Betta Fish White Stringy Poop – Causes & Treatment

Bettas are pretty hardy tropical fish if you give them the environment they require. Even though you make a perfect habitat in their aquarium, they can still get sick.

White stringy poop in betta fish is a very common problem, which might make you worry about your pet.

Although this certainly is something you need to investigate further, it is not an immediate sign of an illness. The most important thing is not to panic, but to rather take a few steps first, to make sure whether your pet is sick or not.

Causes of White Stringy Poop

In order for being able to do that, it is necessary to understand the usual reasons why this can occur.

– Lack of Food

The most common reason for a Betta expelling white stringy poop is actually the banalest one. When a fish does not eat, it will only be able to produce the mucus. And that is exactly why it is white- because there is no food in it.

The best way to test this is to collect the white substance and place it into a simple glass of water. If it is not moving, this should definitely be an empty poop cast.

Although an empty poop cast is not something to worry about, it is suggestable to monitor the fish and see how often it is rejecting food. If that is something that persists, there may be a health complication behind it after all.

– Old Age

Betta fish which are old can also produce white stringy poop. If your aquarium pet is already living with you for a while, if it has faded colors and needs to rest a bit more than usual, this is probably a clear sign of old age.

Unfortunately, there is nothing owners can do here, but rather just make the rest of its life as comfortable as possible. If you are not exactly sure of how old your Betta is and you think there is something else wrong with it, it may be a good idea to consult your vet. Just to be sure.

– Internal or External Parasites

Sometimes, white stringy poop may mean your Betta has parasites. Parasites can be transmitted from food, live plants or any objects which are placed into the aquarium.

If that is the case, you will need to act as soon as possible, in order to prevent more complications. If not treated on time, parasites can ultimately bring to death.

Parasites, regardless of the type, are living creatures and they will move. The best way to spot them is to observe the white substance in still water. If there is any movement, this is a certain indication of the fish being affected.

– Bacterial Infections

If the tank water quality is poor, your Betta may be affected by an internal bacterial infection. The most common ones are those related to swim bladder, dropsy, bloated stomach and other.

A bacterial infection is quite simple to spot because there will certainly be either visible signs as bloated stomachs or even behavioral changes like being unable to feed or to swim.

You will need to act fast in such cases, to prevent your fish of getting really sick and dying.

Identify White Poop Disease

As already explained above, the best way to identify if your fish has a disease is to place the white material into a glass of still water and observe it carefully. If there is any movement inside it, this is a clear sign of a parasite.

But what if there is no movement? Does that always mean your fish is perfectly fine? Not really. It is important to monitor its behavior and see if it is acting normally or if it is avoiding food or being lethargic or spending time on the bottom of the tank. Any odd behavior along with white feces can also be a sign of an illness.

If you are not exactly sure about the possible outcome, please do consult your vet for advice. On the other side, if you know that your aquatic pet is not well, a medication process is necessary.

Treating Betta with White Poop

If you have confirmed that your Betta has parasites or infections, there are great products that can help eliminate them both from the aquarium and fish.

Seachem ParaGuard is a perfectly safe solution to be applied in case there is any kind of external parasites or bacteria across the tank. If the problem is related to internal parasites or infections, then Seachem Cupramine Copper will do the job.

Both of these products are available online and do not present a big cost, but they are highly efficient. And, more importantly, they are absolutely safe for aquarium applies.

If the problem persists even after treating your Betta with these helpful products, a vet may need to prescribe a more powerful antibiotic.

Tips to Avoid Betta Fish Disease

The best way to make sure that your Betta remains healthy is doing some simple preventive activities.

• Perform regular water changes to avoid any pleasant environment for parasites and bacteria evolving inside the aquarium.
• Feed your Betta with high-quality pellets or flakes. Not all fish food is suitable for Bettas, so please make sure to choose the proper one. Additionally, offer your fish a variety of snacks and treats.
• Do not overfeed your Betta. This may cause either ammonia spikes or obesity, with both of those being highly dangerous to its health.
• Provide a stable water temperature with the help of a heater. This will avoid stressful situations and will therefore offer a peaceful and healthy environment to your pet.

Wrapping Up

Every Betta owner will certainly get attached to its colorful pet sooner or later, so seeing odd white stringy poop coming out can certainly bring to massive concerns. However, it does not always have to be a sign of a disease.

It is only important to stay calm, detect the reasons why this is happening and then act accordingly.