Help! Clownfish and Frogspawn

cryan712 · 07/24/2017, 08:56 PM

Twelve days ago we got a clownfish from an online vender (with great reviews). Two days ago we noticed a larger white spot on his head. After talking to our local store and showing pictures of the clown to the owner, he confirmed that he likely had Brooklynella. They suggested taking him out and doing a fresh water bath with a drop of cleaner daily until it either got better or he died. We have been doing this but I cannot tell if it is getting any better or worse. Picture included from tonight. So question about this situation - is this the best treatment? Is it more humane to take other means? Are we just prolonging the inevitable and exposing the rest of the tank to the infection? I read that you can never really cure it, but I don't want to take other means if he could get better. I don't mind going back to the store, but thought I'd ask the wise people on this forum as well. He is acting better and is coming up to the glass when I come near it. However, he is staying out of his anemone and closer to the sand/live rock.

Second question - At the same time we got the clown, we got a frogspawn. Yesterday it started to take a turn for the worse. You can no longer see the green tips and now all you see is brown and some white growths, as well as I think the skeleton. Can anyone confirm this for me? And what actions should be taken next? I included a picture of it as well.

I took water samples to the store yesterday and everything read fine. We also have done daily reads just to make sure everything was going well. Our reads matched that of the store.

Thank you in advance for any assistance you can give.

j.falk · 07/25/2017, 04:47 AM

I bought this fish online and now I'm bringing my problems to you LFS. I'm sure they appreciate that!

You should be contacting the people that you actually bought the clown from. If they are a reputable online vendor, they would be able to help you.

ssgss gogeta · 07/25/2017, 05:08 AM

Agreed super nice LFS most would laugh at you and go that's what you get when you don't go through us

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ssgss gogeta · 07/25/2017, 05:10 AM

Aside from that useless contribution, I can't help you I'm sorry never had a fish with it. I'm old school in the fact I run uv filters to help with diseases. It's a massive argument whether it helps or not (notice I said help not fix) but I've used it for a massive ich outbreak didn't loose a fish and ich never resurfaced.

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heathlindner25 · 07/25/2017, 05:16 AM

I would remove the frogspawn,it is no more.

ajm83 · 07/25/2017, 05:27 AM

What are the actual numbers from the tests, 'fine' could cover quite a range of values!

The frogspawn looks very unhappy but if there is flesh left they can sometimes recover if everything else is okay.

MondoBongo · 07/25/2017, 07:01 AM

i would be willing to bet you're at least having some alkalinity issues. that is often a big contributor to coral deaths.

if your alk is fluctuating and/or off that could also prompt issues with the fish's slime coat. it is my understanding that brook is usually treated best with formalin, rather than fresh water dips. also, from what i've read it usually kills very quickly. so that may or may not be what you're dealing with.

i would likely keep up with the fresh water dips for the time being, and if possible try formalin dips. i would also start testing params daily (especially alkalinity) so you can get a handle on whether or not they're fluctuating. a single run through tests is good, but it's only one data point. the trend over time is far more valuable information.

Spyderturbo007 · 07/25/2017, 10:35 AM

I've seen Brook before and that doesn't look like brook to me. Brook is normally see all over their bodies and they lose their color pretty quick and get really pale. It looks slimy and more translucent that what I'm seeing in the picture.

I'd suggest you post in the Disease and Treatment section. The experts there can probably give you a better idea of what your clown has. I think the only known treatment is Formalin.

Tripod1404 · 07/25/2017, 04:13 PM

That looks more like a fungal infection (good case) or Uronema marinum (bad case) to me. If it was brook the fish would die in several days at best. You LFS's suggestion of freshwater baths for treatment is also not a good one. The pathogen is already in your water, even if freashwater baths somehow kills all the pathogens on the fish, it will get reinfected by the ones in your tank.

There are ways to threat every disease but you would need to isolate the fish into a hospital tank.

The Frogspawn is unfortunately dead, there is nothing that can be done at this point.

07/25/2017, 07:01 AM	#7
MondoBongo Obligate Feeder Obsessed Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,061	i would be willing to bet you're at least having some alkalinity issues. that is often a big contributor to coral deaths. if your alk is fluctuating and/or off that could also prompt issues with the fish's slime coat. it is my understanding that brook is usually treated best with formalin, rather than fresh water dips. also, from what i've read it usually kills very quickly. so that may or may not be what you're dealing with. i would likely keep up with the fresh water dips for the time being, and if possible try formalin dips. i would also start testing params daily (especially alkalinity) so you can get a handle on whether or not they're fluctuating. a single run through tests is good, but it's only one data point. the trend over time is far more valuable information. __________________ [Citation Needed] "You don't use science to show that you're right, you use science to become right" - xkcd Current Tank Info: A rectangular shaped money pit.

07/25/2017, 04:47 AM	#2
j.falk Registered Member Join Date: May 2017 Posts: 632	I bought this fish online and now I'm bringing my problems to you LFS. I'm sure they appreciate that! You should be contacting the people that you actually bought the clown from. If they are a reputable online vendor, they would be able to help you.

07/25/2017, 05:08 AM	#3
ssgss gogeta Registered Member. Join Date: Jul 2017 Posts: 251	Agreed super nice LFS most would laugh at you and go that's what you get when you don't go through us Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

07/25/2017, 05:10 AM	#4
ssgss gogeta Registered Member. Join Date: Jul 2017 Posts: 251	Aside from that useless contribution, I can't help you I'm sorry never had a fish with it. I'm old school in the fact I run uv filters to help with diseases. It's a massive argument whether it helps or not (notice I said help not fix) but I've used it for a massive ich outbreak didn't loose a fish and ich never resurfaced. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

07/25/2017, 05:16 AM	#5
heathlindner25 Moved On Join Date: May 2012 Location: flowery branch georgia Posts: 3,644	I would remove the frogspawn,it is no more.

07/25/2017, 05:27 AM	#6
ajm83 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 76	What are the actual numbers from the tests, 'fine' could cover quite a range of values! The frogspawn looks very unhappy but if there is flesh left they can sometimes recover if everything else is okay.

07/25/2017, 10:35 AM	#8
Spyderturbo007 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: PA Posts: 2,564	I've seen Brook before and that doesn't look like brook to me. Brook is normally see all over their bodies and they lose their color pretty quick and get really pale. It looks slimy and more translucent that what I'm seeing in the picture. I'd suggest you post in the Disease and Treatment section. The experts there can probably give you a better idea of what your clown has. I think the only known treatment is Formalin.

07/25/2017, 04:13 PM	#9
Tripod1404 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 1,821	That looks more like a fungal infection (good case) or Uronema marinum (bad case) to me. If it was brook the fish would die in several days at best. You LFS's suggestion of freshwater baths for treatment is also not a good one. The pathogen is already in your water, even if freashwater baths somehow kills all the pathogens on the fish, it will get reinfected by the ones in your tank. There are ways to threat every disease but you would need to isolate the fish into a hospital tank. The Frogspawn is unfortunately dead, there is nothing that can be done at this point.