Hoplo catfish advice

[TbarTerror]

I bought a pair of hoplo catfish a week ago tomorrow. Since probably last Friday they have both had a white looking poo hanging from them the boy has it worse than the female. He has a pinkish white thing hanging from him. Their behaviour seems normal they are eating well my water parameters are 0ppm for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Ph 7.4. Since I have had them i have fed them well rinsed earthworms, shrimp pellets, brine shrimp, cichlid pellets when I fed my cichlids and peas they are in a big 600litre with 6 other fish. Am I right to be concerned or are they simply getting used of their new diet.? I wormed my tank the other day just to be sure. The female also has slight cloudy eyes any one have any ideas what might be the cause.?

[LYNDYLOO]

Usually the white stingy poo is a sign of worms/parasites, when did you worm them and what did you worm them with ? I would re worm a few times with a break in between treatments.

You say your water prams are: 0ppm for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates ? How long has your tank been running? You should be showing some reading for your Nitrates?

Cloudy eyes are usually a sign of bad water conditions.

How often do you do water changes? How much do you change?

[TbarTerror]

Ive had the tank since last year running. My nitrates have pretty much read zero since the bacteria in my filter matured I bought a new filter beginning of march switching my media over from my old filter and its been running well since then. I wormed with kusuri as that's what I had on hand. I do weekly 20% water changes. I have only had these guys a week I got in touch with the people I bought them off they thought it might be change of diet their tank conditions looked ok.

[LYNDYLOO]

Could be your test kit then, you really should be picking up something Nitrate wise if the tank has been running for that long.

Could be a change in Diet as you say, you have wormed so its clealry not going to be that now, just keep and eye on it if it doesn't improve I would look at re worming.

[TbarTerror]

Its an Api test kit hasnt expired yet. Thought api was a good brand if not do you suggest one? Is a nitrate reading of 0ppm very bad? I thought anything under 40 was all good.

[alexyay]

The API Nitrate kits often show 0 as many people don't follow the instructions completely (it's OK, we've all done it!) - it's really, really important to show the instructions exactly or it'll show 0 Nitrates. You need to shake both bottle No. 2 and the Test tube (after putting the second bottle drops in) basically until your arms almost fall off - then wait 5 minutes. You should definitely see Nitrates after that

[TbarTerror]

That's the thing I actually do follow the instructions shaking bottle number 2 and all maybe I should leave it for a few more minutes than 5 will try that tomorrow. I will even test my tap water again as that was reading the same.

[TbarTerror]

Well as it happens I left the test tube sitting for a bit longer than the norm and yes looks like that was the problem I have a nitrate of 10ppm. Feel a bit silly as my readings have been zero for like a year lol oh well sh*t happens. My tap water is definitely still zero though :-)