Black Spots on Clown Fish

redfishblewfish · 08/30/2010, 08:35 AM

My big clown has developed black spots. Otherwise she seems healthy…eating and swimming. No other fish, including three other clowns, is showing these black spots. Someone mentioned black ick, but I find that hard to believe after looking up the life cycle of that parasite (and seeing no other fish with these symptoms)…..liver of a snail; to the scales of the fish; fish gets eaten (most likely by a bird); infected bird poop returns to the water to be eaten by snails. Any ideas?

Oh, and please no comments about her Mohawk dorsal fin….she is very sensitive about her “hair” style.

Toddrtrex · 08/30/2010, 12:15 PM

Is it attempting to be hosted by any corals? It looks like the "sting" marks that can happen to clowns when they are hosted by corals, mainly with zoas and/or GSP. Besides the looks, it is harmless.

BTW -- I would consider getting rid of 2 of the clowns. Once a pair forms between the dominate male and female and they start spawning they won't take to kindly to the other clowns.

trunks1622 · 08/30/2010, 12:24 PM

I have the same spots in my clown fish. I wasn't sure what they were and it doesn't seem affecting them. It still looks very healthy and eats like a pig. My pair have different spots they like in my tank. I will see them hosting the torch then sometimes i will see them on my hairy mushroom. Sometimes I even see them in my Xenia for some odd reason. Would one of these be stinging them?

RBU1 · 08/30/2010, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toddrtrex

is it attempting to be hosted by any corals? It looks like the "sting" marks that can happen to clowns when they are hosted by corals, mainly with zoas and/or gsp. Besides the looks, it is harmless.

Btw -- i would consider getting rid of 2 of the clowns. Once a pair forms between the dominate male and female and they start spawning they won't take to kindly to the other clowns.

+1

tanan · 08/30/2010, 02:03 PM

My male tomato clown also have these types of spots i too thought that it was black ich or something but he was in QT for 6 weeks and now even in main tank for 3 weeks & no other fish shows the symptom or anything.He too eats like a pig.There are some hitchhiker zoa's though.
And 1+ on keeping a pair.The female can go crazy any movement on your other clown.

seaner · 09/01/2010, 02:07 PM

My Clowns had black spots on there body. It's related to them attempting to host in something that stings. Eventually it went away with the help of my Cleaner Shrimp.

Atela · 03/05/2012, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seaner

My Clowns had black spots on there body. It's related to them attempting to host in something that stings. Eventually it went away with the help of my Cleaner Shrimp.

Can someone please explain what the cleaner shrimp have to do with the disappearance of the black dots on Sean's clown fish?

Toddrtrex · 03/05/2012, 09:58 AM

If the spots were caused by the clown trying to be hosted by a coral, the cleaner shrimp had nothing to do with the spots going away.

Atela · 03/05/2012, 08:26 PM

Perhaps the cleaner shrimps licked the spots off!

JPMagyar · 10/07/2012, 06:31 PM

My clown pair has slowly been gaining more black spots over the years. They have always been hosted by a Magnificent Anemone and have never ventured more than 12 inches from the anemone so I can be certain that the spots have nothing to do with trying to snuggle up to some other coral.

My guess is it is a function of aging, but that's only a guess . . .

boostd2valve · 11/10/2012, 05:53 PM

Sorry i know this is a late post but i have a small clown that is getting these spots and its also super healthy and eats like a pig. I havent seen him host yet but was also curious.

FastUno · 08/03/2013, 12:11 PM

I think these must be parasites of some sort. My tomato clowns had none when I first bought them. Then the tomato & percula clowns started to develop them. The tomato is really covered now. More so than any pic that I have seen thus far.

A little over a week ago I bought a tang & now he started to develop those spots too. He was clear before that. The spots seem deep & not simply on the surface of the skin.

smtank · 08/03/2013, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FastUno

I think these must be parasites of some sort. My tomato clowns had none when I first bought them. Then the tomato & percula clowns started to develop them. The tomato is really covered now. More so than any pic that I have seen thus far.

A little over a week ago I bought a tang & now he started to develop those spots too. He was clear before that. The spots seem deep & not simply on the surface of the skin.

I believe you're referring to black ich a parasite.

The images of the clowns look more like hypermelenization from the nemocyst of LPS corals.

The black spots of black ich are actually areas/scabs from where the worm feed.

08/30/2010, 08:35 AM	#1
redfishblewfish Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Central New Jersey Posts: 716	Black Spots on Clown Fish My big clown has developed black spots. Otherwise she seems healthy…eating and swimming. No other fish, including three other clowns, is showing these black spots. Someone mentioned black ick, but I find that hard to believe after looking up the life cycle of that parasite (and seeing no other fish with these symptoms)…..liver of a snail; to the scales of the fish; fish gets eaten (most likely by a bird); infected bird poop returns to the water to be eaten by snails. Any ideas? Oh, and please no comments about her Mohawk dorsal fin….she is very sensitive about her “hair” style.

08/30/2010, 12:15 PM	#2
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	Is it attempting to be hosted by any corals? It looks like the "sting" marks that can happen to clowns when they are hosted by corals, mainly with zoas and/or GSP. Besides the looks, it is harmless. BTW -- I would consider getting rid of 2 of the clowns. Once a pair forms between the dominate male and female and they start spawning they won't take to kindly to the other clowns. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

03/05/2012, 09:58 AM	#8
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	If the spots were caused by the clown trying to be hosted by a coral, the cleaner shrimp had nothing to do with the spots going away. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

08/03/2013, 12:11 PM	#12
FastUno Registered Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: NY Posts: 1,726	I think these must be parasites of some sort. My tomato clowns had none when I first bought them. Then the tomato & percula clowns started to develop them. The tomato is really covered now. More so than any pic that I have seen thus far. A little over a week ago I bought a tang & now he started to develop those spots too. He was clear before that. The spots seem deep & not simply on the surface of the skin. __________________ 75g AGA/RR/BB, 20g sump, Aquactinics 2x250 (Phoenix 14K)/2x54 T5 (AB & B+), Eheim 1262 Return, Deltec AP600, Tunze 6060 & Osmolator 3155, Homemade 2 part Current Tank Info: SW, Reef

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08/30/2010, 12:24 PM	#3
trunks1622 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 71	I have the same spots in my clown fish. I wasn't sure what they were and it doesn't seem affecting them. It still looks very healthy and eats like a pig. My pair have different spots they like in my tank. I will see them hosting the torch then sometimes i will see them on my hairy mushroom. Sometimes I even see them in my Xenia for some odd reason. Would one of these be stinging them?

08/30/2010, 02:03 PM	#5
tanan Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Pakistan Posts: 127	My male tomato clown also have these types of spots i too thought that it was black ich or something but he was in QT for 6 weeks and now even in main tank for 3 weeks & no other fish shows the symptom or anything.He too eats like a pig.There are some hitchhiker zoa's though. And 1+ on keeping a pair.The female can go crazy any movement on your other clown.

09/01/2010, 02:07 PM	#6
seaner Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 67	My Clowns had black spots on there body. It's related to them attempting to host in something that stings. Eventually it went away with the help of my Cleaner Shrimp.

03/05/2012, 08:26 PM	#9
Atela Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Southwest Florida Posts: 78	Perhaps the cleaner shrimps licked the spots off!

10/07/2012, 06:31 PM	#10
JPMagyar Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NY,NY Posts: 2,072	My clown pair has slowly been gaining more black spots over the years. They have always been hosted by a Magnificent Anemone and have never ventured more than 12 inches from the anemone so I can be certain that the spots have nothing to do with trying to snuggle up to some other coral. My guess is it is a function of aging, but that's only a guess . . .

11/10/2012, 05:53 PM	#11
boostd2valve Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 243	Sorry i know this is a late post but i have a small clown that is getting these spots and its also super healthy and eats like a pig. I havent seen him host yet but was also curious.