Long stringy fish poo

Question
I have 3 platies and one molly.  Just wondering why sometimes they have really long stringy poo and other times it's normal?  Sometimes it may be as long as 4-6 inches.  Is this the sign of something bad?  Fish are otherwise normal, lively, healthy eaters and look in very good health.  Water conditions are kept pristine.  29 gallon tank.  Thanks for any help and info you can give.

Answer
Hi Matt;

If their 'poo' is just long and basically the same color as their food, it means they are constipated. It should really disintegrate before it even gets to be a couple of inches long. Livebearers need veggies in their diet to help them with that. They like cucumber slices, romaine lettuce, spinach (all raw), slightly cooked carrots, cooked green peas (peeled and broken into little bits), and cooked green beans. Just drop them right in the tank for the fish to nibble on every 2 or 3 days. They might not like it much at first, but they will get the idea eventually. Cut back on regular food so they will eat more of the vegetables.

If their poo is whitish a stringy, kind of slimy and milky looking, it can indicate a parasite or bacterial infection. Let me know if you think that's it and we can go from there. You should still give them the veggies though. They really need it for good health and digestion.

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins