweed sheets you can get in the ethnic section of most supermarkets.

I hope that helps, take care!
Nicole