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FAQs about the Diseases of Clownfishes
20
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,
Clownfish Disease 16,
Clownfish Disease 17,
Clownfish Disease 18,
Clownfish Disease 19, & FAQs on Clownfish
Disease By: Environmental Stress,
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, Clownfishes,
Maroon Clowns, Marine
Disease, Brooklynellosis,
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True Percula Problem 12/18/08
Hi there, I hope you can help.
<Will certainly try.>
I recently bought two
True Percula Clowns from my local aquatics store. I was told they are wild
caught and already a pair even though only about an inch in size.
<Better to
get captive raised, generally healthier, more adapted to captive life along with
the environmental considerations.>
I didn't really want wild caught clowns as
I know they are not as hardy as captive bred which I have now found out.
<Yep>
They would not eat and now one has died. I've tried everything I can
think of to feed them, frozen, flake, pellets and live foods. Nothing seems to
work.
<Not a good sign.>
My water parameters in my 30 gallon tank are all
good except for a high reading of nitrate,
<May be partly the problem.>
but my corals and bubble tip anemone are doing great.
<Be aware that
combining corrals and anemones in this small of a tank can be problematic.>
Could the high nitrate be the cause?
<Doubt it is the root cause unless it is
very high, but a contributing factor likely.>
They were a bit sulky in the
store, but I was told that was just because they needed an anemone, but I think
I was silly to buy them in the end.
<Definitely never buy a fish who's health
is in question in the store, and clowns most definitely do not need an anemone
to be healthy and happy.>
Do you think my remaining clown can be saved? Or am
I looking at wasting £60 ?
Clint
<With wild caught fish diagnosing issues
such as this can be quite difficult. It could be just stress/damage from
shipping and adapting to captivity, internal parasites, or a host of other more
common diseases. See here for more http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clnfshdisart.htm
.>
<Chris>
Re: True Percula Problem 12/20/08
Hi there! Thanks
for the quick response! There is nothing physically wrong with the remaining
clownfish other then the fact he is still not eating.
His colors are still
bright and he's still swimming in the top corner of the tank. Do you think there
is a chance he will be ok and start eating?
<Could once he becomes for
accustomed to his environment assuming he does not have some sort of internal
problem.>
Sorry, but I really do want to do best by my fish keeping
Clint
<If you have not already try some live brine shrimp, often can stimulate a
feeding response.>
<Chris>
Hoping you can help - Clown Fish Ill 12/17/08
Hi
Guys,
<Alex>
Hope all is well, it's been a long time and as a first for
me, here comes a fish illness related question. By the way, happy holidays and
all that good stuff.
<And to you>
So I have had a reef tank running for ~
1 1/2 yrs. now and no outbreaks of anything what-so-ever. 3 Days ago, my
perfectly healthy and ravenous clownfish stopped eating (frozen and pellets - he
would destroy these before). I checked him out carefully and noticed, small
white cloudy substances on his body. Mainly the front part of his head, but now
is beginning to creep towards his dorsal fin and back body. It's not covering it
or anything, but it is noticeable. He has the same (in a stripe) across his
eyes, but not covering them entirely like eye cloud and certainly isn't pop-eye
(my opinion). Param.s. are perfect. except for Trates, which are hovering at ~10
-15 (working on bringing those down as I type with a H2O change, the second one
in as many days. So here comes my pitch as to why I need to save this little
guy. He was my first marine fish ever and I can't imagine my aquarium with out
him. What can I do? I read about Brooklynella (sp.?), but I'm not quite certain
that is it. The pictures I see seem to make him look healthy compared to those
fish, although he is certainly not my healthy fish of 3 days ago. Symptoms
match, but the photo's seem to make it look a little different.
<And... where
would the initial infestation come from?>
I read about a possible bacterial
Infection that could be caused by an initial ammonia burn somehow, but my
ammonia reads 0 on Salifert and Aquar. Pharm. Trites. are also zero, but just to
be safe I have dosed with Prime.
I cant' set a QT up tonight due to lack of
Salt and a winter storm in NYC is preventing me from heading to the store
earlier. My question I guess becomes, what can I do with the start of a new day
tomorrow to help this guys out? Again, about 3 days in to his symptoms and lack
of eating, is it too late to QT him and give him some baths in formalin? Should
I do the bath (separately from QT obviously), but also add some Myacin-2 to the
QT after his baths?
<I wouldn't move this fish to quarantine... maybe to
another established system if you have such... I suspect that this is NOT
something pathogenic (organism-induced) but perhaps environmental... a run-in
with something toxic, stinging in the system...>
Symptoms to be as complete
as possible:
-Lethargic, White clouds on body, sits back in a corner when he
used to swim the tank, does not eat, heavy breathing and gaping of the mouth,
edges of his fins although in tact are cloudy, don't know what else I can
mention, but ask away and I will provide immediate responses.
What would you
do?
<Either move this fish to another setting, even a refugium tied in... or
do my best to improve water quality, feeding, add a cleaner organism (likely a
Lysmata sp. shrimp). I would NOT move this fish to a bare, new treatment setting
(too stressful) NOR "treat" it with "medicines">
Thank very much!
Alex
<Welcome. Please make it known how this works out. Bob Fenner>
*EDITED* Hoping you can help - Clown Fish Ill 12/17/08
Forgot to mention to the below:
Dosed his food with Zoe and Kent Garlic
Extract - this has been continual and not just since symptoms presented
themselves (all I have as far as meds.) & no other fish show signs of any
symptoms. Will be more proactive going forwards...
Alex
<This is well. Bob
Fenner>
Re: Hoping you can help - Clown Fish Ill
Hi Mr. Fenner,
<Mr. Adami>
Quite an honor to get a chance to hear from you, read your books
and actually just put one down prior to writing you. I believe you just made my
day considering I thought it was the dreaded Brooklynella. Although I know we
can't be certain, I will follow your advise and not move the fish into a brand
new QT as it would be a first-run set up and not a fuge or existing DT or QT. To
answer a question of yours or two, I have not added any new fish or inverts to
the Main DT in the last 4 months.
<Ahh... even more reason to discount the
presence of a Protozoan here>
Happy with the three fish I have and do not
want to over-crowed. My RO/DI water purification system was running a little off
last week due to not being proactive with the necessary purchase of replacement
cartridges (holidays and all - money went elsewhere) and I did notice a
difference in him after the last initial H2O Ch. The only other thoughts that
you have sparked in my mind are: 1) He came a little too close to my addition of
Seachem reef builder the other day and may have gotten himself a little "singed"
2) went to a new filter media of Purigen from Chemi-Pure Elite both of these
were done about a day before symptoms presented themselves.
<Good notes...
could be as you state>
Finally, I did a fresh water dip/bath last night (PH
and Temp exactly the same as MDT) and this guy was a trooper, this was his first
bath in 18 months, since I put him in QT prior to the MDT. He sat on the bottom
for about 30 seconds and them swam around in the current for the remaining 18
minutes. I could have sworn he was liking his fresh-water treatment, but
certainly looked like he belonged - no worries there and he popped right back up
when introduced back into the MDT.
Lastly, I'm not certain I could get away
with adding the shrimp you mention, I have two CBR's (sorry I forgot to mention
that) they are a mated pair and well, territorial might be an understatement =
)..but would be willing to try if you thought there was a chance he could make
it.
<Agreed. I would leave out this addition>
So, to recap, I am thrilled
to have heard back from YOU. I will do another H2O ch. Tonight with brand new
cartridges in place, and will NOT treat with any meds. I will wait and monitor
carefully and if symptoms become worse try to research another route.
MANY
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND ALL YOU GUYS DO!
Alex
<Most welcome my
friend. BobF>
Re: Hoping you can help - Clown Fish Ill
Thank you again
for your reinforcements - sometimes hearing others positive reinforcement solves
the anxiety in one's head from spinning out of control and making rash decisions
- which we never want to do in our hobby. My best for a Happy, Healthy and Safe
New Year to all of you.
<Ah, agreed and thank you>
Aquatically yours,
Alex
<BobF>
Dropsy Bloat in Clownfish 11/15/08
Hello Bob,
I have a
Black and White Clownfish that has all the symptoms of Dropsy Bloat.
<...
how do come about this diagnosis? And what do you figure are the net causes?>
I was wondering what you would recommend to treat her.
<Depends... on the
second question above>
She is still very active and eating well, i know she
is not pregnant because she is still a juvenile. If you could help> me out it
would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
-Tyler Johnson
<Perhaps a cursory
addition of Epsom Salt. Please see WWM re. Bob Fenner>
Clownfish HyperMelanization ????--Maroon clown question - 11-12-08
Hi
<Evening>
Hope you can help with this as I am at a
complete loss as to what is happening with my maroon clown. I have a
300ltr system, corner tank with a 50ltr sump and a 50 ltr refugium. All
my water parameters are good and stable and the system is no 10 months
old.
<Numbers are always helpful>
Two months ago I bought a maroon clown , a perfect specimen with no
marks , clear eyes and full colour. Over the last six weeks I noticed
dark patches on her skin and a loss of pigment on the fins. This has now
deteriorated further. (please see pics).
<Is the fish breathing rapidly? Are there any holes or pits on the head
region? Is the fish 'fin clamping'?>
Hope you can advise me what this is and if I can do anything. The rest
of my stock , flame angel, watchman goby , firefish and two Banghi
cardinals are all fine.
<From the pictures, it seems there is a possibility of a bacterial
infection, but also of a Brookynella infestation (parasite). The pictures
aren't of high enough quality to tell for sure, and it would be difficult
to obtain such pictures. I would remove the fish and place it in a
separate quarantine tank, and treat for bacterial infection and parasites.
A treatment of methylene blue + a common antiparasitic will hopefully show
improvements, and if not, a stronger/more effective mixed antibiotic may
help. Let me know if this is successful or not>
Venlig hilsen / Kind Regards
<Hoop ik heb geholpen - did I get that right? ;) >
Tim Percival
<Feel free to participate in our forums if you are so inclined - we have a
disease section that may be able to shed some light on your case:
bb.wetwebmedia.com - M. Maddox>
My Black Ocellaris Clownfish Tremors
After Eating 11/12/08
Hey Fish Masters!
<I could get used to being called that...>
My Name is Mario,
<Hello Mario!>
I've had my 29g tank for a year now. My water levels are good, I have a 120
gallon protein skimmer on it and have calcium and iodine supplements. My fish
include 2 Ocellaris clown fish, 1 black Ocellaris clown fish, one firefish goby,
and a black brittle star, cleaner skunk shrimp and 2 zebra hermits as well as 2
turbo nails. Lately I've been feeding my fish flakes, but I like to give
them brine shrimp 3x times a weeks and I always feed my brittle star and cleaner
shrimp about half inch piece of krill every 2 days.
<Glad to hear you're feeding the shrimp and brittle star. Do consider giving
your fish a good pellet (I like the stuff from New Life Spectrum) or meaty food
as well, like mysis, squid, or krill>
When it comes to the fish the bigger of the 2 Ocellaris is always the one to eat
the most with my goby staying in mid of the tank catch what they miss.
Lately, however my black Ocellaris has been beating every one to the food. My
problem is that when his is done his gut is massive and he starts shaking around
every where and sometimes even shakes while swimming vertically with his head
pointing down toward. If I feed him more, he'll eat more while shaking around.
At that point he's not as agile. After 2 hours everything's back to normal and
when they eat for the second time in the evening the black clownfish starts
again. What does this mean.
<These clowns are opportunistic- food doesn't necessarily come by in great
quantities on the reef, so they grab as much as they can, as often as they can.
I've heard of these fish being fed until they literally bust their gut...to
avoid this, try using a meaty food cut into many pieces...it may disperse enough
in the tank to allow the other fish to feed without engorging your clown. You
could also try feeding him in one corner of the tank, and while he's busy feed
on the other side for the other fish. They won't get it the first few times, but
you might be surprised by how quickly they catch on>
Its too erratic to be a breeding dance.
<Indeed. It is a "dear heaven my stomach hurts and I can't maintain proper
buoyancy" dance...or perhaps some swallowed air because of the flake food.>
Please give me your insights. Thanks!
ph: 8.2, salinity: 1.22
<Ultimately, I wouldn't worry too much, provided your other fish aren't wasting
away and you don't feed this fellow until he pops>
<Benjamin>
Dissolved O2 and Clownfish 11/11/08
Hello,
<Carrie.>
Thank you for having such an informative site. I research before every live
purchase here.
<Great! Sorry for the slow response. Bob F. has been out of net service. Please
do send all future queries directly to Crew@WetWebMedia.com.>
Two days ago, I purchased the first fish (two Ocellaris clowns) for my 75 gallon
aquarium. They were in the 10 gallon quarantine tank, filled with water from my
cycled display. Within 20 hours the first had died, and the second was
alternating swimming in the current of the filter and at the water line. The
Ammonia/ Nitrate/ Nitrite were at 0, the PH at 8.4, specific gravity at 1.024,
temp 79.1. The dead clown had no signs of trauma or disease that I could find.
Could this be a dissolved oxygen issue?
<Could be, possibly shipping/collection (if not tank raised) damage also. In the
future to allow for more oxygen exchange to play it safe.>
The tank is has a glass cover over all but one inch of the top to lower the risk
of fishy suicide, and no skimmer. After the death, I am also worried about my
main tank. It has the same water parameters, 75lbs of live rock a 350 Penguin
filter, powerhead rated for 75 gallons and a Remora skimmer. The tank top is
completely covered except where the water flows in due to my plan of having a
Pearly Jawfish.
<Less of a concern here with the skimmer. Do consider some breathable cover for
the tank such as the fluorescent light diffuser known as eggcrate sold in most
hardware stores.>
I would like to order a replacement for the clown, so that they ago into the
display together, but I will not order it if I am not
reasonably sure I can give it the care/water quality it needs.
<Aerate the QT tank a bit, it will be fine. Making sure you buy tank raised
clowns will increase your success.>
Also, can you advise on my current stocking plans?
Currently I have:
3 cleaner shrimp
3 peppermint shrimp (that completely ignored the Aiptasia - you win
some, etc....)
10 dwarf hermits
25 adult snails, (reproducing rapidly)
1 Ocellaris clowns (will have 2)
Stocking plan (in order)
1 Threadfin (Auriga) Butterfly (around 3 inches at purchase)
1 Pearly Jawfish and 1 Orchid Dottyback
1 dwarf angel (still working on species)
Is that about right for a 75? Or could I add a fish or two prior to
the angel?
<You could add some smaller fish such as gobies or cardinals.>
Thank you so much for your advice!
Carrie
<Welcome, Scott V.>
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Clownfish Help -10/25/08
Hello,
I have a Ocellaris clownfish (Nemo's species). I have about 20 gallon Octagon
tank, with a Whisper power filter for 20-40 gallon tanks, 1 turbo snail and 3
other snails I am not sure what species they are and a live rock. And a 13w
fluorescent light. For the past week he has been swimming with his mouth wide
open.
<Has he been feeding like this, or has he stopped eating?>
So I went to the fish guy were I bought my clown at almost a year ago. He told
me to do a 3 gallon water change to my about 20 gallon octagon tank to see if it
helped. So I did do that. Then went in to have the water checked. He told me
that my salinity was a bit high. And to do a gallon water change. . So I did. It
didn't help.
<Not surprised>
I had to wait a few days to go back to him but the day before I did. I did a
gallon water change. He checked the water salinity and it was 1.023 and he said
it was good. He said the Ph was good also. But my clown fish did not improve. He
thought maybe it was depressed.
<?? Human emotions to not translate to fish...>
And since his last buddy died 5 months ago. We decided to see if a buddy would
help.
<Your fish store is good at making sales, but they clearly don't know huey about
fish...you might try asking him how 'depression' causes lockjaw...one way or
another, you're bound to get an interesting response.>
They are getting along but, has not improved. So my mom took the fish to the
fish guy to show him his mouth. Cause I've been worried about him. He said that
it wasn't good that we took him out of his environment and that we may stress
him some more.
<This is true>
But he suggested that we use Quick Cure to see if he has ick, or parasites.
<Ich will not cause this symptom. Gill flukes or damage might...but Quick Cure
is a very bad idea, for either problem.>
We've been on the treatment for about two days now and his eyes seem to be
shrinking.
<Do be advised you've killed your bacterial filtration, and your rock is no
longer 'live' in any sense...>
I have a back up air filter in case the electricity goes out, i used that today
to make sure hes not being deprived of air for a tad bit.
<Wise...Quick Cure will deplete dissolved oxygen.>
Am not sure if I should go to another fish store to get another opinion.
<Fish stores are generally not a good spot for such information. Their job is to
sell product, even if they mean well.>
But if you can help me I would appreciated it. I dont want him to suffer.
<Then get some carbon in your filter to remove the medication, and get some test
kits. Make sure your tank has safe levels of nitrite and nitrate, as poisoning
could be causing haggard 'breathing'- hence the open mouth. Also, see if you can
observe anything stuck in the mouth. If the clown is still feeding, he's fine is
this department, but he may simply have something stuck in his mouth. In
addition, look and see if there are any strange protuberances or dents in the
jawline; a dislocated or broken jaw could also be the cause here. In any case,
clean water and time will heal the problem>
Thank you,
Amber
<No trouble. Benjamin> Re: Clownfish Help -10/25/08
Sorry I forgot to mention that his color has lightened up.
<If this was before you moved/medicated him, probably because of water quality
issues; if after, I would chalk it up to stress>
His mouth has a Rocky rocky balboa look to it. But he doesn't not show signs of
deterioration nor cotton around mouth.
<Probably physical trauma...'choking' or broken/dislocated jaw>
He changed his pattern to where he usally swims in a waterfall figurine. To
where he's either neither the bottom of the tank or top. But he swims around a
bit now, too.
Very sorry,
<No problem>
Amber
<Benjamin>
RE: Clownfish Help- 10/25/08
Dear Mr. Benjamin,
Thank you for the help.
<No problem>
I just want to tell you that we
did take the Snails and live rock out and put them into a separate area before
adding the medicine. Also that the
store that I go to only sells marine and fresh water fish. If I should go
somewhere else to ask questions, what type of store should I look for?
<I would recommend you simply research your troubles on wetwebmedia.com, and
consider purchasing some literature on marine reefkeeping. There are some
excellent resources available to you>
And if he does have a dislocated jaw line is there nothing I can do to fix it or
is it just a futile thing now?
<Provided the fish is eating, he will most likely recover with time- and in the
even it does not improve, it is unlikely to be fatal.>
<Benjamin> |
Sick clown? -10/28/08
Hi. I am taking care of my boyfriend's maroon clownfish. It has developed
a translucent white film over the spines on his face. It wasn't there
when I first had it. It has been there for about a month. It originally
developed on both sides of his face. Since then, one side has gone away
and one has gotten worse. It has not spread to his face, just the
spines. The fish is 3-4 years old. I have had it for 3 months. When we
first moved it to my house it dug around in the rock at the bottom of
the tank a lot. (he also got a scrape on his forehead from this and it
shows up in the picture, but that is healing). Maybe he caught something
while doing this. He is the only fish in the tank. It is a 60 gal. tank.
There are a few hermit crabs (I think 3) and a spider crab in the tank.
I have never taken care of a fish tank before. The person who sold him
the fish looked at it and said she has not seen the film on the spines
before. She didn't think that it was anything to worry about, but it is
getting worse. She tested the water and said that it was good. My
boyfriend moved the tank here and used the same water that was in it
before. (he saved it in sterilized containers). He showed me how to
check the specific gravity and how to add more salt if it is low. I have
only done that once. I have added regular water to the tank (cold tap
water that has sat out) when water evaporated. Do you know what is
causing this and do you know how to fix it? Thank You, Katie
<Hi Katie, I'm sorry but BobF is out of the country until mid-Nov. The
best advice I can give you is to check the water quality (test for
nitrites and nitrates) and to search/browse the pages on WWM for a query
with a similar problem. Is the fish otherwise behaving normally? Is it
eating well?
Best,
Sara M.> |
 |
Re: Sick clown? -10/28/08
Thanks for writing back. The water has been tested and it is fine (I don't know
how to test it but someone else tested for nitrates, nitrites, and I think
ammonia). The fish is behaving normally and is eating well.
<I do think the clown is just fine. I don't see any obvious abnormalities and if
he's behaving and eating normally, there's a good chance he/she is ok. I suspect
that maybe she/he just rubbed up against something (causing a small abrasion).
If I were you, I wouldn't worry unless it got much worse.>
If BobF knows what is happening, I would love to hear from him when he returns.
<I'm sorry, but he won't be back for weeks and likely won't have time to answer
queries missed while he's gone.>
Thanks again,
Katie
<Best,
Sara M.> |
Clown fish eye infection... Antibiotic use 10/1/08
Hi Crew,
Can you recommend the best antibacterial to eradicate my Seabay
Clown Fishes eye infection?
<Mmm, yes: none>
Tried several doses of
Maracyn Plus, but the problem keeps coming back.
<Need to discern, treat the
actual cause here... not bacterial>
Eyes are bulging to the point where it
looks like the fish is wearing goggles!
<...>
Maracyn takes it away for a
week and then the eyes start to bug out again. Please tell me a specific, name
brand, one time treatment for this fish (which is now isolated in my hospital
tank) so I don't have to keep on spending money on the wrong thing.
Thanks!
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/Popeyecures.htm
and the linked
files above. Bob Fenner>
Re: clown fish eye infection – 10/02/08
Thanks Bob! I am going to try the Epsom salt treatment for my Pop-eyed clown
first to see how that works.
<Good idea>
If need be I will then try the
fresh water bath. Question on the bath; how long should the fish sit in the
fresh water and how often do I need to do this procedure?
<Posted... on WWM>
Thanks again for the guidance.
Lisa
<Welcome. BobF>
|
My Fish has a hole in its head.... 9/20/08
Hi there,
<Ben>
At colleague at work recommended I email this
question to :
My Clownfish has been really active in the month I've
had him (although I'm amazed how much time he has been near the
surface). All the chemical tests I did at the weekend were perfect but
slowly the top of his head started going weird. At first it looked like
he was losing colour, now it appears to be transparent.
I spoke to
the aquarium and they said do a fresh water bath, so whilst doing that
today I took this picture. Despite the look, it's not actually a hole
there's a transparent layer where you'd expect the skin.
Any thoughts
are most welcome....
[cid:image001.jpg@01C91A78.4BCCF210]
Thanks
Ben
<This Clown's flesh is being "eaten away" microbially, subsequent
to some sort of physical trauma. I doubt if the effect can be reversed.
Do read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/clnfshdisart.htm
the linked
files above. Bob Fenner>
|
 |
Desperate Newbies - Sick Clownfish
8/12/08
Hello
<Brenda... my oldest sisters name as well>
I don't know where else to turn and I'm losing faith in my dealer . being brand
new at this, we are hoping you can help. My husband and I set up a 14g BioCube
to serve as a quarantine tank once our 90g arrives in a few weeks. In the
meantime we got the small tank started and my husband was doing full water
checks everyday and still is even a month later.
Everything happened as expected - nitrogen cycle, all numbers became perfect as
time went on. The tank has aragonite substrate, "tufa" rock
<Mmm, some of this has proven problematical in saltwater aquarium use... I'd
pull it... read re on WWM, elsewhere.>
to create places to hide, and that is it. After 2 weeks we added 2 cleaner
shrimp and 2 hermit crabs. Three weeks in we added 2 Ocellaris clownfish after
drip acclimation over an hour. We searched for tank bred with no luck. Our
dealer said we would have a hard time finding captive bred (hmm)
<... No... are you in the United States?>
and that the one's we bought are wild caught. In the first week of having them
we noticed the larger one had white stringy feces -
<Mmm, often indicative of lumenal parasites.>
we did a partial water change, kept doing daily water checks, etc. After feeding
I would watch them for about 20-25 min. to make sure feces were fine. We only
saw the white feces the once and so deduced it was stress related.
<Could be>
They both were eating and behaving well. We have had them almost 2 weeks now and
we noticed yesterday that the larger one again had white stringy feces and was
somewhat bloated by the anus. She still ate however. We read info from "The
Conscientious Aquarist" again and surfed your site, and decided to get
Flagyl/Metronidazole as we believed it was parasites.
<This anti-protozoal and either at the same time or sequentially, a
vermifuge/anti-worm compound should be used>
We spoke to our dealer who agreed. So, late last night we treated by adding the
medication to frozen brine shrimp until it dissolved. She ate well and really
perked up.
We thought let's give the medication time to do it's thing, repeat it every
other day over this week as directed,
<... Too much... three days maximum is what I prescribe. Flagyl can kill fishes'
kidneys with too much exposure>
and see what happens. Unfortunately, this morning we found her lying at the
bottom of the tank and she seems to be breathing hard - the bloating is down. We
turned on the day lights and she perked up a bit, swimming around the bottom as
opposed to laying on the bottom, but still not herself. I tried to feed with
pellets and she made an attempt to come to the top but didn't eat anything. We
are terribly worried. The numbers last night were Termp-24.5 C, SG 1.024, pH
8.2, Ammonia
0, Nitrate 10, Phosphates 0, Calcium 300, Carbon Hardness 9dkH, Nitrites 0.
We haven't been able to get our hands on a Dissolved Oxygen kit yet as the
entire city is sold out (how does that happen in a city of a million
people?????).
<Doubtful that DO has anything to do... in a system of this volume, make-up...>
The numbers have been stable for 2 weeks now. My questions:
1. Do any of our numbers seem out of whack?
<No>
2. What might be wrong with her given the symptoms (first stringy white feces,
then bloating, then laying at bottom, breathing hard, not eating)
<"Cumulative stress", likely internal parasite faunal activity...>
3. Should we continue with the Metronidazole? Treating the entire system or just
in the food?
<The food, three times max., the addn. of a dewormer (Prazi...)>
4. Is there anything else we can do? Did we overlook something?
It's 7:30 in the morning and none of the stores are open for a while, and we
don't know what to do next. Help!
Brenda and Jim
<Mmm, perhaps reading will grant you insight, solace... Start here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/clnfshdisart.htm
and perused the many linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Clown fish with mouth open
8/8/08
Hi Crew,
<Sara>
I have a problem and was diligently searching the FAQ's when I found what might
be the answer and I thought I would ask you to confirm. I know you've heard it a
thousand times, but your site is awesome and the help that you provide us is
much appreciated. To make a long story short, 3 weeks ago lost my entire
livestock (tank was FOWLR) due to a ich outbreak that I didn't manage very well.
The saddest part was losing my mated false Perc's who I had for 4 years. I let
the tank sit empty for 2 weeks.
<Mmmm, need to run fallow longer than this...>
My tank is 75g, Salinity is 1.021,
<Too low...>
temp is around 78, ammonia & Nitrite = 0, Nitrate = 0.20 ppm (I change 10g per
week, feed once per day, never seem to get this number to 0) I have a Rena XP3
canister filter
<Mmm, not my choice in marine system filtration types>
which I modded to work with BIOwheels, and an AquaC Remora Skimmer (HOT kind). I
came across a tank full of juvenile black false Perc's at a LFS that is regarded
as one of the better in southern Ontario, Canada.
<A very nice town... for humans, LFS>
I purchased a pair, they are about 1 1/4 inches. I 'dripped' them and added them
to my tank (my poor cats had to stay locked up in the bathroom for this
procedure :) ) They appeared to be doing great and ate some pellet food the next
day. While admiring them swimming about the tank, swimming closer and closer to
my skimmer intake I realized it was possible for them to get sucked up into the
skimmer (probably both at once they are so small)... so in a panic I unplugged
it. The next day one of the two started behaving oddly. When the lights are on,
4 x 65w PC's (2 10k's, 2 actinics) it swims near the surface, sort of hovering,
not really doing the clown fish waggle, just sitting there. And his mouth is
staying open. He doesn't seem to be breathing overly hard, but it looks funny
cause his mouth won't close.
<Mmm, likely genetic... a common defect in some lines of tank-bred clowns. Go
back to the store and look at their remaining stock>
Also he is not eating (my biggest concern of course). Then I read in one of the
FAQ's where someone else had a clown with his mouth perma open, not eating, that
I could be a sign of lack of oxygen... that would make sense in my case as I
unplugged the skimmer in fear.
He also seems to do better at night, is this because the amount of oxygen in the
tank increases at night (I believe I read that somewhere)?
<Mmm, doubtful. Just less stressful with the light off>
Also I noticed that the only little piece of coral I have, some green polyps,
don't seem to be happy either. Does that sound plausible to you.
<Yes... with the skimmer off, water quality will suffer, mal-affecting all>
What would happen if I take a small peace of foam or screen and use an elastic
band to attach it to my skimmer intake?
<Need less restriction than this... I'd find/fashion a strainer of sorts...
contact AquaC re>
Do you think this would do harm to the skimmer, or decrease its performance?
<Yes>
I do wish while I had my tank all apart that I had added a refugium.
<Ah, great!>
I have been in the hobby for 5 years with pretty much the same setup and it
works for me, but every now and again I really wish I had a refugium, this is
one of those moments.
Thanks so so much for any advice you can give me.
Sara Machen
<I do hope your new Clowns don't contract the protozoan problem from the
previous batch of fishes... Bob Fenner>
Re: Clown fish with mouth open
8/8/08
Thanks Bob, I hope they don't get the ich either. I was told/misinformed by
a LFS that it would only take 2 weeks for the parasite to die off with no hosts.
<Mmm, incorrect>
I did turn the skimmer back on last night and also hooked up a new power head.
<Good>
However, the fish doesn't seem to be doing any better today.
<Mmm, no... won't, if this is a heritable characteristic>
I was reading a little more on here, and when I get home I will check to see if
maybe there is a tiny isopod in his mouth?
<Oh! Yes, another possibility>
Wondering if I should try a freshwater dip?
<I might>
It is now 4 days since he has eaten. I figure he will die soon from starvation
if I can't get him to eat. When I first put him in the tank I am sure his mouth
was not deformed, it is something that has occurred since adding him to the
tank. I will try to bring my salinity up slowly over the next few weeks with my
water changes.
Thanks,
Sara Machen
<Do ask the shop re the source of these fish please... and whether they're in a
system mixed with wild-caught clowns. Bob Fenner>
Re: Clown fish with mouth open 8/9/08
Well, I came home and checked very carefully and there is nothing in the
mouth of the fish. I soaked some brine and mysis shrimp in Garlic but he still
didn't eat. He is not even interested in food, more like a hunger strike than
can't eat. I have inspected him carefully and see no sign of Ich, but I will
keep a close eye out for it.
<Good>
His swimming pattern does seem much better today.
I spoke to the shop who told me they are tank bred fish and, of course, all the
ones in his store are eating and he has suffered no losses. His fish are kept in
a huge system that houses many fish including other wild caught fish but there
are no wild clowns in his system right now. He claims to not sell cyanide caught
fish, but how do you guarantee this??
<That's a/the bazillion dollar question in our industry... There is no way
really... folks can, should do their best, but anyone dealing with more than a
handful of specimens of fishes that can/do hail from cyanide-practice areas
assuredly receives poisoned specimens periodically>
Thanks
Sara Machen
<Thank you for this update. Again, I would keep offering food, try to be
patient. Bob Fenner>
|
Possibly Sick Clown? 8/7/08
Hello!
<Steph>
I have searched through your site and much as possible, among other sites, and I
have found nothing!
<?>
We bought two True Percula Clownfish about two and a half weeks ago.
<Mmm, were these tank-bred or wild-collected?>
We quarantined the little guys, and noticed no problems in their behavior or
health. We checked the parameters of the main tank, and added them in. They both
still seem to be acting fine, but the larger of the two seems to have a clear
circle on her back tail fin where the color is almost completely washed out. I'd
say it's 1/3 the size of her little round back fin. I stare at these little
suckers for a few hours every night, checking their health and for Brooklynella,
and I haven't noticed it until tonight. She still eats, swims, and I haven't
noticed any heavy breathing. I looked for all the signs of Brooklynella, and
compared them to this, but I haven't found any pictures or descriptions that
match.
<... these are on WWM>
There is no peeling at the spot that has lost the color and the tail fin is
completely intact. It's strange because the color loss is an immediate change,
as if you drew a circle on her
fine and it went from bright orange to translucent beige.
<Have seen this... most all cases are due to "touching" of the fish, the wiping
away of body slime... will/should "go away" in a few weeks>
All our parameters (PH, Alkalinity, Nitrates, Ammonia, Nitrites) are all fine,
as compared with all the advice on your site and elsewhere, with the exception
of the calcium being a bit lower than I like (it is around 340.) The only
supplement I add is liquid calcium, and so far it hasn't adversely affected any
of the other chemical elements of the tank. Everything has been stable for about
two months now.
They are both hanging out with our Torch Coral. They were juveniles when we got
them and very small. Could it be that their bodies are adjusting to the stinging
from the torch?
<Ah, yes>
I am new at this, but constantly do my research, and this has been a confusing
surprise.
Any suggestions?
<Really, just to be patient at this time, perhaps keep reading>
Thank you so much for taking the time and I comb your site daily!
Stephanie
<Here: http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/SWFishindex2.htm
the last tray... Bob Fenner>
Swollen abdomen...both my false
clowns 7/23/08
Hi there...have read everything on your site that I thought was
applicable to my quarry...but the picture is still a bit ambiguous.
<Ok>
I noticed about a week ago that one of my clowns (my largest) ab was
swollen. My first impression was pregnancy. However, I believe it was
the next morning, the ab was back down to normal size. A few days
later...both clowns abs were swollen....next day or so, back to normal.
Which brings us to. today...I noticed that they are both swollen again.
Several things confuse me here. One. if I am dealing with some parasite.
are they that coordinated that swelling/bloating occurs at the same
time?
<Seems unlikely.>
Two. why would both be swollen, then go back to normal?
<Something effecting them both, what are they being fed?>
Three. have I just never noticed that this is what clowns do before they
poop? So...really odd question. as I have never seen either of them
poop...do their abs swell before they poop?
<Not really usually.>
Other than this...they are unremarkable. Have had them for almost 2
years.
I have a 30 gal reef tank. Tested water this past weekend. All water
qualities are excellent. Salinity 1.021.
Blue tang, Cardinal are both excellent.
<That tang needs a bigger home.>
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
Mike
<I would guess this is diet related, have you changed what you feed them
recently?>
<Chris>
Swollen abdomen...both my false
clowns 7/23/08
I am looking to dbl up the size of the tank...unfortunately that has
been put on hold for a bit.
<Even then I would still stick with one, double is still pretty small.>
I am feeding them Spirulina brine shrimp/mysis.
<Drop the brine, worthless. Get a high quality pellet like New Life
Spectrum, will be better off.>
I am feeding 1/2 block every other day.
<Probably too much for two small fish.>
I have a feeling it should be more than every other day.
<Is fine.>
I am doing so b/c a worker at local saltwater store suggested it to get
rid of the Cyano-bacteria. Now that it's gone, should I increase
feedings?
<Could, but less per feeding.>
Thanks
mike
<Chris>
Re: Swollen abdomen...both my false clowns 7/23/08
I will check out the food this afternoon.
<Good>
I have been feeding 1/2 block b/c all 4 fish eat the 1/2 block. Will the
clowns, tang and cardinal all eat the New Life Spectrum?
<Most likely.>
Thx
mk
<Welcome>
<Chris>
|
Sick Clownfish 7/6/08
Please help! We have a saltwater tank that has been running over 2 months
now and is successful with hermit crabs, turbo snails and cleaner shrimp. We
have introduced clownfish and our first 3 have died and it appears our 4th one
is going too.
<!?>
We have a 45 gallon tank and all our levels are in spec per our testing kit. The
last 2 clownfish that died started by having breathing trouble (rapid/gasping)
and the last one developed a black splotch above his left eye which grew bigger
and he eventually died. This last fish seemed perfectly healthy and has been
doing fine, but started gasping a few days ago and has now developed the same
blackish splotch above his left eye. We have been oxygenating the water every
week. We don't want to lose any more fish. Can you please help us determine
what's wrong with him?
<Mmm, yes... assuredly. This will take a bit of reading on your part. Some going
back and forth twixt ourselves... But we can/will solve>
We also have chromis and a watcher goby that seem to be fine. Another clownfish
is also in the tank and doesn't seem to exhibit any of these issues, but neither
did this sick one, until now.
Thanks,
Diana
<"Something" is amiss here... perhaps chemical (though the invert.s living is
testimony in many ways otherwise...), or biological/pathogenic. Are these
Clownfish wild-caught? Or, tank bred and reared? Please ask your dealer re...
and begin perusing here: http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/part2.htm
The last tray at the bottom. Bob Fenner>
Re: Sick Clownfish
7/7/08
Thanks for your response. My husband has said that these have been
wild-caught Clownfish as per the store.
<A poor choice... as you're learning>
We got them at a reputable dealer called Big Al's here in Toronto. I
have attached 2 pictures (the best I could get of the little guy as he
tends to stay there and not really move). The splotch is over his left
eye and slowly grows bigger. On the last one that had a similar splotch,
it grew over the whole left side of his head while he had more and more
trouble breathing (bigger gasping/labouring). I have read a lot on your
site, but nothing seems to match the issues we are experiencing.
<Au contraire! Likely this is Brooklynellosis and gill flukes... too
common...>
It almost appears to be some sort of hemorrhaging. Any additional help
you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Losing these little guys is
breaking my heart and we can't figure out why!
<Read on. BobF> |
|
 |
Urgent very worried about clowns,
need data 6/30/08
Sorry to email you again but I'm desperately worried about my two
false Percs. This morning they are shooting round the tank, swimming
mostly at the surface and one is pale (they're black/white colour
morphs). I tested ammonia etc last night and all came back fine (ammonia
and nitrite 0, nitrate <5ppm, dKH 12.5-12.8).
<There is more to water quality, habitat suitability than these for
sure>
I've done an emergency water change
<Good>
(they are in a 70l nano with moonlights on for a few hours morning and
evening) and have changed approx. 5% of the water, they seem to be a
little less stressed but I'm really worried what has caused this and
what I must do now to help them.
<Me too>
Any help and advice you can give would be great, I've had these little
guys for a few months with no problems and I can't bear to lose them.
Carolyn
<... need to know more re the system, history, maint., other livestock
to begin guessing here... Bob Fenner>
Re: urgent very worried about clowns
6/30/08
HI Bob,
<Carolyn>
Many thanks for the reply. The system is a 70l nano running a skimmer
(on all the time) and 20x total tank volume circulated every hour. The
tank's occupants are the two clowns, a mandarin, one skunk cleaner
shrimp and assorted sort corals and Zoas (all frags). The system has
been running since new year 2008, first livestock added after 8 weeks
cycling (no detectable ammonia or nitrite for 3 weeks prior to adding
any livestock).
I do a 5% water change every 4 days making sure the water is temp/pH
matched to the tank water before adding, ammonia nitrite and nitrate are
measured every 3 days (am aware this is still a young system), calcium
and magnesium are checked weekly. The only addition I use is the
Salifert all in one and only then when calcium/dKH or magnesium need
replenishing. Prior to today the clowns have had T5 lights on from 10am
to 8pm, moonlights going on at 8pm-12am, then again 8-10am, however this
morning my partner turned them on manually at 5.30am (!) - could this
shock have upset them?
<Mmm, a bit... if it was otherwise very dark outside their system>
The only other factor I can think may be involved is that I've noticed
an algae bloom on the glass which returns almost as soon as its cleaned
away and spots of Cyanobacteria appearing which we haven't seen since
the tank cycled.
<This, these can definitely be problematic... toxic>
Not sure if this is the cause or simply a symptom of the problem,
however the T5's are due to be replaced so am doing that today.
Sorry for the long message - we're currently in the process of moving
house so the clowns will be moved to their new permanent home (a 110
gallon system) in the next couple of weeks but I want to sort this
before the move for obvious reasons.
Many many thanks,
Carolyn
<Let's hope all settles in/down. Bob Fenner>
|
Sick Baby Clown, reading 6/25/08
I brought two baby clowns (false Perculas) three days ago. Each are about 4
weeks to 6 weeks old.
<? Very young>
Unfortunately, when I brought them home and started acclimating them to
quarantine I noticed the bigger one had something weird covering its tail. Like
some sort of white slime. The tip of the tail was split into little strands. His
body is darker than the other clown fish and has a dark spot around the head. As
for behavior, he stays pretty much in a corner in the tank near the ground.
<Bad signs>
Never goes away from the ground. He seems as if he was eating from the ground
but he is not (at least not to my knowledge.) This makes feeding him a lot
harder. What could be wrong with him and what kind of medication can I give him?
Any particular foods that baby clowns will eat?
<Live baby brine at this size... Read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/part2.htm
toward the bottom... Bob Fenner>
White stringy feces. Clown dis., Flagyl
use 6/25/08
I got another question for the experts.
<Got? Experts?>
I have a 75 gallon FOWLR with the following livestock: yellow tang, asfur angel,
<Needs MUCH more room than this>
blue flasher wrasse, 2 clownfish, and some snails. The clownfish has recently
shown to have white stringy feces.
<Mmm, how long have you had this fish? Was it wild-collected (vs. captive
produced)?>
I have tried Prazi-pro but it has not resolved the issue. It is safe to use
Metronidazole soaked foods or a product like Jungle's Anti-Parasite Medicated
Fish Food in the main tank?
<Mmm, yes... safe enough IMO. Please read re this symptom in Clownfishes, the
use of Metronidazole on WWM for further input, cautionary remarks. Bob Fenner>
thanks, L
Black Spots on Clown Diagnosis –
06/02/08
Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening,
<And to you>
I have a False Perc in a 29G All-In-One. Heıs been hanging out for over
a year and a half and has had excellent health. He is the only fish
inhabitant. He took a liking to the Candy Cane LPS I put in around a
year ago and generally sleeps between one of the heads and the rock
every night along with just buzzing around the tank most of the day and
occasionally, rubbing the CC. He really enjoys swimming in the jet of
the powerhead. His diet consists of mysis and Formula-2 flake food. I
give him mysis twice a week and Forumla-2 twice a week. I have attached
a picture of some black ³dirt² spots that have shown up more recently. I
always remember him having some small spots but they seem to have gotten
more numerous. I cannot find any exact match of the spots on any search
other than it could be ³Black Ich²
<Mmm, no>
but he doesnıt really display any of the symptoms (he has been and
continues to be perfectly normal). Should I attempt to follow any
treatment for him at this point or continue on unless he starts showing
any other symptoms? Other tank inhabitants are various Corallimorphs,
GSP, some hermits, a fighting conch (yeah I know but he sure is cool to
watch), and various snails, and a sand flea (filter feeder under the
sand, very fascinating).
<Neat!>
Water is changed 20% every 10 days with distilled water and Oceanic
sand. I run carbon and Phosban to assist the biological filtration.
I attached a pic but I donıt believe it is of much use. They are very
tiny spots.
Thanks
Chris
<I don't think these markings are anything to really worry re... they're
very likely melanophores (color cells) showing/expressing from contact
with the stony coral. I do want to mention that if it were mine, I'd add
another Percula... Bob Fenner>
Re: Black Spots on Clown Diagnosis – 06/02/08
Thank you for answering my question and the format in which you
provide
knowledge to everyone. It is a great service for all who want to learn
versus being told. We all have a fiduciary responsibility to all that we
keep.
Chris
<Ah, welcome Chris. We are in agreement. Cheers, BobF> |
|
 |
Bad beginnings.., Sick Clowns
5/24/08
Hello,
<Hi>
I have a QT tank running with two juvenile false Percula fish. The bigger one of
the two was just added about three days ago to the QT tank and the little one
has been for about 5 days. I was having a little trouble feeding the little one
when I first brought since it only took small bites that I brought live brine
shrimp and began feeding them this food. The second day the bigger one was
swimming abnormally. Like a little titled to the side staying near the ground
and sometimes even putting his head down tail up. Seeing how this was right
after I feed them live brine shrimp I thought that it was a swimming bladder
problem.
<Odd swim patterns are pretty common with clownfish, and are normal.>
Than today he has stayed the entire day with the little one in a front corner of
the tank laying on the ground. I feed them food and they will not get out of the
corner. So, I got my net and tried moving them out of the corner and only the
little one stayed away while the big one returned.
<Not a good sign.>
I have no idea what is wrong with him besides that bladder problem. I was
thinking maybe since all the quarantine tank had to hide was two pieces of pipes
that together that maybe they stayed their because of stress or to protect each
other. By the way, water parameters are normal.
<Numbers please, most likely these symptoms are environmental in nature.>
Please give me some advice. I really don't want the big one to die. He was the
replacement of another juvenile smaller false Percula that was sick before I
brought him in the tank and died before I could find out what he had. These were
my first fish after 6 months of research and cycling and to have them die on me
is really having me having think twice about everything that I have done so far.
Thank you for giving me your time.
<Are these wild caught clowns? In so check out the article on Brooklynella, but
otherwise I would bet on poor water quality here. Try daily water changes for a
few days and see if their condition continue. Also check out here to see if it
helps diagnose the problem. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clnfshdisart.htm .>
<Chris>
Clownfish, fin rot 05/23/08
I have a dilemma with my maroon clownfish. He is wild caught, but I have had him
since Sept. 07. My tank went down hill due to a pump malfunction, by the time I
figured out the issue, my clown had slimy white coating on his fins, and cloudy
eyes. I have corrected everything, and all is well except for him. I have been
doing wc, many. I was hoping to clear this up without medicine. This has been
going on now for about 2 weeks, I thought he looked better, but now one fin has
the white slime back and the patch is close to his body where it attaches. I
have a QT tank but it is housing a purple tang, who is definitely ready to go in
the DT, but will he catch this?
<No. It's environmental... not pathogenic>
He battled ick in the QT back in Jan. and has recovered with flying colors with
hypo salinity approach. What can I treat the maroon with ( I have furan2
on hand), and where. I would like to do baths and put him back in DT, I am
afraid he would freak and die for sure without his anemone. Will this medicine
some how remain on him and kill the anemone? OR should I switch him to the QT
and put the tang in the DT? Could the clown then catch ick from the QT? There
have been no signs of this since Jan. 25, 08 in the QT and I have never seen any
in the DT.
Greatly appreciate the advice,
Renee
<I would leave the Clown in place. NOT move, nor treat it per se. Bob Fenner>
Clownfish with Internal Parasites – 5/21/08
Hey Guys,
<Hello Adrian, Brenda here! >
Great site, excellent for beginners to learn from others mistakes. First and
foremost tank info and water analysis: 55 Gal. 2 inches of Crushed Coral 40 lbs.
live rock SG: 1.026 Ammonia: 0 Nitrite: 0 Nitrate: 10
<Work on getting nitrates down to zero. >
PH: 8.0 Temp: 80-84
<Work on getting temperature stable. I don’t recommend going above 82 degrees.
Perhaps a fan would help. >
Tank Inhabitants: 1 Torch Coral 2 Turbo Snails 2 Nassarius Snails 10 Small
Hermit Crabs.
<That’s a lot of crabs. Crabs can become predators. >
1 Purple Starfish 1 Coral Beauty 1 Striped Sailfin Tang 1 Yellow Tang
<Tangs need a much larger tank. >
2 Green Chromis Damsels 2 Clownfish (TR) Recently we added a small false Percula
clownfish to our established tank which contained a few other inhabitants; none
of which was a clown. He did well and never seemed to have any problems. Then
feeling he needed a friend we added another false Percula clown which was larger
(mistake).
<Yep! >
At first they seemed to get along with no problems, then suddenly the smaller
clown became lethargic and stayed in the bottom corner swimming minimally and
breathing heavily. I had noticed thin stringy feces from him and suspected
parasites, however the timing of the addition of the new clown seemed too
convenient. The other clown wasn’t aggressive towards him and actually came to
check on him frequently. We scrambled to try and solve this problem, but he
would not eat anything (Mysis, brine, formula one, flakes) and in a matter of
days he died. We were very sad to see him go and frustrated. After some time
with the new clown flourishing and doing well we decided to add another clown
again larger (mistake), but we wanted this clown in particular because he was
our new clowns original tank inhabitant from our LFS and we thought they'd fair
well together. Again, the fished seemed well together and I even noticed some
signs of pairing or acceptance (twitching, and side by side swimming). But,
again the smaller of the two clowns (the second one, not the new one) began
showing the same signs as the original clown. He will stay in the corner
breathing heavily all day, he wont move, or eat. Overall, he looks healthy maybe
a little dark, but overall good shape and appearance. He tends to stay in the
vicinity of a specific rock (which he does sleep in at night) though during the
day he is always in the corner. I also noticed white stringy feces from him this
morning.
<The white stringy feces is a sign of a internal parasite. >
Again the larger (or newest) clown will come and check on him and even defend
him and that area. The new clown appears fine, swimming around enjoying the
current and feeding normally. It feels like its deja vu and this is happening
all over again. Is this being caused by the fact that both times we introduced a
larger clown to a tank where a smaller clown was already established? Do you
think the stringy feces is coincidence maybe from stress or lack of feeding? Or
is it some mysterious parasite that attacks only small dominated clowns?
<Internal parasite. >
I'm at a loss, and my main concern at this point is trying to get my small clown
to eat before he perishes. Also I don’t know if his lack of appetite is caused
by this mysterious parasite, or some psychological reason perhaps from the
larger clowns dominance?
<It is caused by the internal parasite. >
It seems safe to say it's one of those reasons considering it did fine on its
own before the larger clown came into play. On a side note: I had suspected the
green Chromis damsels were bullying everybody (I originally had four), I removed
two to see if this would even the playing field or at least remove some
territorial issues from the tank. Much to my surprise shortly afterwards the
smaller clown began swimming with the larger clown and seemed as though he was
back to normal. But, by the end of the day he was back to his corner and has
remained there ever since. I don’t know if that's related and if removing the
damsels altogether would help (I had originally intended to take them out before
I inhabited the tank, as they were mainly for cycling, but they are difficult to
catch.) Again thanks so much for your help and sea of useful information. Adrian
S.
<This fish needs to be moved to quarantine immediately and treated. More
information found here for disease and treatment:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clnfshdisart.htm and here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clnfshdisfaq3.htm Brenda >
Sick clowns... yep you guessed it. 05/20/08
In treating Brooklynellosis I am confused as to what you suggest as a dose for
dips / baths.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/formalinart.htm
States: "For dips/baths 125-250 ppm (about 2.7 ml. of 100% soln.)((C1/C2= V1/V2
-- 100/37 = 1/X) and came up with 2.70mL of 37% stock Formalin solution per a
gallon of aerated/temp. adjusted salt water.)"
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brooklynellosisart.htm
Suggests: "Stock solutions of formalin (formaldehyde) are generally about 37%
composition, and can be used as dips/baths of one cc. per
gallon" So do you suggest 2.7 ML or 1 ML?? Thanks!!
<Mmm... actually (and I am hoping this is not continuingly unclear) either
one... Clowns are "more" sensitive to formalin... so, either dosage is "about"
right. Bob Fenner>
I have on-hand "Organi-Cure" which is copper and formalin. With poor labeling I
can not be sure of the concentration... I would guess 37% like most products
seem to have. You don't know the concentration, do you?
<I do not... I would not be surprised to find that this/it is about
full-strength... i.e with just copper (CuSO4 pentahydrate) added though... I
would NOT treat clowns, other fishes with (apparent) Brooklynellosis with copper
compounds... not of use, and may well just add to toxicity. BobF>
Thanks!!
Maroon clown fin discolored
05/19/08
Hello!,
<Greetings>
I got a new maroon clown fish about 10 days ago. When I bought him he had a
slight "thinning" of a small part of the dorsal fin and now it's changed
slightly (a bit bigger?) and there is a splotch in the middle.
<I see this>
See pics. Did a search but couldn't find anything similar on-line. I have him
alone in a quarantine tanks (10gal, no sand or rock, pvc tubes, hypo-saline at
23ppt,
<Mmm, I'd raise this to seawater strength>
ammonia was 0 but has gone up to almost . 2 for the last 3 days (doing water
changes to keep down); AquaClear 20 filter w/ sponge, charcoal + bio-filter
material from main tank; nitrites: just a hint, nitrates: 0, temp: 77, pH: 8.13
(adding a couple drops of B-Ionic Alk sup to keep up pH as it drops down to 8ish
by morning)). He's active and hungry! Isn't scared of me and comes to the
surface when I put my hand near tank, waiting for food. Feeding him on various
days: Cyclopeeze, Arctic-pods, Prime Reef flakes & mysis shrimps. Eats them all!
Is this dorsal fin thing anything to worry about? What's concerns me is that
it's changing, which may be good/healing or bad/deteriorating. Not sure.
Thanks in advance for your help!!
-john
ps- the web site is a great resource!
<Thank you John. By the looks of it, this is a wild-collected male Premnas... I
suspect the spot is resultant from an injury... and will heal of its own accord
in time. I would summarily (perhaps with an enroute dip/bath) place this
specimen in your main display... the likelihood of "bringing something in" with
it is much less than the stress/strain of its current circumstances and
isolation. Bob Fenner>
Re: maroon clown fin discolored 05/20/08
Thanks Bob! Yes, (s)he's a beauty!
Would that be a Formalin or Methylene Blue dip?
<Just the pH adjusted freshwater and MB>
I've read great things about Hyposaline conditions for fish only (not corals,
etc) especially against ich. I've also read your bit against it. Why don't you
like it or think it's effective?
<It has proven to not be of much use in most circumstances long(er) term>
I'll start raising the salinity, keep changing the water and get him in soon.
Probably not good to pop him into 35ppt without slow adjustment.
Thanks again,
-John
<Not usually a problem given the species, conditions presented, but best/better
to be cautious here (as usual). Cheers, BobF>
clownfish health/condition Qs 5/16/08
Hi crew, I have a Ocellaris clownfish and when I bought it, it was really hyper
and active but now about four weeks of owning it he began to slow down and now
about half of the day he is swimming in a small area in front of the tank.
<This is typical. Clownfish often settle into one small part of a tank.>
When I wake up in the morning and turn the light on about 6:30-7:00am his color
is really pale whitish, purple but then about ten minutes later he returns back
to normal,
<This is also normal.>
but lately the top half of his body is slightly darker than when bought. Also the
black line on his tail fin has slightly disappeared, but on his left fin the
black has disappeared all the way. He also has a very dim white dot behind his
second white line on both sides and a very dim, small white stripe from above
his eye to above his fin on both sides also. Any idea of what this could be and
if it is anything to worry about?
<Is this a small clown fish? Young fish often change color as they grow.>
Tank equipment:
55 gallon tank
4.5 gallon CPR refugium
maxi-jet 1200 powerhead
current nova extreme 48" 108 watt T5 high output light w/10,000k daylight T5HO
and 460NM actinic T5HO
18 pounds live rock
Livestock:
Fish: 2 Ocellaris clowns, 1 green Chromis, 2 Firefish gobies.
Inverts: 1 red sea star, 1 reef Haitian anemone, 2 turbo snails, 2 trochus
snails, 1 hitchhiker abalone.
<Best,
Sara M.>
Re:
clownfish health/condition Qs 5/17/08
yes he is a young fish. So the disappearing black line on his fin is also normal?
Thank you for your help!
<It's probably normal. But if you'd like to send in a pic just to be sure, I'd
be happy to take a look. -Sara M.>
Ocellaris Clown has freckles 05/15/08
Good Afternoon, Wet Web Crew!
<Hi, Jessica - Mike I here with you today>
First, I must say "Thank You" for your site! The archives and information you
have provided has been beneficial to us and our tank (and the inhabitants in our
tank) for several years.
<Very glad to hear it, and thanks or the thanks!>
We recently purchased a pair of Ocellaris Clowns. They are eating well and VERY
active. I am enjoying their antics!!
<Excellent stuff!>
My question is about the large black "freckles" that they now have. I have
attached a picture for your diagnosis. I do not think it is 'ich' and I read
somewhere on the net that perhaps the"zoas" are stinging them.
<Could be.....?
I must apologize for the blurriness of the picture - but she won't stay still!
:)
<Did you ask politely though?...>
I want them to be happy in their new home and want to make sure that I am doing
my best to be a good hostess. Any and all information would be greatly
appreciated. Thank you kindly for taking the time to answer my question.
Warm Regards,
Jessica
<Well, Jessica, as the picture is a little blurred, you'll have to accept this
information with a proviso on it, so here goes.... Providing you are not seeing
any behaviour normally related to illness (scratching, flicking, loss of
appetite, loss of weight, rapid breathing etc) from that picture is appears to
be something that happens fairly frequently. There are a couple of things that
can cause it. First, is as you say, a hyper-melanism (increased black pigments)
caused by certain hosting relationships - zoas and mushrooms being a common
trigger, as do some anemones. In other cases it is caused by the larvae of a
fluke - the black markings are the fish walling off the parasite. That last one
a bit concerning, but let me assure you that you shouldn't worry - if it is
indeed the latter, the parasite needs a further host (not found in the marine
aquarium) to complete it's life-cycle, and therefore the problem usually goes
away on it's own as the parasite it either rejected or ceases to be. It doe snot
appear to have a great affect on the animals. I hope that helps - again, don't
worry too much if you're not seeing other symptoms. Enjoy your clowns! Mike I>
|
|
|
Growths on clowns 5/4/08
Hey guys,
<Albert>
Long time reader - first time writer. These pages are actually what gave me the
confidence to move from freshwater to saltwater. Thank you all so much for what
you do.
<Welcome>
Now a little background: 110 gallon display with 120 #s live rock and 1" live
sand, 20 gallon sump with EuroReef skimmer, 20 gallon fuge with ~6" live sand.
Total flow is around 2000 gallons/hour. 6 40watt NO tubes on the display, 1
60watt CF on fuge with a 12/12 lighting period. I have a half-dozen hermits,
about 50 assorted snails and two tank-raised percula clowns in the display. In
the fuge is Caulerpa
<Mmm, I'd move this out (freeze, toss it) or at least keep it trimmed down to an
absolute minimum>
and another handful of red macro that I grabbed from the LFS without
identifying. SG:1.025, PH:8.2, Ammonia, Trites, Trates: 0.
The larger of the two clowns has a growth on its anal fin that it has had since
I brought it home from the LFS a month ago (I know, I know - I just missed it).
It looks like a very small cluster of 3-4 white bumps. After reading through
these pages, my best guess was lymph so I decided to do nothing.
<Is what I would do as well>
Since I brought the fish home, they have been eating like pigs and seem to enjoy
their new home. The white cluster has not grown so I thought everything would be
OK. About a week ago, I noticed a white pimple on the gill of the other smaller
clown. At first I thought it might be the same thing that the larger clown has,
but it didn't cluster and just started to grow larger. I decided that I should
try to do something. I gave them both a freshwater dip (just temperature
adjusted RODI water and baking soda) for about 5 minutes each. They both seemed
to deal with the treatment well. I saw no change in the larger clown. The
cluster remained.
The pimple on the smaller clown separated from the gill and hung, but I could
not get it all the way off. After a day back in the display tank, the pimple on
the smaller clown reattached although it was smaller. A day later, I decided to
try the same treatment again on the smaller pimpled clown. The same thing
happened, the pimple separated but it would not come completely off. I even
stuck my hand in the dip dish to try and physically remove it. The fish and the
pimple are both so small, I was unsuccessful. The pimple has reattached for a
second time.
The fish have gone from completely calm and happy to mildly frantic.
The larger clown is beginning to settle but the smaller one that I dipped twice
is racing around the tank. Neither of them are eating as much as before. I
seemed to have stressed them out. I feel like I have done more bad than good.
Can you help to identify their conditions and recommend a course of action?
Thanks,
Al Conti
<Not able to determine what the material may be from the description... could be
protozoan, other pathogen... But I would try a purposeful cleaner... likely a
Lysmata sp. shrimp or two here. Bob Fenner>
Fin problem, Clown, no data of
use, "Fix", reading – 5/3/08
I bought a clown fish recently, actually today is the fourth day we
have had him, and he has a large white growth no one of his fins. He
also has a smaller white spot on his other fin. I am attaching a picture
I don't know if this will help to know what I am talking about. I'm not
sure what the growth is and I'm not sure if you can help me diagnose it.
I bought Melafix, which is an antibacterial medicine,
<... see WWM re... is a placebo at best>
today and added that to the tank
<An exceedingly poor idea. Learn to/use the search tool on WWM re>
hoping that it might help. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank
you.
<Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/clnfshdisart.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner< |
|
 |
Clownfish - possible fungus, Lined Wrasse
comp. 5/1/08
Hello!
I have a fairly new 29 gal FOWLR tank (4 weeks). Water parameters are great. I
incorporated a small Ocellaris clown initially, then two weeks later a 6 line
wrasse. I noticed almost immediately after I got the clownfish some white spots
on his fin. Could have been there when I got him but it was hardly noticeable.
Originally I thought it was a stress-induced secondary infection, or perhaps
that he had been picked on in the LFS tank. Upon closer inspection, the bottom
of the fin is feathered and ragged and there are some white, almost fuzzy areas.
There has been little change over the past 4 weeks but it definitely isn't going
away... maybe getting a tad worse. The fish seems totally healthy otherwise,
eats, swims, sleeps normally and is energetic. I wondered if the wrasse was
harassing it
<Could well be... in such a small volume... this species can be a terror>
however I have never noticed that type of behavior. I thought of treating with
some MelaFix
<Worse than worthless... may well upset the cycling of the system, alter pH...
of no medicine value>
but I am afraid of harming my beneficial bacterial.
<You are wise here>
Any suggestions?
<Patience, observation... possibly the removal of the Wrasse. Bob Fenner>
Melissa L. Hetzer
Sick Clownfish: 4-28-08
Hello,
I am in need of some advice.
<Allright.>
I have a 20 gallon fish only tank containing only a pair of clown fish. When
I first brought these fish home they behaved normally for about a week. Then
the larger one (the female I assume) stopped eating, was breathing rapidly
and would occasionally lie on the bottom of the tank. Even though there were
no other symptoms I guessed that it was either ich or velvet and I had
caught it early.
<Ich or velvet would produce other symptoms like increased mucus or white
specks along the body. If these were not present I doubt it was either of
the two.>
I did not plan on ever having any coral or other reef creatures so I decided
to treat the whole display tank with CopperSafe according to the
instructions. After another two weeks went by, the larger clown was doing
very well. It stopped the rapid breathing and started eating normally. (The
smaller clown always looked and behaved normally, and that never changed) It
has been about a month since the start of the copper treatment and the large
clown has had a large appetite and is relatively active.
<Have you done any water changes since then? Let me stress that treating in
the main display is never recommended. As you subjected the other healthy
clown to medication that it did not need. That can cause adverse side
effects in the long run. Always medicate in a quarantine tank. >
But three things still bother me. First, when the large clown first became
sick, it lost its color. The color never returned to normal. It is pale
compared to the smaller clown.
<Pale color can be a lack of nutrition and poor water quality. What kind of
foods are you feeding?>
Second, the large fish will still sometimes lie on the bottom of the tank
(especially at night), but immediately wakes up when anyone goes near the
tank.
<This may be it’s sleeping spot. Are you providing any shelters for it? Ie:
rocks, pipes. Also are the male and female sleeping together or separately?>
Third, recently very, very faint spots have appeared on the body of the
fish. There are three of these spots and they are faint enough that they can
only be seen in the right lighting. I have been watching these spots for
about a week now and they have not changed.
<Raised spots? Let me ask this…Do you notice any aggression between the two
fish? Were they bought as a mated pair? Perhaps these can be injuries from
fighting.>
My question is, should I continue copper treatment until the large fish
behaves and looks completely normal? Or is the odd behavior and spots caused
by something else like a fungus or bacteria that copper cannot treat? I have
been testing the water quality constantly during the whole process. The
ammonia/nitrites both have been zero, and the nitrates have been very low
<0.5 ppm.
<I would stop the copper as soon as possible and do a good water change on
the tank. I think that pristine water and a good nutritional menu will help
the clown get back on the right track.>
Another quick question I just thought of. The pair of clownfish will
"vibrate" at one another. Is this normal behavior for a clown fish?
<Yes, it is not too abnormal. When this occurs, do you witness any
submissiveness from either of the two? Is this a mated pair?>
Thanks for your help.
<Not a problem. –Yunachin>
-Ethan
Sick Clownfish? 04/28/2008
Hello, I am in need of some advice.
<<Hello, Andrew today>>
I have a 20 gallon fish only tank containing only a pair of clown fish. When I
first brought these fish home they behaved normally for about a week. Then the
larger one (the female I assume) stopped eating, was breathing rapidly and would
occasionally lay on the bottom of the tank. Even though there were no other
symptoms I guessed that it was either ich or velvet and I had caught it early. I
did not plan on ever having any coral or other reef creatures so I decided to
treat the whole display tank with CopperSafe according to the instructions.
<<Ok>>
After another two weeks went by, the larger clown was doing very well. It
stopped the rapid breathing and started eating normally. (The smaller clown
always looked and behaved normally, and that never changed). It has been about a
month since the start of the copper treatment and the large clown has had a
large appetite and is relatively active. But three things still bother me.
First, when the large clown first became sick, it lost its color. The color
never returned to normal. It is pale compared to the smaller clown.
<<Should return in time given a staple diet>>
Second, the large fish will still sometimes lay on the bottom of the tank
(especially at night), but immediately wakes up when anyone goes near the tank.
<<Quite normal, most clowns will act "odd" sometimes>>
Third, recently very, very faint spots have appeared on the body of the fish.
There are three of these spots and they are faint enough that they can only be
seen in the right lighting. I have been watching these spots for about a week
now and they have not changed. My question is, should I continue copper
treatment until the large fish behaves and looks completely normal?
<<Could be either really. try taking a look at the following page including
linked articles and FAQ's. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clnfshdisart.htm >>
Or is the odd behavior and spots caused by something else like a fungus or
bacteria that copper can not treat? I have been testing the water quality
constantly during the whole process. The ammonia/nitrites both have been zero,
and the nitrates have been very low <0.5 ppm.
<<Do please read the above linked article to pin point your clown fish "spots".
>>
Another quick question I just thought of. The pair of clownfish will "vibrate"
at one another. Is this normal behavior for a clown fish? Thanks for your help.
-Ethan
<<Yes, very normal indeed>>
<<Thanks for the questions Ethan, hope this helps. A Nixon>.
Urgently need help - unidentified clown fish problem. Env.
4/7/08
Hi Guys,
<Carolyn>
Really need your help - my 70l (18 gallon) tank has been set up since
February 2008 with live rock, and has been fully cycled for 5 weeks.
Current readings are ammonia 0ppm, nitrite 0ppm, nitrate 3ppm.Temp is
25-26 Celsius (77-78.8F), SG is 1.024. The tank is a mixed system with a
clean up crew (hermits, snails, one skunk cleaner shrimp), zoas, 1x
Duncan coral, 1x branching hammer coral,
<... all this disparate Cnidarian life cannot be introduced into such a
small volume this quickly...>
1x pussy coral, 1x Sinularia and some mushies.
<...>
Fish-wise, we added our first fish, a Randall's Shrimp Goby 4 weeks ago
and he is absolutely fine, is a tad timid (he lives in the live rock and
comes out to feed). Addition number 2 was a coral beauty, she's also
fine and was added 3 weeks ago.
The readings were monitored daily to ensure all was fine, all readings
were 0 (nitrate only gone up this week). We then added two small (about
1") ocellaris clowns, from a different LFS as they were the only ones we
could find that were tank bred. They'd been in the shop, in quarantine
for 3 weeks, before being put on sale. Both looked fine, but there was a
larger clown looking a bit ropey
<Ropey? Am not familiar with this term>
(I know, at that point I should've walked away).
We acclimatised the fish as before, dripping tank water into the bag
over 1.5hrs once the water temp had reached that of the tank.
<Mmm, better by far to isolate/quarantine for a few weeks>
Both fish immediately chose the branching hammer coral as "home"!
<Not atypical... and not likely tank-bred...>
They were fine until 3 days later, when we noticed a coating of mucus on
both fish but on one side only - mostly on their dorsal fins, which
weren't held up as normal, their flanks and some on their faces. One was
more badly affected than the other, so I did some reading and
researching, coming to the conclusion it could be either Brooklynella or
that they were being stung by the coral.
<Much more likely the influence of the latter>
As we had no formalin we did an emergency freshwater bath on both
clowns, for 20mins. Both were fine and were clear of mucus for another 3
days, then the mucus was back but worse, one of the clowns looked like
its gills might be ragged/inflamed, hard to tell as he was swimming
round and seemed to be more agitated than normal. Both were eating fine.
We did a second FW bath, 20mins, however the fish seemed a lot more
stressed this time - on returning them to the tank both flopped to the
bottom, breathing rapidly and looking very unsteady. After about 30mins
the least poorly fish was swimming round (albeit a bit wobbly still),
but the second was gasping and not swimming. Another 30mins passed and
the first fish was now ok, but the second one was dead.
Having asked yet more questions of LFS's, the web and forums, I'm
wondering if this could be velvet?
<Mmm, no>
The remaining clown is in QT again, raised the temp to 27-28 Celsius
(80-82.4 F) and dropped SG to 1.019. She's looking better this morning
and is easting and swimming fine. Both remaining fish in the main tank
look fine, no symptoms at all (although catching the goby would be
impossible, am considering a FW bath for the coral beauty as a
precaution?).
<... I would not and a Centropyge (bispinosus or otherwise) cannot
live/well in such a small volume>
If you think it is velvet, will copper treatment in QT help, or is it
enough to use hyposalinity and raised temp?
<... This issue is very likely almost to entirely environmental... the
stinging-celled life...>
Next..! We want to add a new clown,
<Mmm, no>
however don't know when's best. One suggestion is to add him to the QT
with the other, treat both with copper to eradicate an ich/velvet etc,
then do a formalin dip on both immediately prior to adding to the main
tank, although this seems very stressful for them? Alternative is to
keep fish 1 in QT for 2-3 weeks, treat with copper, then add her back to
the display tank (how do you make sure no copper is inadvertently added
to the main tank?!), adding fish 2 to QT for 4 weeks before adding that
one to the main tank. Am concerned about them fighting as fish 1 would
have made a territory. It's still very small (about 1"), so any new
addition would most likely be larger. Really don't know what to do for
the best?
<Best to just wait at this point... for your present organisms to
mature, learn to live with each other for a few to several months>
Any help you can give would be gratefully received - I have learned the
hard way about how vital a QT is, even if its only a small one like mine
(13 litres!).
Many thanks,
Carolyn
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/cnidcompppt.htm
re Cnid. comp.... reduction of negative interactions, their effects. Bob
Fenner>
Re: Urgently need help -
unidentified clown fish problem... env. 4/7/08
Dear Bob,
<Carolyn>
Thanks for the reply and advice - much less-than-accurate info had been
given, I shall now be avoiding that LFS in the future.
<Best to vote with ones shoes... walk on that is... Now if we could only
do this with the confiscatory practices of our gov't...>
Have taken your advice on board and are <am>
leaving the tank as it stands - the plan is to upgrade in the next 6
months to a much bigger tank (approx 200-300L), using our current one as
a QT (hence why I was happy to add a dwarf angel, knowing she'll be
going to a much more suitable size tank in the very near future).
<I'd hold off till the new tank is well in-place, established>
Thanks again for the help and the site - intend to spread the word about
WWM to friends who also keep fish :)
<Ahhh! A pleasure to share. BobF> |
|
 |
No clowning
around (like I'm sure I'm the first to come up with that) 03/30/2008
Hi crew,
<<Hello, Andrew here>
On a serious note. I've been trying to match what my clown is sick with
on WWMedia and the rest of the web. And I figure it's Brooklynellosis.
The fish cannot stay balanced (fish's nose is down and tail up, he can't
stay horizontal) and white stringy feces, which typically lead me to
believe bacterial (although could be secondary infection). I have
attached 2 pictures. Hopefully they are clear enough.
Water parameters in quarantine (hence the bare bottom tank):
NH4, NO2, NO3 all undetectable, pH 8, salinity 1.024, temp 78F, tested
everyday and 10% water change everyday up until antibiotic treatment
(read further).
He's been in quarantine for 5 days. Freshwater dip prior to QT for 10
minutes.
Day 2 laboured breathing, never ate, just picked and spat out. Lethargic
day 4, day 5 swimming head down (lost balanced), and few hours ago the
white speckles (perhaps peeling slim coat, not really sure). Also, I
haven't seen any sort of flashing.
I'm not really a fan of organic chemicals (or anything poisonous) for
what should be a non-toxic hobby for all (animals and humans). As a
geneticist, I am well aware of the hazards and would be fully be
protected in my own lab (gloves, fume hood? etc). Contrary to my beliefs,
after seeing his condition, I gave him a formalin bath as per WWMedia
recipe (1 minute); Along with maracyn2 in quarantine tank. I'm at my
wits end and hopefully I haven't caused more damage.
I'm hoping you could positively ID his condition and course of
treatment, as I'm sure he's a goner (but I won't give up). I'll at least
be able to recognize it again and treat sooner. If he is still alive in
the morning I'll be hopeful of a positive outcome.
<<Unfortunately, I really cannot make much out from the attached
pictures to make a diagnosis. Either submit in focus photo's or have a
read of this page and attached articles and FAQ's
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clnfshdisart.htm >>
Thanks in advance.
<<Thanks for the questions, hope this helps. A Nixon>>
Re: No clowning around (like
I'm sure I'm the first to come up with that), Dimilin in dips – 04/1/08
I had looked at that link (many times), couldn't make any inferences.
Unfortunately the clown died the day before yesterday. He had no tail left,
think he suffered too long and was beyond return.
<Agreed>
Just before he died I dosed the QT with Jungle Parasite clear (Praziquantel,
Dimilin, Metronidazole, Acriflavine). I really wanted just Metronidazole but I
couldn't get any at the time and picked up the mentioned out of desperation.
Which leads me to my question. In the dip/baths section, Bob is completely
against using Dimilin in marine systems.
<Mmm, not efficacious as a dip ingredient>
Why is this so (especially if there are no inverts ie.. QT. I figure its just as
bad as Cu++ meds, formalin...etc.)?
<... bad? No... just that acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in low concentration
don't do any good in short exposure>
I could have sworn I also saw a post with Bob recommending it for marine
(although I can't find it anymore). Could you explain the contradiction (that is
if there was, did his opinion change over time?).
<Not w/o ref. to where this is stated, no>
Lastly, I assumed I had a parasitic infection as upon dosing the QT, the clown
moved erratically. Presumably because the parasites were affected.
<... what parasites? Do you have microscopic evidence?>
It could have been just from the clown reacting to the meds but something (which
I can't articulate...you had to see the clown) seemed the parasites were moving
to get away and burrowing in him further.
Thanks
<... BobF>
Re: No clowning around (like
I'm sure I'm the first to come up with that) – 04/02/08
I do not have microscopic evidence. It was just an inference on an
observation with out proof - merely a feeling (true, not scientific at all).
<I see... do know this sort of guessing is not altogether accurate. There are
symptoms that "mimic" pathological disease... with non-infectious/parasitic
etiologies... Too often "marks", abrasions, "odd" behavior are rooted in social,
environmental, nutritional, genetic... causes>
I just like to know if you would recommend/use Dimilin in marine QT (not dip but
in the QT) and under what circumstance? If not, why?
Thanks
<I have used, and suggested such use for arthropod zoonoses... on bony fishes
(not cartilaginous). IF one was sure of a copepod infestation let's say, Dimilin
might be a good choice. BobF>
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Red Spot on Clownfish, using
WWM – 03/18/08
Hello Crew. I will make this fast. I cannot find this anywhere in the faq's.
I have two tank raised clowns and the one seems to have a red spot on the side
of its mouth. It almost looks like blood. It is raised also. It is about in the
area where a white spot once was and has disappeared. My param.s are:
pH = 8.2
Ammonia = 0
Nitrites = 0
Nitrates = 20ppm (just did a water change 30 min.s ago)
<Too high...>
phosphates = 1.0 ppm
<Ditto>
What in the world could this be? Should i be concerned? The fish is still eating
by the way. Thanks a million for all of your help
Matt
<Go here: http://wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/question_page.htm
insert your title: "Red Spot on Clownfish"; read the cached views. RMF>
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