Clown fish skin peeling

tnias · 03/18/2011, 08:59 PM

So I thought my clownfish was on the mend from pairing but now it looks like his skin is starting to peel off and the dominate female is not very active. Any idea what it might be or treatment?

They are in QT for 2+ weeks now with RO/DI water at 1.024 salinity at the moment.

steelhead77 · 03/18/2011, 10:47 PM

If the skin looks like it is sloughing off and trailing in a white film from the fins then your fish have Brooklynella. If this is the case then this is an emergency situation! If not treated immediately, your fish will die. Brook is not like ich, there is no chance of them fighting it off. They MUST be removed and placed in a hospital tank (HT). Just a bare tank will work, don't worry about any cycle on it. You need to treat them with Formalyn. It is the ONLY thing that will cure this and must be done EXACTLY as directed on the package. You must also use an airstone as formalyn depletes oxygen quickly. THis is equivalent to 3rd degree burns to humans and they will not get better without treatment, but you must act fast.

Good Luck.

tnias · 03/19/2011, 11:39 AM

Thanks for the help. Unfortunately, Formalyn is not available at either Petsmart or Petco near me and since my wife had surgery a couple days ago I can't travel the 2 hours to the closest quality fish store. Taking care of my wife trumps the fish this weekend. I picked up some antibacterial mediacation and hoping it will work.

03/18/2011, 08:59 PM	#1
tnias Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Maryland Posts: 200	Clown fish skin peeling So I thought my clownfish was on the mend from pairing but now it looks like his skin is starting to peel off and the dominate female is not very active. Any idea what it might be or treatment? They are in QT for 2+ weeks now with RO/DI water at 1.024 salinity at the moment.

03/18/2011, 10:47 PM	#2
steelhead77 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Albany, Oregon Posts: 1,117	If the skin looks like it is sloughing off and trailing in a white film from the fins then your fish have Brooklynella. If this is the case then this is an emergency situation! If not treated immediately, your fish will die. Brook is not like ich, there is no chance of them fighting it off. They MUST be removed and placed in a hospital tank (HT). Just a bare tank will work, don't worry about any cycle on it. You need to treat them with Formalyn. It is the ONLY thing that will cure this and must be done EXACTLY as directed on the package. You must also use an airstone as formalyn depletes oxygen quickly. THis is equivalent to 3rd degree burns to humans and they will not get better without treatment, but you must act fast. Good Luck. __________________ This really isn't rocket science - it's more like marine biology. Current tank info: 180 gallon AGA, 40 gallon custom sump, AquaC EV240 skimmer, PM calc reactor, 3x 250w DIY MH, PCI CL-650 Chiller, 2x Koralia 4's, 2x Koralia 2's

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Clown fish colour change	kazellis	New to the Hobby	0	07/11/2010 10:02 AM
PNG lightning marron clown fishes	reeftrinh	Chicagoland Marine Aquarium Society (CMAS)	4	04/05/2010 04:28 PM
2 clown fish in carpet anemone	tess&ellie	Anemones & Clownfish	6	02/02/2010 10:57 AM
can't find clown fish	tess&ellie	New to the Hobby	20	11/05/2009 05:14 PM
clown fish always fighting	blind_monkey	Reef Fishes	7	10/05/2009 05:58 PM

03/19/2011, 11:39 AM	#3
tnias Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Maryland Posts: 200	Thanks for the help. Unfortunately, Formalyn is not available at either Petsmart or Petco near me and since my wife had surgery a couple days ago I can't travel the 2 hours to the closest quality fish store. Taking care of my wife trumps the fish this weekend. I picked up some antibacterial mediacation and hoping it will work.