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FAQs about the Diseases of Clownfishes, Environmental Stress

 Related FAQs: Clownfish Disease 1, Diseases of Clownfishes 2, Diseases of Clownfishes 3, Clownfish Disease 4, Clownfish Disease 5, Clownfish Disease 6, Clownfish Disease 7, Clownfish Disease 8, Clownfish Disease 9, Clownfish Disease 10, Clownfish Disease 11, Clownfish Disease 12, Clownfish Disease 13, Clownfish Disease 14, Clownfish Disease 15, & FAQs on Clownfish Disease By: Nutrition, Social/Behavioral/Territoriality, Trauma/Mechanical Injury, & Pathogens: Lymphocystis, Infectious Disease (Bacteria, Fungi...), Protozoans: Cryptocaryon/Ich, Amyloodinium/Velvet, Brooklynella (see article below), & Mysteries/Anomalous Losses, Cure, Success Stories, & Clownfishes in General, Clownfish Identification, Clownfish Selection, Clownfish Compatibility, Clownfish Behavior, Clownfish Systems, Clownfish Feeding, Clownfishes and Anemones, Breeding Clowns

Related Articles: Clownfish Disease, Brooklynellosis, Clownfishes, Maroon Clowns, Marine Disease, 

Stable, optimized, "Reef" conditions... well-established, non-aggressive tank-mate situations... Absence of any ammonia or nitrite, very little nitrate (less than 5 ppm.)...

Killer Clown? Not Guilty - 8/29/08
Hi.
<Halloo!>
I've had a 29-gallon, fish-only saltwater tank for about 2 1/2 years now. For about the past year or so, I've had only 3 fish (2 "Nemo" clowns and 1 royal gramma).
<I commend and thank you for not overstocking your tank>
They all seemed to be getting along. However, in the past 1 1/2 weeks (literally, about 4 days apart), I've had one of the clowns and the royal gramma both die under mysterious circumstances. All I have left is one clownfish.
I immediately did a water test and the results were all normal:
pH: 8.2
Ammonia: 0
Nitrites: 0
Nitrates: 0
SG: 1.020
Temps during the summer months have been ranging between 78F and 84F (nothing different from previous years). Whenever it's really warm out, I've been placing a large ice block (encased in a container) in the tank to cool the water back to about 78-80.
<This could be the problem. While these are workable temperatures, a swing of more than 4* is certain to cause trouble>
Neither of the 2 dead fish exhibited any signs of distress or illness prior to their deaths, and both were eating normally (Formula One, plus flake food). In addition, I've been watching the remaining clown for any signs of illness, and he's been fine.
I haven't really witnessed any signs of aggression from the remaining clown, but I'm forced to wonder if he was responsible for killing the other two fish. I didn't see any dramatic signs of trauma on either of the dead fish other than it looked like each of the fish may have been missing one of its smaller fins. Even then, though, I'm not sure if that damage was post-mortem or not.
I'm not sure what to do here. I'd like to get more fish, but I want to know that they'll be healthy and happy in my aquarium. I also don't want to get rid of my existing clown if he's not the problem (I've heard that clowns can be aggressive, although I've never seen any aggression on his part except for the occasional chasing of the other clown).
All that said, my questions are as follows:
1. Are there any other water-testing parameters I should be testing for to ensure the problem is not with my water quality?
<Not in this case, no. If all the fish had died, I'd check for heavy metals, but since you have a survivor I think a systemic poison can be ruled out>
2. Do you think the clown could have killed the other 2 fish, even though the two dead fish did not look terribly "beat up" (and the remaining clown does not look damaged at all)?
<No, he's innocent. I suspect the temperature swings are responsible- and would be consistent with the lack of external damage or symptoms prior to death.>
3. As far as additional fish, what would you recommend for fish that would get along well with a clown in a 29-gallon tank? I've been told that a pygmy angel would do well in this scenario, but I'd like your opinion.
<I think this tank is still too small for any of the angels- even dwarf or pygmy varieties. If you get the temperature under control, perhaps another clown and a small bottom-dwelling goby would fill out a nice aquarium?>
thanks so much for your input!
<No problem. Benjamin>

Clownfish and stressful week, thermal dis.  6/13/08
Hi there,
We have a 55 gall tank that had a major issue during day 3 of our recent northeast heat wave when we were at work. This was the first heat wave with the tank in our new house, which has no AC. The prior two days we were home and temps had gone up but not drastically, and we kept an eye on things.
We'd also used minimal lights so as to not add heat.
<Good point>
On Monday, the tank lights were off entirely. We're not sure what the temp hit, but it read 85 when we came home.
<From what starting point? This temp. by itself should not be fatal>
We lost our shrimp and goby, and thought we'd lose the clowns too, they were in a very bad way breathing much too quickly.
<Perhaps indirectly temp. related... a dissolved oxygen issue... I'd increase aeration, circulation>
We did not leave the tank alone on day 4 so we could much more closely monitor and intervene as needed. Anyway, we managed to bring/keep the temps down after the losses, with many tricks including swapped to egg crate top (we'd already moved most of the glass top off), got a fan just for them, water changes, to get temps controlled - and finally the heat broke. I know this a lot of negative action for a short time... anyway, my worry is about the clowns. They look well, good color, respiring well, but are lurking in their respective safe spots - female in her open brain, male in his little xenia patch. They are not doing much swimming or eating. When they do swim they look fine. No spots or frayed fins or anything physical that I can see.
Temps now are at 78; the temp we usually keep the tank at. I imagine they still under stress but is there a way we can get them eating more or
something else to help them recover?.. thank you.
<Mmm, no; not really. That they are alive, appear normal is sign that they will very likely be fine. Bob Fenner>

Disease? Clownfish rdg.  03/11/2008
Hi Crew,
<Jake>
I have read many articles on your site and found your information helpful. Hopefully you may have a few suggestions regarding my tank issues. I have a 24 gallon saltwater tank with a several types of Zoanthids, a frogspawn, mushrooms, Ricordea, candy cane coral, xenia, and a skunk cleaner shrimp.
<A whole bunch of disparate life jammed in>
I have tested my water and taken water to a LFS for testing. My salinity was 1.024. My pH was 8.2. My ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite were approximately 0-0.25 ppm.
<...>
The temperature ranges from 78-80 degrees. My corals appear stress free and are growing nicely. I have had my cleaner shrimp and a tiny yellow tang (I know the tank is small,
<Too>
I was going to put him in a larger tank when he grew a little more)
<...>
for approximately three months. The tang has always ate
<eaten>
and acted normal.
<normally>
Two weeks ago, I purchased two tank raised true percula clowns (one came from ORA). One of the clownfish had been there for weeks, however, the other had only been at the LFS for a day.
<... no quarantine...>
They are
a very reputable store and said the fish did eat and looked normal. After a week in my tank, the one clown continued to "show her dominance." She was never too aggressive, but my girlfriend did not like it and it did not look like they were going to be happy together, so I gave one of them to my friend (who has worked at a fish store for over 20 years) on a Thursday. Both clownfish appeared happy and ate in their tanks immediately. On the following Tuesday, however, I found my clown dead. He ate the day before and did not show signs of disease. My friend told me the clown I gave him died on Tuesday as well. His clown was in a tank by itself, his water parameters were all OK; however, he did notice a white film-like area on her side. On Thursday of that same week, I awoke to a dead yellow tang. Again, the tang appeared happy, ate the night before, and did not have any evidence of disease. When I talked to my friend, he said that the majority of shipments of
clownfish they receive, after a few days, they develop a film-like area on their sides. I did go back to the store I purchased my clownfish and noticed a faint white film area on a side of one of three clowns left in the tank, which was not there the night I purchased my fish. The white film is not predominate and is not too easily noticed.
My friend recommended only purchasing clownfish after they have been in the store for several weeks.
<A good suggestion>
To clarify, I did not purchase my clowns at this store. They were from a store a few hours away. Have you heard this before or was this an unlucky situation? Are tank-raised clowns a common carrier for a type of parasite/bacteria? I am obviously frustrated with two dead fish.
Thank you in advance for any information,
Jake
<Uh... start reading here: http://wetwebmedia.com/clnfshdisart.htm
and onto the linked files above... Perhaps stung by the Cnidarian life, maybe a Protozoan complaint, perhaps "just" stress... Bob Fenner>

I Don't Believe In Reality and That Settles That!
Sick Clowns... env., jammed into too-small volume, with a BTA... no reading   2/24/08
Hello,
<Skyler>
I've had a mated pair of clown fish for about 7 months, originally they were inside a basic ten gallon tank
<... too small>
with horrible lighting and they were doing fine. I recently moved them into a 12g NanoCube
<Still>
and they have been acting strange. I primed the cube using BioSpira and everything I need for about a month, I put them in and they were in there for about a week maybe two. I wanted them to mate so I purchased a small bubble tip anemone
<...>
and put that into the tank, it's been doing fine, my concern is with the female. She was always a bit paler than the male and quite larger in size but recently she has been laying on the bottom of the tank, I did a water change as always recommended but her behavior didn't improve. She doesn't have any noticeable marks from a parasite or anything but she has had a very poor appetite. These last two days she has been sitting on the bottom and will randomly spurt up and swim in a crazy way for about 10 seconds then go back to the bottom. Her top fin has been at rest for about a week and it has a slight pinkish hue to it. Her fins are becoming more and more transparent and I was wondering what was wrong. Thanks.
<... Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/clownfis.htm
and the linked files above, part. Systems... What you have won't work. Bob Fenner>

Re: Sick Clowns... env.  2/24/08
I don't need advice on what tank size I need to know what I can do about my fish they are sick and acting abnormally, I posted this because I didn't have 2 or 3 hours to read every single article, I just needed advice on what was wrong with them. Critiquing my tank size doesn't help me.
<Your set-up is the root/cause of your problems... It's too small for the Clowns, an anemone... See my original comments re... READ! BobF>

Strange clowns 2/25/08
Hello,
<Skyler>
This is my second attempt at asking you guys about my clowns, I have a "mated pair" of percula clowns that I bought from my local pet store (trustworthy place) and I had them in a plain old 10 gallon setup with a penguin 100 filter and heater and bubbler. I wanted them to mate so I moved then in to a 12 gallon nano cube and they've been doing good up until recently. I purchased an anemone bubble tip) and I've had that for about 3-4 weeks now and the nano has had the clowns in it for 6-7 weeks. The female seemed to accept the anemone and the male stays in one corner of the tank and periodically will go "visit" the female. What are they doing? are they ok? The female has been acting slightly strange, she will "lay down" in spots and will rest there for 10 minutes at a time. She has no swellings or any spots or lesions, so I ruled out any time of external parasite, but she has had a bit of color loss and her dorsal fin has been at rest for about 3 days now. We checked the salt and it was at a horribly high number so we went to the pet store and we changed 4 gallons of it and added a new carbon bag and got the reading to about 1.025. She was doing slightly better today but still was at times laying on the bottom of the tank. Occasionally she would get up and twitch and move around. The male came over today and swam by her a bit and she didn't seem to mind this. Could they be possibly mating ( I had read somewhere that the female swims horizontally over a patch to get it ready for laying her eggs) is this true? I just really need to know what's going on with them.
Thanks again,
Skyler
and yes I realize the tank is small but it's suitable for my budget and suitable for 2 fish and an anemone
<Have already answered this... What you have system wise cannot, will not support the life you list... This is posted. B>

Re: Strange clowns............ -02/25/08
so you're telling me that the tank I have is the cause of this problem, the fish is acting like this because of the tank size, because if not I need to know because I cannot purchase a bigger size. I don't know much about fish keeping but, I need to know badly what I can do because I cannot and will not buy a new fish tank I can't afford it. so please if you can at all tell me how to solve it besides the fact that the tank is too small.
<http://wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/question_page.htm>

Tomato Clownfish - black spots/blotches developing near top fin  2/2/08
Hi,
I have a Tomato Clownfish (about 3-3.5") that I've had for several weeks now. He's in a 55 gallon FO aquarium with 2 yellowtail damsels that I bought a while before the clownfish (I didn't use them to cycle, I used raw shrimp instead), and a few crabs and snails. The aquarium is well established.
I bought the clownfish at an LFS and he seemed to be very healthy and active then. Within the past couple weeks, I've been noticing several black "blotches" appearing on his sides... I'm really sorry I don't have a picture, I'll just have to describe it as best as I can.
The spots are fairly big, not small and salt-like. It doesn't look like any disease that I know about, definitely not ich because the spots are big and black, and I'm pretty sure it's not velvet, clownfish disease, etc. The blotches aren't extremely dark, a couple of them are almost see-through a little bit. They are mostly on his sides near the top of him (near the top fin), but recently I noticed a very little bit at the rear near where the tail starts. They have been spreading fairly gradually, when I first got the clownfish none of them are there. Then a couple days later I noticed just a very, very little bit of them starting to appear, and now there are a few on each side.
I have searched through most of the Clownfish Disease FAQ's on the site, and couldn't find anything too similar, although the closest I could find were 2 pictures on one of the FAQ pages... the link is http://wetwebmedia.com/clnfshdisfaq5.htm. Scroll down until you see the 3 clownfish pictures in a row, then look at the middle and bottom picture... that looks a lot like my Clownfish, except most of the spots are near the top, and near the white band (on the side opposite his face). There aren't quite that many spots yet and they're not that big, but it still looks really similar.
None of the other fish (the 2 damsels) have shown any signs of anything yet, they have been acting perfectly normal and eating. The clownfish is also acting normal, I haven't seen any really weird behavior yet. He is alert and active, and is eating well... he's such a pig! I feed marine flakes most of the time, as well as freeze-dried krill and some other foods. The only thing that I have noticed is that he normally just stays near the surface and sometimes gasps for air at the surface, which I'm pretty sure isn't normal, so is that a major cause for concern?
<Mmm, no>
That could just be because I need to have more sources of oxygen and better water movement, this may be part of the problem??
<The real problem/issue is that this is a large specimen (A. frenatus or melanopus likely) that is highly stressed... from being pulled from its anemone, the sea... and the subsequent processing... the dark spots are indicative of this stress... not zoonotic>
Main filtration is a big Tetra Whisper power filter. I also have 2 airstones in the tank... I know they don't help a lot in marine tanks, but I just like to see the bubbles, so I want to keep them unless I find out that they are downright bad. Are they actually harmful in marine aquariums, or are they just not particularly helpful??
<More helpful>
Water parameters are mostly good - ammonia is 0 and nitrite is 0... nitrates are at about 50, I know that is really high, but I am trying hard to get it down and I'm doing a lot of water changes to help. Temp. is about 78° and pH is about 8.3.
Hope that you can help me identify this or give me some good advice! Thank you! If you need any more information then email me and let me know!
-Jesse
<Well... my usual/stock advice re buying captive produced Clownfishes, avoiding large wild-collected ones as you have here... If this one adapts to captivity... it will likely prove to be a "bruiser"... Aggressive toward all fishes in its territory... which is larger than a 4 ft. long tank. Bob Fenner>

Quick Jawfish question... ID    02/03/2008
Hello guys and gals, I hope this email finds everyone well,
<<Hello, Andrew here>>
Just a quick question. I have set up a system specifically to house a Jawfish. I was waiting for a pearly eyed, but cannot seem to find any. My
LFS just got in what they call a "indo Jawfish" they are a pretty cool looking species. However, I can't seem to find any info on them.
<<More specifics are really needed from you regarding the fish. However, an average example of an indo Jawfish is the Opistognathus randalli. Use this to base your research around unless you can provide us with the specific name of the fish your getting>>
I am curious to what size they get and if they require the same requirements as the other members of the Jawfish family. I believe it is the species U1 on your Jawfish page, has gold spots above both eyes with yellow vertical stripes on body.
Thanks in advance for the info. Steve
<<Thanks for the question. A Nixon>>

Urgent question about clownfish... many errors... time to read, past time   1/14/08
We have a newly established 10 gallon saltwater tank. Our filtration are bioballs in the back of the tank.
<... please see WWM re their removal>
There is a lid that goes atop the tank with about 3-4 inches of clearance and is open in the back the length of the lid. There is a fabric atop the bioballs that collects particles from the runoff.
<Needs to be cleaned at least weekly>
We let the tank cycle for almost 2 weeks with cured liverock.
<Did it actually cycle?>
During this time we've monitored our levels and were given the "ok" by our fish store to get a fish. We introduced a percula clownfish
<Needs more room than this>
a few days ago. He did well (ate and swam well) until that first night our heater seemed to malfunction and the temperature dropped from 78 to 74. I woke in the middle of the night to check on him and he was frantically swimming back and forth bumping into rocks with his nose almost as if he was disoriented and scared.
<Mmm, not from the temp. drop>
I assumed it was because he was cold so I turned on the light to try and warm the water up. The next morning he had stopped the crazy
swimming and since then has gradually stopped eating and swimming. We got a new heater and have had to adjust it a few times ranging from 82 to 78. It's back at 78 now. I worry the temperature inconsistency started his downward spiral.
He's interested in food but will suck it into his mouth and spit it out.
<...>
He'll come and swim around if we're collecting water from the tank to do testing and he'll occasionally take a lap around the tank but for the most part he just hovers off the bottom and swims just enough to keep from sinking.
<What they do>
His breathing seems rapid to me and he doesn't ever shut his mouth like he's gasping.
<Likely parasitized, and this system not really cycled>
He doesn't appear to have any spots or disease on him although I suspect his color may be fading a little. Our levels in our tank are as follows:
salinity 1.020.
<Too low>
I was told by a fish store this was too low and he advised me to add salt right away. (could the change in salinity have caused this?)
<Define "this">
I added 1/2 cup and it raised the level between 1.020 and 1.025 approx...
<... too much too soon>
I read it's best to do it gradually. Do you think this is still too low?
<I think you should read>
Alkalinity is 300
PH is a little low at 7.8
<... this is way low... the pH scale is a base 10 log...>
we were given a white rock substance to place in the tank to slowly raise the ph but it hasn't risen in 2 days thus far.
Nitrates are at 20
Ammonia is .25
<Toxic...>
Nitrites are 0
We're very careful about washing our hands and rinsing items before they go in the tank. If you can help us figure out what's wrong I'd be grateful, I hate seeing him suffer. Thanks. Kimberly
<Kimberly... I do wish someone had sold you a decent book to read, or encouraged you to borrow one from the library, and read it ahead of the gratuitous errors you've made, are making... See the above comments I've made? Investigate them... at least on WWM. Maybe in terms of survey reading, start here: http://wetwebmedia.com/clownfis.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Part 2 to original clown question  1/14/08
Hi. I wanted to add to my previous question that we have a orange/brown algae in our tank. Is this a bad algae and could this be making our clown sick? Is it too soon to do a water change since our tank has only been up for a couple of weeks?
<... the presence of such algae is indicative of the cycling, and pollution process (see the prev. email re the bioballs, mechanical filter media, cycling...>
Also...the store we purchased him from has had him for quite a while (long enough to give him a name) anyway...he is assumed to have come to us healthy. He is the only fish in the tank. Thanks.
<Read on my friend, read on. BobF>

Re: False Percula Update... hlth., still not reading   1/14/08
Hi and thanks for your response. There is some good news... I got some garlic drops and my fish is swimming much more than he was and is eating again BUT, I'm noticing 3 pinhead white spots on his sides that are more visible when he's facing me or swimming away from me. They're harder to see direct on. He doesn't appear to have the "velvet look" to him but he's definitely lost color and he's still breathing fast. Do you think it's ich?
<Not likely... you should read...>
His overall health seems a lot better than the past couple of days after I did a water change and the garlic, but I fear for him and want to get him treated. Do you think copper is best for him or is there something I could put in my tank that wouldn't hurt my liverock?
<... reading...>
My fish store said I can bring him there to have him quarantined. Would it be too hard on my fish coming from my low PH of 7.8 and going to a fish store's proper PH in the same day?
<...>
I'd like to clean my tank while he's away and get the conditions better for him. You recommend removing bioballs from my tank....it's a 10 gallon tank (he's the only fish in it) we have about 10+ lbs of liverock. Is that enough liverock to sustain the aquarium? I'd like to start gradually removing the bioballs. Also I noticed a very small white worm in the bottom of the sand/shells, about the thickness of a fingernail and about 1/8th of an inch long. Any idea what this is? Also our diatom algae is slowly going away so I guess our tank wasn't fully cycled. Gosh I have a lot to learn.
I'm sure you're shaking your head at me but I really want to save my fish and will do anything to help him. I'd really appreciate your thoughts.
Thanks, Kimberly
<Don't write... read. Your answers and much more ancillary information are posted... on WWM. RMF>

Clownfish hlth., Actinarian involvement?   12/27/07
Hi guys,
I've been a long time reader, but this is my first time asking a  question.
You people are great and seem extremely qualified at answering my
question, so here it goes :
I have a 75 gallon reef tank, some anemones,
<Yikes... what species?>
hermits, lots of live rock  from Fiji etc.
I have about 6 damsels, and 5 clowns in the tank. My water is excellent, and I am currently raising my salinity very slowly to 1.025 as I read in one of your posts. It is currently at 1.022.
Anyways, here's my problem, about 2 months ago, I notices something really odd on 4 out of my 5 clowns. They are spots but aren't white. They look like they are under the skin, almost shining through. Very hard to explain, for instance, on the orange of the fish, the color of the circles/blotches are lighter orange, on the black of the fish, the blotches are a dark gray color, and so on. So, it seemed not to really bother the fish so I left it all on.
<Good. Is what I would do as well>
Now, about 3 days ago, I noticed one of my clowns stopped eating and more on the spots are appearing, he is staying in one area hovering just above the sand. I am extremely worried the rest of my tank is going to have problems. I have looked all over and I do not know what this could be.
Thank you for your time, Angel
<Could be a protozoan of some sort... Sporidean likely if so... No real "cure"... but may well subside in appearance with the increased, better spg, good general care. Another possibility is some sort of "dermal" reaction to the anemone/interaction here... You'd do well to read on WWM re their Compatibility. Bob Fenner>

Sick Clown Fish... env. and social   11/22/07
Hi
<Hello>
We have three Clarki clownfish in our 5ft tank that has been and an extra large bubble tip anemone that they all reside in. The tank has been running for about 5 months now and also contains 1 small Blue Spotted Stingray,
<Needs much more room>
2 Green Chromis, 1 Yellow Bellied Damsel, 2 Yellow Tailed Damsels, 1 Long Spiked Urchin, 3 Sea Snails and 4 2-4cm Sea Hares,
<Do check the species... some are coldwater...>
as well as, various coral species.
Recently the largest clown fish has become bloated, does not enter into the anemone, spends most of her time swimming listlessly or hiding in various parts of the tank and yesterday started developing white scaly marks all over her body as well as cloudy eyes with white spots in the in both her eyes.
<Yikes>
The smallest fish has started to not enter into the anemone but does not show any other symptoms or different behaviour.
The third fish is happily residing in the anemone as per usual.
<The "winner" here...>
Our salt water levels are at the correct level and though the ph level was at 7.5
<Yeeikes!>
this has been remedied using KH and ph buffer tablets.
<Umm... I would be reading re the mix of compounds in use here... testing for Mg, Ca...>
Is there anything else that you can recommend as we have not previously had any other illness in our tank and I am unsure of how to go about fixing this.
Thanks for all your help
Sheridan
<Mmm, not a high-confidence guess here... but likely a combo. of the one Clark's clown driving out its conspecifics and whatever the cause of the low pH and its "fixing" at play here. I urge you to take a long journey reading over the areas of WWM re Maintenance, the Compatibility of all the species you list... Bob Fenner>

Yet another clownfish question... induced env. dis.
Hey crew!
Well, after searching your fantastic site, I didn't find what I was looking for. Please direct me if you have already posted answers for this:
I have a pair of small Ocellaris clownfish in a 10gal AGA
<... too small>
(I know, I know... small but very beautiful and all I can fit in a college dorm)
<... one might ask why you don't live in a/the closet there...>
the smaller of the two (Skippy) seems to be sick.
<...>
It has always swam quite goofy (sideways, backwards, upside-down, etc.) but only to get somewhere he wants to go. Here lately, poor Skippy has lost a lot of color and has sunken in cheeks (sunken in above mouth but below eyes,) eats significantly less than his slightly larger partner Edna and he seems lethargic... he just hovers, occasionally darting here or there. Edna seems life she is very happy. She eats ravenously and has beautiful deep orange coloration. My guess is Skippy has a parasitic infection? but, what kind? and how do I help him?
<... this is an environmental problem... the one fish is sub-dominant... stressed... will die...>
Water parameters are what your site recommends and are stable. I change 2 gallons weekly with RO and Instant Ocean. I have a two inch Live sand bed, 7.5 lbs Live Fiji Rock with a rapidly growing purple algae colony, four happy hermits, 3 turban snails, 2 Ceriths, and a few mushrooms, Zoanthids, and a green Ricordea that are all doing fine. I use a Whisper 60 (with no Carbon, just floss) for water movement and a small heater that does the trick nicely. I also have 2 x 65watt PC 50/50 lights 5-6 inches above tank... fish don't seem to mind at all. Hope all this info helps with a diagnosis. I am pretty down about this, any help would be much appreciated.
matt.
<A larger system... set up as nicely as this one... or removing one of the Clowns. Bob Fenner>

Black patches on clownfish pair  9/20/07
Hi - it's a pleasure to rediscover this site.
<Welcome back>
I have a pair of percula clownfish who have developed black patches during the past year. They show no symptoms of distress. Indeed, for a long time I assumed that this was just a pigment issue (the black areas on the female have gradually expanded over the years).
<Some such marks come and go on Amphiprionines>
Now, after a plumbing problem two weeks ago, emptying the main tank and housing my four fish in three small tanks during reconstruction, I have been looking more closely. I have searched your site and elsewhere on the web but have found nothing specific. One message mentioned black patches but it was not followed up.
Any ideas?
<From your pic, these look like random spots of melanization... I don't think they're pathogenic, nor do I know a means of "treating", eliminating them>
The clowns are now in an AquaPod (24g) with their two Entacmaea quadricolor anemones (one that cloned)
<Yikes... these anemones need much more room than this>
and plenty of tiny worms and brittle stars.
The old system was a 125g with an ecosystem type sump and about 100 pounds of live rock. Ammonia and nitrates have long been undetectable but nitrates were getting high in that tank.
In six years, there was no disease in that tank, which was always underpopulated (five small fish, a couple of soft corals, zoanthids, etc.).
Everybody either came with the rock or was quarantined before going in. The critters that were in the tank at the beginning are all still there, nobody has been added but some snails about three years ago.
Any ideas?
<Could be that the Bubble tips are somehow stressing the Clowns...>
And thanks again for your superb efforts.
Malcolm
<Thank you for your kind words and sharing. Bob Fenner>

Yellow polyps + Percula clown? – 07/18/07
Hi there!
I have a 30g reef. 2 Percula clowns, one skunk cleaner, one small colony of yellow polyps, and one small colony of green star polyps. Recently the smaller of the two perculas has taken residence in the yellow polyps.
<Happens>
He has developed three black spots, and one of his eyes is a little bit darker then the other. The bigger clown is perfectly fine. Can the polyps be effecting him?
<Possibly, yes... and can/could mal-affect the water quality period... Effect all more indirectly>
Parameters =
Ammonia=0
'trites=0
'trates=0-5
temp=78
salinity=1.025
phos=0
calcium=425-450
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/polypcompfaqs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

TRUE PERC COLORATION SLIGHTLY FADED 5/23/07
Hi gang,
<Hello>
I have a pair of true percula clowns. . . I believe from the Solomons.  Coloration at purchase showed rather wide/generous black areas. . . as well as orange and white. I got the female as an adult four years ago. . . the male two years later. My question involves the noticeable-to-me 'fading' of intensity from the black and orange areas of both fish. Fish are active and healthy. . . their white areas are still vibrant. . . my system is a reef. .. and other saltwater hobbyists usually remark on how vibrant the coloration of all my other fish (yellow tang, purple tank, coral beauty, mandarin, juvenile hippo tang) are. It's a 200 gal. overall volume system. . . lots of soft corals. PH runs 8.0 at night to 8.2 during the day. Temp is around 76 degrees. The clowns host in a very large soft Rasta. . . alone in a 60 gallon tank connected to the overall system. Diet is mostly frozen formula one. . . occasional frozen Mysis. . . along with a direct feed from a
refugium that has copepods, amphipods and live Mysis. The clowns hang right in the inflow current, and gladly gobble anything the refugium offers up. I've read about coloration differences on captive bred clowns. . . with the explanation that diet is the factor. Is this coloration difference common-or-inevitable?  <Common but not inevitable.> I've tried amping up the variety of their diet to include fresh bloodworms, which they love. . . but haven't noticed any difference in coloration. What are your thoughts?. . .
Chuck
<Usually something like this is due to either dietary or environmental causes.  I would add a little more variety to their diet, and at risk of sounding like a salesman get some New Life Spectrum pellets, I feed that to my clowns and their color has stayed very nice over the 5+ years I've had them.  Also an additive such as Selcon may help as well.>
<Chris>

Clown Fish Health, Post-Traumatic Water Chem. Issue  – 05/08/07
Please help me WWM Crew,
<Yes sir…I’m going to try.>
After a recently added a Sally Lightfoot Crab To my 29 gal tank with my 2 Amphiprion Ocellaris.
<Careful with the crab. Some folks have good experiences….others, like myself, did not. Can become quite predatory.>
The wife gave the crab a cooked shrimp while I was at work.
<Uh-oh.>
She removed it after a while but she missed part of the shrimp that he had ripped off. This lead to a nitrate spike that got to 160ppm.
<To say that’s bad would be an understatement.>
After 2; 5 gal water changes and a dose of  Seachem prime. The water level went back down to 20 ppm nitrate 0 nitrites and the gravity is  1.022.
<Nitrates till need to come down to about >10 and S.G. needs to come up as well to be acceptable to your inverts…but much better than it was before obviously.>
( it has been holding this for 48 hrs) My crab and one of my clown seem to have made it threw the mishap just fine.
<Good. Keep up on the water changes and run some carbon as well.>
The other clown is losing color and hanging around the filter outlet.
<Lingering effects from the toxic state the tank was in.>
He is still eating and at times swims like his normal self but most of the time he hangs around.
<A good sign that he is eating though. At this point I would just continue to care in a normal manor and offer a variety of foods. Keep the tank aerated well and ensure the water chemistry remains stable (i.e. have a conversation with your wife and do more eater changes.>
Also when we 1st got him he a red sore that went away with in two days this sore has since reemerged.
<Sounds like environmental induced trauma, follow the advice above for mow. If it makes you feel better you could move him into QT for more detailed attention/care.>
I called the LFS and was given the advise that since I got the water under control to just do frequent water changes and watch for any changes.
<Am in agreement with the LFS for once.>
Thank you for your help.
<Anytime my friend.>
Rob
<Adam J.>

Clownfish Stressed...  4/26/07
Here's what's going on...
<Uh-oh, you sound like one of my Training Officers....am I in trouble?>
We have two false Percs one seems fine while the other appears to be hiding.
<How long have you had them? Mated pair?>
It also looks to have a cut above it's lip with a white spot on it, he/she also has what looks like twine hanging off the under side.
<Sounds like an abrasion that may be inflamed...I would not worry just yet, maintain pristine water quality and feed a varied diet.>
  The eyes look a little larger than normal and the lips look to be a lighter shade of orange.
<Sounds like am environmental/ water quality issue.>
  The fish does seem to be eating a little but not like it use to.  I had the water tested and everything was in great shape.   
<That is good but in the future we prefer specifics...we may see something you do not.>
What led up to this is we moved the tank and of course drained off the water about 30% and added new water to the tank from a reliable LFS that we always get our water from.  I'm not sure if I poured the water in too fast and stirred things up or what but I just want my clown back.  
<With such a large/recent move I doubt that the nutrient levels are optimal...and I'm sure the ordeal has the little bugger stressed. Can you move him/her to a quarantine in the meantime while he/she recovers?>
One other thought is a couple of days before I found this same fish had jumped from the main part of the tank into the filtration part of the back of the tank. We got him out and everything seemed normal though....
Thanks for your help on this....
<Of course, Adam J.>

Sick Clown? env.    4/25/06
Hello everyone,
I have a 12 gallon fish only tank. It has a crushed coral floor, a b&w damsel, percula clown and a marble blenny.
<... too mis-mixed, crowded...>
I have checked all my levels so far and they all seem normal with exception of the hydrometer reading 1.026 (I just did a water change this morning to help lower it);
<Do check, match old/new before changing out...>
ammonia = 0; nitrites = 0; and nitrates = 10. The problem seems to be with my clownfish. He eats very well, I mix up the food between plankton, marine flakes and frozen fish foods. During the day I keep the light on from about 6:30 am to 5pm, at that time he seems to stay at the bottom of the tank almost motionless and sometimes leaning onto his/her side almost burrowing in the sand until there is what looks like a crater around him. Once the light is off, he retorts to the corner of the tank and swims upright near the filter. He seems to repeat this routine daily.
<Not atypical>
I have had him for about three months now. He did the same action when I first got him but I treated him with quick cure to get rid of ich and he seemed to do great. I have noticed a few "bumps" appear under his skin and he seems to open his mouth rather wide at times. What should I do? Is he sick? Lonely? What should I do?
<... you need a larger system... Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/part2.htm
scroll down to the bottom, read re... Bob Fenner>

Chaotic Clownfish... stung by a Siganid? Crowded for sure  8/17/06
I have a maroon clownfish that has been in my tank for the last two years.  
He has always been very peaceful and healthy.  Yesterday I was cleaning some algae off the glass in the tank and he nearly jumped out.  Startled, when I
looked back into the tank he was swimming wildly in all directions, upside down, sideways, summersaults... as though he had completely lost control of
his body.  He was scratching himself up on the live rock and the other fish started to get aggressive towards him because he was swimming so erratically.
  I quarantined him to a corner of the tank so he wouldn't hurt himself, but over the past day and a half his condition has not improved and he continues
to swim sideways, upside down, and in circles.  I have tried to feed him but he doesn't even notice the food, and now his color is starting to lighten.  
The only thing that I can think of is that when I was cleaning the tank the fish became agitated and he was somehow stuck with venom by the Foxface that is also in the tank.
<Yikes... this would do it...>
(The 40 gallon tank has a fox face,
<This tank is too small for a siganid>
the maroon clown, a coral beauty,
<And/or too small for a regular sized species of Centropyge>
a blue damsel fish, and a coral banded shrimp.  All the fish are about 3 inches.  There have been no new additions to the tank in six months.)  Please let me know if you have any ideas on what could be wrong with him or what could be done.
Joe Tremblay
<Mmm, I like your speculation if the other fishes don't appear affected... If all had spun out, I would guess that something to do with the algae/scrubbing set off a physical/chemical reaction. At any length, you/they need a system at least twice this volume/size. Bob Fenner>

Injured clown fish   8/14/06
Good evening  WWM
Crew , After laying Eggs our clown fish was very  aggressive towards her other  tank mates and very protective of her " nest ",
<Yes, very common>
during this she got injured by our hippo tang , he sliced her open , about half of a centimeter long , the cut is between her head and dorsal fin . It looks really nasty and swollen , though she seems not be affected by it. I read a lot of your forums and  started  to worry about infection setting in , so we went to our local fish store and they gave us some medication for her (  Kanamycin). Now I also remember reading in your pages the danger of  med's. So here I am not sure to give it to her , or to wait and see if it heals ok If treatment should I treat her in main tank or move her over to a  QTank
<I would leave this fish in place for now. Move it if you intend to use the antibiotic>
, knowing that the two are inseparable, this could effect both of them , also this is now her third day with the cut , and like I said she seems her normal self other then that . Would love to get some help in this matter , don't want to loose her  due to my ignorance . Thank you guys for all your help and your  awesome
website!!! God Bless , Monika   
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Very sick Clown   1/31/06
Hello.  I love your site -- very educational and excellent for research.  I have had a 90 gal FOWLR set up for two years with very little fish loss.  I have a long horned cowfish, a dogface puffer, coral beauty, yellow tang, and a Clark's clown.
Parameters: specific gravity 1.025, 0 nitrite/0 ammonia/nitrate 40-60 ppm.  Wet/dry w/out bio balls.  Can't get nitrate lower.
<... there are means>
Have tried for over a year.  I know I have big eaters here.
<Yes... and a dearth of denitrification>
Problem today --  I am highly upset because my clown (I have had all of these fish for one to one and half years) has ragged fins, loss of color, swimming on side and upside down near top of tank.
<Trouble...>
  I haven't seen much of him last few days, all of a sudden he appeared this sick. His behavior is extremely out of character.  He has never been sick before.  I did recently one month ago purchase a new VHO white actinic bulb, leave it on 10-12 hrs per day.  Also had an outbreak of brown algae which covered the rocks, clumped in the sand.  Did a 25% water change yesterday.  The yellow tang has a brown circle spot on its side also, looks like an "o".
<Good description... stress marking... you've likely seen something similar if/when turning the lighting on during the night>
  What medicine is the best course for the clown?
<... none. Not a pathogenic disease... but environmental>
Please advise whether you think this is bacterial?  I would do anything to save this fish.  Am setting up quarantine now.  Thank you in advance for your compassion and quick response.  I have a good aquatic store staff but sometimes get conflicting info.  Thanks, M. Lee
<The simplest, fastest measure to take would be to move these two fish to another up and going system if you had such. The "real" troubles here are crowding and too-much incompatibility... the Cowfish is variably toxic in confined space... and the nitrate being elevated... What would "solve" the apparent disease issues here are more volume/space, dilution (water changes), chemical filtration (mainly carbon), the addition of erstwhile filtration (including anaerobic digestion... the best? A DSB in a tied-in sump/refugium...). You are faced with the decision, choices here of improving these animals world or translocating some of them to new ones. Bob Fenner>
Michelle

Re: Very sick Clown   2/2/06
Bob:
  Thank you so much for your reply.  I kind of already had the suspicion that I would have to get rid of the cowfish or the dogface.  The clown is improving -- I have had him in quarantine with Nitrofurazone for two days.  He does have a patch of detaching skin on top of his head; thought this might be Vibrio?  
<No, not likely... probably "just" the Clown... reaction>
Do you think it OK to move him to my 13 gal Eclipse tank?  Excellent parameters and only three small crabs, coral banded shrimp, and a canary wrasse.  Problem there may be that the only filtration is the standard carbon filter.  Thoughts?
  Thanks again, M. Lee
<Maybe will go... worth trying. Bob Fenner>
Michelle

Clownfish darkening?!
Hi guys
<Conor>
Thanks in advance for your help. I have 4 small tank raised common clownfish in my tank, with an external Ecco Eheim filter, internal filter, salinity 1.020, nitrite 0, temp 25 degrees.
<I'd raise the spg...>
I have had the fish only 2 weeks and notice that two of the fish have stopped eating as much and one of them has stopped eating entirely and has taken to staying in the top right hand corner and is opening and closing his mouth constantly. On the top of his body is a darkened area that is new the last 2 days. His darkening is more pronounced than the others - but all of the others have also started to get these shaded areas on the top part of their bodies.
<Not good>
Is this a disease? How can I treat it?
<Is likely an indication of environmental stress... is your tank cycled? Please read through the many articles, FAQs files archived on WWM re Clownfish Systems, Disease...>
I would be most grateful if you could help - I'm not sure where to go now!
Thanks - Conor, Dublin, Ireland.
<I am... WetWebMedia.com Bob Fenner>  

Re: Clownfish darkening?!
Thanks for that. My tank is cycled - I had it running for a month before introducing any fish.
<Still... may not be cycled>
I was worried that the symptoms (the darkening on the upper part of the body) might be a sign of velvet disease?
<Doubtful>
The tank is fish only - no live rock and I can't see what would be stressing the fish out. They were all very active and hungry at the beginning and I have not yet done any water changes. I was going to do my first water change on Friday. My LFS can sell me a medicine for velvet which I was thinking of adding as a precautionary measure - any views?
<Please read... WWM, our books, articles re...>
Lastly - the fish are juveniles - if they are maturing into male/female sexes would this explain the darkening and loss of appetite?
<No>
Thanks again!
<Keep reading... Bob Fenner>
 
Clownfish (environmental) disease question
I have had my clown fish for about 5 years.  I am not sure what type of clown fish he is - see attachment.
<Premnas biaculeatus, a Maroon>
This week he has developed a white spot under his eye and possibly discoloration on his top fin.
<Yes, I see these. Good photo>
You will also note that I am getting some burgundy slime/algae growing on the rocks.
<Yes, a type of Blue Green Algae, aka Cyanobacteria>
I have wrapped my 12 gallon saltwater tank in a towel to kill the slime/algae and have done syphoning and water changes.  The slime goes away for a couple of days and comes right back.  This may or may not have something to do with my fish.
<Likely has to some good degree. What is important to understand, work against, is the root causes of the favoring of conditions that are allowing the profusion of BGA here>
I have a snail, a sea urchin, and some multiple legged creatures that live in the rocks (starfish with long stripped legs??).  Can you shed any light on my problem?  
Thank you in advance.
<Yes... your Clowns principal, basal health issue VERY likely stems from poor water quality... your system has "aged" in ways that favor the Cyano... you would do well to change out, add some new live rock, possibly a good part of the substrate, make some large (25%) successive daily water changes... Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bluegralgae.htm
and here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marenvdi.htm
and the Related Articles and FAQs (linked, in blue at the tops of these links) where you lead yourself. Bob Fenner>

Clownfish with extra ventilation on his sides
Hi, Bob.  I originally sent this info to the Ask the Crew email address, but I'm a bit worried and haven't heard back.  I'd really appreciate your help.
Original email is below, but here's a synopsis:
Got a gold striped maroon clown Saturday.  He ate at the store but did not eat in my tank. <this is normally the case with all fish>
Tuesday evening when I got home I noticed a pit on each of his sides - maybe a quarter inch wide - smaller than the width of his middle stripe.  Tests showed elevated pH, ammonia, and nitrates as described below.  Did a <10% (2.5 gallons on a 30 gallon tank)  water change to help stabilize.<good job>  Did another Wednesday evening (2 gallons) since nitrates were still high.  (My bucket is 2.5 gallons - thus the weird amount).  Water otherwise looks okay.<ok keep on testing for nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia>
Fed him live brine shrimp yesterday (Wednesday) night and he ate - perhaps not voraciously, but he ate. <this food has absolutely no nutritional value, instead try Mysis shrimp>(He spat some out but ate some and took his time doing so.) Tried feeding him a little more this morning and he didn't touch any of them.  He's been staying at the bottom of the tank mostly in a little archway and sort of struggled up to the rock last night. (normal
sleeping behavior without a host?)<sometimes, clownfish do not need anemones>
His wounds look maybe slightly bigger but I'm not sure.  I didn't get a good look at them yesterday.  Definitely slightly bigger than Tuesday when I first saw them, but not by much.
Should I medicate him or just wait and see?  Can I medicate him in the tank?<no don't medicate him in your main aquarium, you need to move him to a quarantine aquarium and treat him for a bacterial infection, IanB>
(More details below)
Thank you. Tiffany Thompson
I've been scouring the web for the past 5 hours trying to make sure I know what's wrong with my fish before I treat it.  
My tank's been in storage for 3 years and I've pulled it out of retirement, cycled it with live rock, added a clean up crew (2 brittle stars and a handful of snails and hermit crabs), let it stabilize after that, and then last Saturday decided it was ready for a fish.  The tank is a 30 gallon wannabe reef tank, with nothin in it but the above and a 1/2 inch unidentified anemone that came in on a rock.<probably an Aiptasia or glass anemone, both can be harmful to fish and inverts>
I added a gold striped maroon clown Saturday evening.  I saw him (okay he's probably a she, but I'm gonna call him a he cuz I want to) eat a couple flakes of food at the fish store (tho he spat out the red flakes, I'm pretty sure I saw him eat some green). he hasn't really eaten anything else. He hides most of the time, but comes to the front some which I thought might mean he's hungry but he still doesn't eat the flakes I have. He has pecked at food pellets I've dropped in the tank (they're sinking pellets that my previous clown used to like - he'd steal them from my shrimp) but doesn't touch them after they hit bottom. (It's Tuesday night now.)  But more importantly, now he has wounds on either side of his body.  Small pits (one on each side) in the middle of his middle stripe.  Each pit is almost but not quite the width of the stripe.  his breathing seems a little fast but his color is good.  The only thing that looks out of the ordinary are the pits on his sides...which is of course my biggest concern.
(Photos attached - not the best)<ok, it sounds like a bacterial infection, maybe due to poor water quality>
I tested the water immediately and low and behold it was ATROCIOUS!  The pH and ammonia were too high:<this is most likely the contributing factor>
My pH kit only tests up to 8.4, but I could tell it must have been higher.<pretty bad>
Ammonia was high (without an accurate pH I can't be sure of the level but it was at least .07ppm) <WOW, this can be deadly>
Nitrite levels were nearly non-detectable.  
Nitrate levels were about 20ppm.<this isn't bad, but the ammonia is definitely bad, you need to remove every living creature and find a stable home for them until your aquarium cycles, if you don't there is a very good chance that all livestock will perish in a short period of time>
So I've done a 10% water change and now I'm at about pH 8.2, Ammonia .028ppm, Nitrate:10ppm<ok...any readable ammonia is BAD>
I ran out and got some medications but want to make sure I have a proper diagnosis before I move forward - especially if water changes end up being the recommended course of action in and of themselves.  I bought some "Biozyme" ("dried heterotrophic bacteria and enzymes) that I thought might help with the tank quality.  (I also have Amquel plus).  As far as medicating the fish goes, I have Metronidazole and Kanamycin sulfate based medications.
The fella at the store recommended the Metronidazole, but after reading FAQs it sounds to me like the Kanamycin might be right? <yea that is what I would use, if I was in this situation...but do not treat in the main aquarium....IT WILL ONLY ESCALATE YOUR PROBLEMS>
Since he's the only fish in there can I medicate the tank (I have carbon in there now which I know I need to take out before adding medications) or should I come up with a makeshift hospital tank (I have a 2.5 gallon bucket I can use), or...?<NO NO and NO!>
Can you also recommend a good pH test kit Wardley "Master" at the moment.  I also have nothing to test alkalinity, calcium or phosphate levels.<I would use the test kit brands made by RedSea, good luck, IanB>

Sick Clown
I have a cinnamon clownfish that I have had for about 4 months. He is very active and aggressive, and eats when fed. However, he has many small marks all over both sides of his body that look like missing scales. Also, his underfins look a little ragged. What is the problem?
What can I do? He is with a yellow tang.
<< Assuredly something is wrong with your water quality and/or your nutrition of this fish... What you describe is sometimes labeled in various ways as "environmental disease"... I would check your water and systems regarding its optimization... and strive to include some fresh foods in the clown and other fishes diets... Bob Fenner>>

Nitrate and Clownfish
Hello again! I hope this finds you all well.
<Scott F. back with you again>
I spent the day researching again, and decided on some "field work" to boot. I searched one of the LFS's that we like to use on occasion for more opinions (on your ideas) and for some comparison for my poor clown. I'm afraid I made a poor impression, but all is well that ends well, right? I told him of your suggestion for removing the bioballs upon addition (or a week or so after) of the DSB.....this had him pondering back and forth and finally he decided that he agreed with you, though he could not understand why it could not be a two inch sand bed, which I just had to let go, as I could not explain it to his satisfaction.
That taken care of, I spotted several tanks of tank raised tomatoes and ocellaris that had some of the same markings on their white patches, which is what ours looked like at the start; I asked him what he could make of it, and I honestly believe that he had no idea, taking my "bait" with the marks having to do with the high nitrate levels....he was adamant that my clown's situation is indeed due to the high nitrates. I read every piece of Brooklynella information on WWM pages, and concluded that he is showing none of the symptoms for it. Still a mystery to me, any ideas besides Brooklynella? Daniel thinks that it could be Hole-in-the-head/HLLD...what do you think?
<It's a distant possibility- this malady generally causes markings and/or pits in the skin due to skin loss; usually found near the no surprise here-head or lateral line area on the fish. It is rarely fatal, it just looks bad. All kinds of "remedies" exist for this malady, ranging from the addition of vitamins in the fishes' foods, to daily water changes, to grounding the tank from stray voltage, etc. This might even be "normal" coloration for this strain of captive-bred clowns?>
I am very concerned even though he is still eating well, and behaving as usual.
<Just keep a close eye on these fish and follow good maintenance practices. Be prepared to act decisively should the need arise> 
The nitrates as of this afternoon are just under 20ppm by the way.)
<definitely a positive trend. Good job!>
I also asked him about the Caulerpa (which is all they sell) and if/when they might have other plant life available for us.....I'm afraid he thinks I'm crazy now, and we will more than likely not be using this store for any further saltwater related items.
<Well, now you've crossed over that threshold into the realm of "fish nerd"-just like me, and there is no known no cure for that! :)>
Our next research will be in the refugium section of WWM for better options. What *would* we do without you guys?!
<Buy lots of Caulerpa, maybe? LOL>
Thanks again immensely for your time, opinions and educated guesses.
Kelly and Daniel
<You're welcome. Feel free to contact us any time!>

Clowning Around With Macroalgae
Greetings,
<Hi there! Scott F. with you>
A few months ago, I moved from a 15 gallon to a 33 gallon tank (with the 15 gallon as a sump).  My clarkii clown, which is about a year old, recently started swimming at the surface, and can not seem to dive any lower in the tank.  Physically he is showing no other signs of disease.  This does seem to be preventing him from eating though.  There is obviously something wrong with him, but I don't know how to treat it.
Could it be a problem with the swim bladder?
<This is a distinct possibility. At this point, I'd keep a close eye on him. Look for the appearance of other symptoms-labored breathing, obvious skin blemishes, excess mucus, etc. If any of these are evident, remove him immediately for possible treatment for a number of possible parasitic infections. Another "way out there" possibility, but one that has actually been documented by clownfish breeders, is "floating bloat". Apparently, this disorder is brought on by the clowns eating buoyant floating foods, like pellets. A long shot, for sure- but don't rule anything out. Check his diet out and see if you're feeding lots of dried foods...>
I have live sand and rock in the tank, and a pretty low bioload.  The nitrates are about 20 - 30 ppm (higher than I want, but shouldn't be hurting the clown).  Any suggestions?  I really don't want to lose this guy?
<Well- I don't think that nitrate is causing this possibly malady. However, you may want to consider a deeper (3-4 inches plus) fine sand bed, chemical filtration media (carbon, Poly Filters), aggressive protein skimming, frequent (twice weekly) small (like 5% of tank volume) water changes, use of high quality source water (RO/DI), and just general good husbandry procedures.>
Another question.  I have a bunch of Caulerpa growing in the sump, but I am not sure I am doing it correctly.
<BTW- another good idea for nutrient export>
I have two 15w strip lights over it.  Is that enough?
<That should be fine>
The Caulerpa is just floating in the water, but is starting to sprout roots.  Should it be anchored in the substrate?
<Caulerpa will put down "holdfasts" into substrate, rocks, etc. It can float, too-but will usually seek a surface to adhere against>
How do I know when to trim it?  How dense should it be?
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Paul
<Well, Paul- Caulerpa can be amazingly prolific once it gets going. You'll see it begin to "mass" into large aggregations- that's a sign that it's time to start harvesting. The best thing to do is to carefully pull fronds away from the main "mass" of Caulerpa on a regular basis (like weekly), taking care not to rip them, as they may leach undesirable substances into the water. For a lot of reasons, I'm not a big fan of Caulerpa. I think that you could do much better with other "purposeful" macroalgae, such as Chaetomorpha ("spaghetti" macroalgae) or Gracilaria ("Ogo")- my two favorite macros, and even Halimeda. They have many of the benefits of Caulerpa (rapid growth, high nutrient uptake) without the potential downfalls (leaching of undesirable substances, difficulty in eradication, etc). Give one of these other macroalgae a try...The Anthony Calfo slogan "Friends don't let friends buy Caulerpa" is my mantra, man! Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Clowning Around With Macroalgae (Pt2)
Scott,
<At your service>
Thanks for the reply.  I have since added PolyFilters and carbon, and changed about 12 gallons of water, but the clown has gotten worse.
<Sorry to hear that>
He is now no longer on the surface, but still having trouble swimming.  He seems to go aimlessly around in circles and bump into everything in the tank.  Yesterday, he also became "curled" to one side.  His eyes are sort of bulgy, but I cant recall if that is the way they always were.
Since he is bumping into things and not able to get food, I have been wondering if he is having trouble seeing. No noticeable skin conditions.  I do have about 3-4" sand and a skimmer (a Berlin air-lift) in the sump.  Is that enough?
<That sounds okay>
Is there any medication that I could try?  I could put the clown in a small quarantine tank while doing so.  If not, I don't think
that he is going to make it much longer...
<Okay, Paul- it's time for some action! Because you indicated that the fish's eyes are bulging, I'm going to make the assumption that we're dealing with a bacterial infection of some sort. I'd place the fish into a separate aquarium for treatment with a broad-spectrum antibiotic, such as Maracyn. Follow the manufacturer's instructions exactly. I think that with quick action, you can save the life of this little guy. Hope this helps!>
Thanks for the info on the Caulerpa.  It has been the only macroalgae that I have been able to find in any of the stores around here.  I'll start hunting for
something else. Thanks, Paul
<Yeah- Caulerpa is probably the most readily available macroalgae, but it's "dark side" makes it a lousy bargain, IMO! Do look into those other macros-you'll really like them! Good luck...Contact us again if the need arises! Regards, Scott F>

Sick A. percula
>Dear Bob,
>>Marina here to help you today.
>I recently purchased two new clowns that are being kept in my 7 gal. nano.  It has been cycling for almost two weeks after being set up with live sand and rock.  The morning after acclimating and introducing them to the tank, I noticed two bumps on the smaller of the two, one on either side of the dorsal fin.  In just one more day the bumps became more rash-like and has begun a growing patch that looks very irritated and discolored.  I did a lot of research and took all the precautions.  
>>You haven't mentioned whether or not the nano has actually completed cycling, nor have you mentioned use of quarantine.  Quarantine must be utilized religiously, and 30 days minimum is q/t protocol.  I will also offer that, in my own humble opinion, 7 gallons is far too little to house an Amphiprion species with which I am familiar.  I fear that they may have already polluted the tank and succumbed to what may possibly be a bacterial infection.
>I have a feeling this clown might have come a little damaged and didn't show until it hit my tank.  Maybe stress related.  What does this rash sound like and what can I do?  Thanks, I really enjoy studying the info. on this sight.  Stephen
>>I strongly recommend setting up a hospital/quarantine tank and removing *both* fish to it ASAP.  Then, just to be safe, I would also recommend starting a regimen of Spectrogram, if you can't find that then Melafix would be next.  The description given is "spotty", at best, so I can't venture a further guess as to whether or not they display signs of the ubiquitous ich protozoan, but to be safe I would give each fish a freshwater dip to be safe.  The water used for the dip must be of the same temperature AND pH to avoid shocking the animals.  I will link you, as well, to some information on diseases on site, and would like you to seek the advice of one brandon429 to be found on http://www.reefs.org  I'm not sure if you'll have to register to send this person a private message or not, but he IS THE nano guy extraordinaire.
>>This is actually a link via which other helpful links are to be found http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mardisease.htm  
>>Unfortunately, because of the nature and wide variety of diseases to be found amongst our specimens, I cannot offer more definitive advice at this point.  Good luck, though, and do keep us posted.  Marina

Perc Clown Death - Disease identification
Hi Robert,
Our 2 perc clowns died on the weekend. I have looked through the clown FAQ and have been unable to get a clear diagnosis on what caused their deaths.
We have had the 2 clownies happily living in a Magnifica for about 6 months. About 3 weeks ago the Magnifica started to lose its colour and began to shrink.
<Oh oh... loss of the Anemone is likely tied to your Clownfish loss... either directly or serially... something "wrong" with water quality contributing to the anemone loss, and/or the anemone dying causing declining water quality, loss of the clowns>
At about the same time the clownies stopped going into the anemone and started trying to go into other corals. They then started to get a light white furry look on their skin and it also looked wrinkly.
All other aspects of their behaviour remained normal (eating & moving).
Then the white stripes began to peel off. About 48 hours after this the male was dead. 12 hours later the female was dead. She was eating fine the night before she died.
I missed a water change last month and the Nitrate got up to 60, however all other water parameters were good. All the other fish are fine. What could have caused this.
<(!, sixty ppm?)... "Poor water quality"... need to make more frequent water changes, look into what is allowing your nitrates to be this high. Please read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/nitratesmar.htm, the links, on to the sections on water changing, water quality, here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mardisease.htm re what disease is... Bob Fenner>
Regards,
Michael.

Re: Brooklynellosis?
Mr. Fenner,
Thanx again for your quick response! My next question is:
Could the stress of what this fish has been thru be causing these periodic spots on him & him alone.
<Yes>
The other fish don't get them. Diagnosing these "spots" is very tough if you've never seen them before. I will take your advice & leave him be for the weekend.
If the spots are ich & not Brooklynellosis, & the other fish are very, very healthy, am I running a risk of infecting them all by being gone for 3 days?
<Some risk yes. I hasten to add there are no "no risk" propositions in this life. Bob Fenner>
Thanx
Craig

Clownfish & Goniopora Doing Poorly
Hello Robert,
<You reached Steven Pro working his shift today. Anthony Calfo and I are filling in for Bob for the time being.>
Whenever I have a problem that I cannot figure out I know who to ask, you're the man. My female clown has been sick on/off for about a year, mostly off, but when she does get sick it's always the same physical signs. Common features include split tail, discolored spots around body, white mucus around gills. Not all signs appear at the same time, but one or two together are common. I have researched your website, and have found the best thing to do is to wait to see how she reacts and wait, so that's what I do, but how long can she go through bouts of sickness and remain alive in my tank. Also, she is paired with a male and they both share a home together (long tentacle anemone) and I have never noticed the male with any signs of disease, nor the 6 other fish in my reef tank. What does she have? What should I do?
<This sounds more like an environmental factor or some reaction to aggression, than an infectious disease. I would look for changes in water quality that correspond with the symptoms showing up.>
Last question.
My two flower pot corals have both been closed, sometimes showing signs of opening, but they never open to their full capability that they showed the first month or two when introduced in my tank. I have moved them away from the light, but their isn't much room in my 40 gallon. What do you suggest?
<I have no suggestion for you. Your corals will be dead shortly. Goniopora are one of the most commonly imported corals into America and they almost always die, 99% mortality in less than one year. They live long enough for the hobbyists' to falsely believe they are doing OK before they taper off. I do not mean to seem so callous, but it is a commonly known fact with this coral. One suggestion I have for you is to go get and read Eric Borneman's "Aquarium Corals". This should help educate you for your future purchases. -Steven Pro>
Thanks again,
Jason

Aggression as the Cause of Mysterious Ailments
Thanks for the coral advice, I figured something was up. I think the aggression might be the cause of the Clowns physical behavior, whenever I move anything in the tank or the anemone moves to a new spot she gets sick.
<Also, do make your hands are clean and free from soap, hand creams, after shave, etc.>
Thanks for figuring it out. You guys are good. I need to get some got reference books to learn more.
Jason

Question About Clownfish That I was told you may can help
Hey I recently posted a message n someone replied n said you probably can help. I have a 46 gallon saltwater tank with 4 fish a few corals & one anemone .....the problem is the clownfish recently caught something, its eyes have a cloudy covering n they look swelled, it also has a cloudy spot on his chest n fin...I use Instant Ocean salt n have a Emperor 400 for filtration.....what should I do? Thanks allot for any info. I have a product I used on my yellow tang its called "CopperSafe"
<Please take a read through the marine fish disease sections of our principal site: www.WetWebMedia.com
You may find it worthwhile to also read the Clownfish Disease FAQs files, starting here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clndisfaqs.htm and beyond. You should try to gain an understanding of underlying principles. The information offered above is only a beginning. Bob Fenner>

Tomato Clown Won't Eat
Hi Bob,
<Anthony Calfo, here my friend>
This is my first question for you. I have had several questions since finding your site in December (after a disastrous Marine Ich infestation) but the existing info already on WWM has been a great source.
<agreed and thank you>
Since the Ich, I have obtained a quarantine tank. I am now restocking the main tank after a considerable fallow period as per your guidelines. The first occupant of the QT was a Tomato clown. He hung out in this 10 gallon tank for over two weeks, eating and generally happy. Upon moving him to the MT, he continues to be active (actually more so, swimming with nose to glass up and down for long periods) and now has not been eating since the move on Friday.
<drop in average water temperature compared to QT?>
He had been accepting frozen brine shrimp as well as most of the dry food, especially the Omega One flakes.
<great dry food...reduce the brine to very little... a very hollow food>
Now, no appetite it seems. He'll take the food in andthen spit it out - repeatedly. Seen SW and FW fish do this before and thought that they didn't like the food or were sick. 
<not necessarily... try a 2-3F increase in temperature up to 84F at most>
Particularly concerned in this case because he had been happily eating the brine shrimp and flake when back in the QT. 
<can go for a while without foods...no worries yet>
Last night I tried Selcon on some flake,
<smart...a good habit in the future>
same result, sampled but did not ingest. At what point does one become concerned?
<no rule... but up to a week no big deal>
The water in the QT started as MT water. Both are fine.
I have an idea that maybe I should try to return him to the QT, but catching is near impossible and stressful.
<disagree...too stressful without knowing the cause>
Any advice you may have would be appreciated. Thanks
for the website and endless amounts of info.
Regards, Bill
<best regards, Anthony>

Dark Spots on Clownfish
hello
I have a question on my perc clown fish. I have had him for 3 years and now he is getting black spots on him. his nose looks a little red also, I am very worried. I haven't any other fish in the past year except for 6 peppermint shrimp. my alkalinity is 10 .no ammonia or anything else in the water. I have heard a little about black spot disease in yellow tangs but I don't have any in my tank. I am very worried, can you help me?
<What units on that alkalinity? Not meq/l I trust? Do you add so-called supplements to this system? Don't think this is an infectious or parasitic disease... and definitely not a flatworm like "black spot" of tangs (Paravortex sp.). The latter you can read about on the www.wetwebmedia.com site (and see pix there too)... This organism would have to "come in" most likely on a Zebrasoma... and Clowns are very unlikely possible hosts... So "what is it"? Likely nervous expression (melanism) resultant from "environmental stress"... cumulative chemical/physical challenges, perhaps nutritional deficiencies... I would do the standard testing of your water for what you can, add some live rock, supplement/alter the foodstuffs you generally offer... And take heart in realizing that Clownfishes do "get spots" sort of like "age spots" in humans with age...
Bob Fenner>

Clownfish 
Hi Mr. Fenner, 
Hope you can answer a question for me. 
<I will try>
I have a 3.5" Clarkii clown that I have had as a pair for a year. One of them is getting red spots on the tail base. They almost appear like small soars. He hasn't eaten much for the past 3 weeks and has stayed in his anemone day and night. 
He doesn't seam to be getting thinner but the outbreak of spots are get more numerous. Any idea what he has or how to get rid of it? 
<This does sound more like a nutritional and/or water quality ("environmentally mediated") disorder rather than infectious, parasitic... and yes to suggesting viable means for "curing". Do look into the product "Selcon" (or the root material Selcon), a vitamin prep. to augment this fish's diet... soak whatever it is eating (and augment this with some live, frozen/defrosted Mysid, caprellids, or just brine shrimp and offer this once, twice a day near the anemone host... And do check out your water quality, at least do the carte blanche tune-up of a couple (one a week for now) 20-25% water changes (gravel vacuuming the old to waste) and place a unit of activated carbon in your filter flow path (like a bag of Chemipure or equivalent). Both these should produce noticeable changes in the fish's behavior though it will likely take weeks to a couple of months to see the end of the red marks>
Thank you, Ray Scheid 
P.S. Thanks for writing such a great book (the Conscientious Marine Aquarist) I am a 8th grade science teacher. My students and I use it as our "bible" to answer all of our questions. Any new books in your future?
<Ah, thank you for this... very gratifying to understand one's efforts being utilized, appreciated. Yes, another in print, and a few others held up in the printing, sales, distribution phase. Please have your students avail themselves of bits of all posted on my website: www.WetWebMedia.com
Bob Fenner>

Is my Clown Fish sick?
Hi, maybe you can help me out. My wife got an aquarium and in it she has two damsel fish and a start fish. For our anniversary she got me a clown fish, so I could be a part of her aquarium. We have had the clown for around 8 months now, and suddenly it has been laying on its side in the sand, and hiding under the live rock. We are hoping it is not sick.
The SG is 1.017 and the temp is around 80F, and the two damsels seem fine. We read someplace that the males become females and that they lay their eggs at the base of their habitat and are hoping that is maybe
what is going on, do you have any ideas?
<Laying on the side... is a bad thing... If this were my fish, my system I would slowly raise the specific gravity back to near seawater level (1.025), like a thousandth of a point change per day... and hope this can effect a "cure"... Clownfishes, living in close proximity with anemones are susceptible to the same sorts of inputs/outputs as their hosts... and vastly prefer NSW conditions... Otherwise, I would try changing this fish's diet, adding a liquid vitamin prep. as a soak in its food (like Selcon, Zoecon, Microvit...). It is not laying eggs. Please read through the "Clownfish Health FAQs" pages on our site: www.WetWebMedia.com and the links in turn on "The Breeder's Registry" about their husbandry. Bob Fenner>

Re: Is my Clown Fish sick?
Unfortunately, he is dead. He had been doing this for several days so we were not too surprised.
<<Sorry to read of your loss>>
Robert Fenner writes:
><Laying on the side... is a bad thing... If this were my fish, my system I would slowly raise the specific gravity back to near seawater level (1.025), like a thousandth of a point change per day... and hope this can effect a "cure"...
We did not know that 1.025 was the level we should be shooting for... The LFS said anywhere between 1.017 and 1.028 was fine. 
<This is way too wide... please do check with more than one source of information (even from/with me...)>
The fish store was in China town and we have since concluded that they don't know much about fish and that most of their fish are sick when we buy them.
<<Seek out, cast your vote with more conscientious dealers...>>
>Clownfishes, living in close proximity with anemones are susceptible to the same sorts of inputs/outputs as their hosts... and vastly prefer NSW conditions... Otherwise, I would try changing this fish's diet, adding a liquid vitamin prep. as a soak in its food  (like Selcon, Zoecon, Microvit...). It is not laying eggs. Please read  through the "Clownfish Health FAQs" pages on our site: www.WetWebMedia.com and the links in turn on "The Breeder's Registry" about their husbandry. Bob Fenner>
Ok, thanks! Maybe we will try again and do better.
<A good attitude>
John Van Boxtel
San Francisco
<My gosh! There are several fine stores in San Fran... do check out Nippon Goldfish, say hello to Steve there for me, and ask them in turn for referral to stores nearer you. Yes, they are that excellent. Bob Fenner>

Maroon Clown with Disease
Greetings WWM team,
<cheers!>
Hope this email finds you all doing well...
<and you as well my friend>
I have greatly enjoyed and learned from this awesome website, and firstly would like to say THANKS...
<Thanks to you as well. Do help our cause and tell a friend about us>
I am fairly new to marine aquariums (1 yr) and keep a 120 gal, with 200 lbs LR, 210 lbs LS, and mainly soft corals... 
<a very nice start!>
The only fish in the tank are a pair of yellow striped maroons. This morning I noticed some whitish specks (and maybe slimy spot??) on the female. 
<if the fish is not new, it is very unusual... such parasitic infection evidenced in your photo are usually stress and temperature induced. Common after a power outage of heater malfunction (or inappropriately variable temp in home tank... 3+ F temp swing by day)... but more often this is seen in new fishes on import. It is critical that all clowns be quarantined to avoid or address this common disease>
I must have been lucky thus far because I have never had to deal with any problems like this before... I have attached a photo and would greatly appreciate an identification of this problem so I can correctly treat it...
<parasitic/protozoan in nature... could be Oodinium or Brooklynella easily. Please do browse our FAQs and articles on the treatment of this disease. The crash course, however, is daily freshwater dips, formalin (necessary if Brooklynella) in long baths in QT and a minimum of 2 week isolation (4 weeks best). Medicated food and low salinity (1.017 gradually) may also be helpful in QT>
Thanks again for all the great educational information...Jarrett W. Cravey
<best regards, Anthony>

Sick Clown
Hi guys, I added this Premnas biaculeatus two weeks ago, It was doing fine but stopped eating a few days ago and has developed a white spot on her chin. If I can net her, what should I dip her in and for how long? I do have a quarantine tank set up in the garage, I'm sure the there are parameter differences and I don't want to stress her anymore, I don't seem to have much luck once a fish gets sick. Please help ASAP! Thanks. Jim Schaefer
<Hi Jim, This is either a fungus or bacteria, almost always from environmental issues. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/infectio.htm  and optimize conditions for best results.  You may need to QT but read this link first. There is much more to be found by typing "fungus" and "bacteria" into the google search engine at the bottom of WetWebMedia.com.
Go from there.  Do realize, it is environmental or secondary to environment and the best treatment is better water, food, less stress, better overall conditions.  Good luck!  Craig>

 


 

 

 

 

 

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