Sick clownfish

Debbie64 · 11/28/2006, 10:40 AM

Well, I'm having a turd's luck - as they say - over in fish diseases getting a response to this question.

About a week ago, the male half of my pair of ocellaris clowns began acting odd - odder it seems than regular clown oddness.

His better half is fine. Background-wise, I've had these clowns for a year and a half. Several months ago they began hosting in a large hairy mushroom cluster.

So, about a week ago, the sick clown, left the mushroom and exhibited the following symptoms: listlessness, disorientation, bumping into things, not eating and hanging out by himself in the corner of the tank.

At first I thought he might have been stunned by an unusually strong zap from the mushroom, but now I'm thinking he is sick with something so a couple of days ago I moved him to a hospital tank. Every other fish is healthy and this does not look like ich. (My tank ran fallow for 12 weeks over a year ago and all fish have been QT'd.)

I noticed one instance of white stringy poo and he hasn't been eating (though he swims like a nut over to where the food is when it's feeding time. It's like he wants to eat, but it's almost like he forgot how or he can't see the food or something.)

I recently added some inverts to the tank (snails, hermits), but no fish since April (lyretail anthia).

Again, all fish (yellow tang, royal gramma, clowns, anthia, lawnmower blenny, 3 chromis, 6 line) have been/are very healthy. Water is zero ammonia and trite, very low trate 2-5, PO4 0, pH 8.15 - 8.25, alk 3.31/dkh 9.30, ca 440, mag 1260.

He seems to be acting quite normal in the QT, swimming fine. It's getting him to eat that's the problem.

Additional things: He has the smallish black bruise-like spots on his undercarriage (not black ich) associated with hosting in a non-standard host (the mushroom). (The female does as well.)

He also has some scarring that I would associate with HLLE on his first white stripe. He's not gasping.

I take crappy pics, but here he is in QT:

I have meds and I'd like some advice on what this might be and what meds I should use. I have maracyn 2, Paracide-D and Praz-Tastic. Also, formalin.

Diagnoses and ideas? Have I just overreacted?

tkeracer619 · 11/28/2006, 10:50 AM

He has something, stringy poo is usually a sign for internal parasite.

I would treat for internal stuff and hope for the best.

You did not over react, It would be hard to treat him in the reef.

Im not sure my clowns would take to well with me splitting them up but It would have to be done.

MimicTang · 11/28/2006, 11:48 AM

how old is the fish?

shooms can eat fish too. Might wanna remove it if possible or it could eat your clowns if big enough.

Stringy poo can be constipation too. If he had an internal parasite he'd be dead within a week. So if you've had him awhile I'd say he needs a good BM.

What are u feeding him?

Debbie64 · 11/28/2006, 12:46 PM

I got both clowns when they were tiny a year and a half ago so they can't be that much older than that. I feed all fish a diet of frozen mysis, frozen spirulina soaked brine, garlic soaked nori. Every few days I included one or some of each of frozen spirulina, formula one pellets, frozen cyclops. I usually add garlic, selcon to their food and also vitachem and beta glucan.

He's now been in QT for 2 days. The more I watch him, the more I think he's gone blind. Is that possible? Here's what I'm noticing.

Other than bumping into things, he's swimming normally. Yesterday, I fed formula 1 pellets - the plus with that is that it drops to the floor of the tank and kind of swirls in once place. This morning, it was gone and I noticed poo that color. I fed pellets again this morning - again, he smelled the food and went nuts looking for it, bumping into everything - the glass, the pvc, the heater. When he swam over the food, it swirled, he noticed and turned vertical trying to get some, which he did. So at least he's got some food in him.

But what the hell? Could he have gone blind? Other than this and a bit of the HLLE, he doesn't seem sick at all.

MimicTang · 11/28/2006, 01:22 PM

yes clowns can go blind. Has your tank ever been above 85?

Debbie64 · 11/28/2006, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MimicTang
yes clowns can go blind. Has your tank ever been above 85?

No. Last summer it got up to 82.5, but it only remained that high for a short period of time - a matter of a couple of hours. I've since learned to keep the temp constant with fans and it stays a comfortable 79 - 80 all the time.

Could the mushroom have stung his eyes? I guess the how isn't as relevant at this point as what can I do about it or hope that he learns to adapt. He seems to know where the food is by smell. If he'd just keep his mouth open...

Poor little guy. I don't know what I can do.

MimicTang · 11/28/2006, 01:55 PM

Mushrooms can eat any fish if they get bigger. Seen one eat a 4" cardinal whole. Mushrooms arent good for your fish safety less they're small.

As for his eye sight??? You can overdue garlic.

Try using a penlight/flashlight and see if he notices. There are alot of things in a reef tank which can be bad. He could just feel bad too. Maybe your diet is to exotic for him. Maybe some of the food/additives were rancid?

MimicTang · 11/28/2006, 01:57 PM

looking at your pic red on a clown's white stripe is VERY VERY BAD. Maybe I think bacterial now? if he's in QT try broad spectum antibotic.

Careful of expiration dates too. Might try the vet.

Debbie64 · 11/28/2006, 02:11 PM

That's not red, that's just bad picture, reflection, etc. My bad. His stripes are bright white. There's just that little scarring bit you see.

I had no idea the mushroom could be predatory.

It has grown into a colony of about 12 small mushrooms, though, not one big one.

Also did not know garlic could be overdone. Four or five drops of garlic extract once a day in food couldn't be bad, could it?

I'll try the flashlight.

Other than that, there really isn't anything I can do, is there?

Unless he adapts or regains his eyesight.

MimicTang · 11/28/2006, 02:52 PM

depends on how much food but yes. Like eating buckets of buffalo wings to fish possibly.

11/28/2006, 10:40 AM	#1
Debbie64 Save a fish; eat a burger Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Monterey Bay, CA Posts: 253	Sick clownfish Well, I'm having a turd's luck - as they say - over in fish diseases getting a response to this question. About a week ago, the male half of my pair of ocellaris clowns began acting odd - odder it seems than regular clown oddness. His better half is fine. Background-wise, I've had these clowns for a year and a half. Several months ago they began hosting in a large hairy mushroom cluster. So, about a week ago, the sick clown, left the mushroom and exhibited the following symptoms: listlessness, disorientation, bumping into things, not eating and hanging out by himself in the corner of the tank. At first I thought he might have been stunned by an unusually strong zap from the mushroom, but now I'm thinking he is sick with something so a couple of days ago I moved him to a hospital tank. Every other fish is healthy and this does not look like ich. (My tank ran fallow for 12 weeks over a year ago and all fish have been QT'd.) I noticed one instance of white stringy poo and he hasn't been eating (though he swims like a nut over to where the food is when it's feeding time. It's like he wants to eat, but it's almost like he forgot how or he can't see the food or something.) I recently added some inverts to the tank (snails, hermits), but no fish since April (lyretail anthia). Again, all fish (yellow tang, royal gramma, clowns, anthia, lawnmower blenny, 3 chromis, 6 line) have been/are very healthy. Water is zero ammonia and trite, very low trate 2-5, PO4 0, pH 8.15 - 8.25, alk 3.31/dkh 9.30, ca 440, mag 1260. He seems to be acting quite normal in the QT, swimming fine. It's getting him to eat that's the problem. Additional things: He has the smallish black bruise-like spots on his undercarriage (not black ich) associated with hosting in a non-standard host (the mushroom). (The female does as well.) He also has some scarring that I would associate with HLLE on his first white stripe. He's not gasping. I take crappy pics, but here he is in QT: I have meds and I'd like some advice on what this might be and what meds I should use. I have maracyn 2, Paracide-D and Praz-Tastic. Also, formalin. Diagnoses and ideas? Have I just overreacted?

11/28/2006, 10:50 AM	#2
tkeracer619 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Westminster, CO Posts: 17,289	He has something, stringy poo is usually a sign for internal parasite. I would treat for internal stuff and hope for the best. You did not over react, It would be hard to treat him in the reef. Im not sure my clowns would take to well with me splitting them up but It would have to be done. __________________ Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k.

11/28/2006, 11:48 AM	#3
MimicTang Moved On Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Hartford CT Posts: 1,517	how old is the fish? shooms can eat fish too. Might wanna remove it if possible or it could eat your clowns if big enough. Stringy poo can be constipation too. If he had an internal parasite he'd be dead within a week. So if you've had him awhile I'd say he needs a good BM. What are u feeding him?

11/28/2006, 12:46 PM	#4
Debbie64 Save a fish; eat a burger Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Monterey Bay, CA Posts: 253	I got both clowns when they were tiny a year and a half ago so they can't be that much older than that. I feed all fish a diet of frozen mysis, frozen spirulina soaked brine, garlic soaked nori. Every few days I included one or some of each of frozen spirulina, formula one pellets, frozen cyclops. I usually add garlic, selcon to their food and also vitachem and beta glucan. He's now been in QT for 2 days. The more I watch him, the more I think he's gone blind. Is that possible? Here's what I'm noticing. Other than bumping into things, he's swimming normally. Yesterday, I fed formula 1 pellets - the plus with that is that it drops to the floor of the tank and kind of swirls in once place. This morning, it was gone and I noticed poo that color. I fed pellets again this morning - again, he smelled the food and went nuts looking for it, bumping into everything - the glass, the pvc, the heater. When he swam over the food, it swirled, he noticed and turned vertical trying to get some, which he did. So at least he's got some food in him. But what the hell? Could he have gone blind? Other than this and a bit of the HLLE, he doesn't seem sick at all.

11/28/2006, 01:22 PM	#5
MimicTang Moved On Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Hartford CT Posts: 1,517	yes clowns can go blind. Has your tank ever been above 85?

11/28/2006, 01:55 PM	#7
MimicTang Moved On Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Hartford CT Posts: 1,517	Mushrooms can eat any fish if they get bigger. Seen one eat a 4" cardinal whole. Mushrooms arent good for your fish safety less they're small. As for his eye sight??? You can overdue garlic. Try using a penlight/flashlight and see if he notices. There are alot of things in a reef tank which can be bad. He could just feel bad too. Maybe your diet is to exotic for him. Maybe some of the food/additives were rancid?

11/28/2006, 01:57 PM	#8
MimicTang Moved On Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Hartford CT Posts: 1,517	looking at your pic red on a clown's white stripe is VERY VERY BAD. Maybe I think bacterial now? if he's in QT try broad spectum antibotic. Careful of expiration dates too. Might try the vet.

11/28/2006, 02:11 PM	#9
Debbie64 Save a fish; eat a burger Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Monterey Bay, CA Posts: 253	That's not red, that's just bad picture, reflection, etc. My bad. His stripes are bright white. There's just that little scarring bit you see. I had no idea the mushroom could be predatory. It has grown into a colony of about 12 small mushrooms, though, not one big one. Also did not know garlic could be overdone. Four or five drops of garlic extract once a day in food couldn't be bad, could it? I'll try the flashlight. Other than that, there really isn't anything I can do, is there? Unless he adapts or regains his eyesight.

11/28/2006, 02:52 PM	#10
MimicTang Moved On Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Hartford CT Posts: 1,517	depends on how much food but yes. Like eating buckets of buffalo wings to fish possibly.