Help - Cardinal Issue

[OmegaOmega]

My cardinal has some white strand hanging out from it's mid-section that just appeared this morning. It doesn't appear to be trying to get rid of it, but it's unusual. Has anyone seen this before?

 

[daugherty]

looks like a peice of poop

 

[yote]

Its just a turd.:mrgreen:

 

[OmegaOmega]

It can't be... It's longer than him and it's not breaking away; it keeps getting caught in his fins.

Can their intestines come out?

 

[daugherty]

i have seen goldfish with a poop hanging out that was 5times the size of the fish. i still think it is a turd

 

[XxKnuckleheadxX]

i think its a turd too!

 

[Smitty]

+1...

 

[yote]

Well,its either a turd or a worm.And if its a worm,that fish has some major issues:mrgreen:

 

[reefpanda]

it looks like a worm to me
but it could also be a poopy
what did you feed it
something like squid, clam or some sort of that type of creature

 

[reefpanda]

it kinda looks more like a worm cause if you look at it closly (pardon my french) towards where the tail starts to fork theres a little white bump which could be a segment

 

[Bifferwine]

There are three possibilities. A turd, a worm, or its intestines. If it's intestines, it's usually caused by a parasite that causes them to rub up and itch on the rocks so badly until their organs are exposed.

 

[OmegaOmega]

Agreed, Biff - I work from home - been watching it all day specifically to see if there's any rubbing activity, nothing.

I'm hesitant to accept it as a waste-matter because it's really white (I'd assume there should be at least some discoloration, right?) and the odd tip at the end.

If it is a worm, or it's intestines, do I still have hope of salvage or should I sedate/euthanize him?

 

[KidJ57]

I'm going with poop +1 all above....My Tang, after eating some chaeto, tends to have a couple of "streamers" that follow him around for a while too. If it doesn't go away by tomorrow on its own...try and see if you can brush it off with something; unless your fish get scared when your hands are in the tank, then try and gently spray it off with a turkey baster filled with tank water.

 

[dcantucson]

it kinda looks more like a worm cause if you look at it closly (pardon my french) towards where the tail starts to fork theres a little white bump which could be a segment

That's just where he was trying to "pinch one off" :bounce:

 

[OmegaOmega]

So the cardinal died sometime after midnight this morning, however, there are literally no traces of it. I checked all over insight, filters, sump, everywhere - including outside the tank. Gone.

So I'm more sure now it wasn't excrement.

 

[yote]

Hate to hear that.
But its also normal for a healthy tank to process a dead fish over night,sometimes within a couple of hours if the fish is small enough.

 

[OmegaOmega]

Hate to hear that.
But its also normal for a healthy tank to process a dead fish over night,sometimes within a couple of hours if the fish is small enough.

I'm hoping that's a good thing then? I have three hermits, four emeralds and a light foot - would they have 'gone through' everything that quickly? Is it normal for there not to be any remains at all? I don't even see a fin or literally any remnants to confirm that it actually did die and not jailbreak and become a land breather.

 

[OmegaOmega]

I like the cardinals because they remind me of Alcatraz.

 

[dcantucson]

Sorry about your Cardinal, Omega. Well now you know all those poop answers were just a bunch of :pooh: !

 

[bjohanson1234]

You forget the garbage cans of the ocean. Bristle worms!!!!! I have placed a silver side in my tank and the thing was totally gone by the next morning no snails, crabs, or other fish. Just the bristles alone demolished the fish in one night.

Brian