Skinny Clown/Stringy white poop/much skinner than partner

[saltylilthang]

I've had my clowns for 2 weeks now and noticed one is much skinnier. I swear I can see the ribs on the fish. I am feeding New Life spectrum marine fish pellets but I am getting some frozen today. Do my clowns have a parasite? They are both having stringy white poop, but I have noticded brown here and there. Both eat well.

 

[twentyleagues]

That is a typical sign that yes they do have a parasite.

 

[saltylilthang]

That is a typical sign that yes they do have a parasite.

How can I treat it? Can I use API general cure or do I use something stronger?

 

[twentyleagues]

I think general cure will work if you can get it in the fish via their food. I am not 100% on this and there may be better meds lets see if we can get an answer #fishmedic

 

[Sharkbait19]

How often do you feed mysis or brine? Do you see the fish eat?

 

[saltylilthang]

How often do you feed mysis or brine? Do you see the fish eat?

I do not feed them either but will be picking up frozen brine+spirulina today and pick up some Rod's food this weekend. LFS was feeding the clowns pellets. Yes, I see the fish eat. They eat twice a day, around 4-5 pellets per feed.

 

[saltylilthang]

I also wont be able to get Prazipro or melafix till this weekend due to LFS store scheduyle. I know General API is not recommended for reef tanks and I do have only mushroom coral.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I do not feed them either but will be picking up frozen brine+spirulina today and pick up some Rod's food this weekend. LFS was feeding the clowns pellets. Yes, I see the fish eat. They eat twice a day, around 4-5 pellets per feed.

Is that 4-5 pellets per fish? I have a Darwin clown that I've been running an experiment on - NLS pellets as its sole food for 2 1/2 years or so. It's been doing great, but I feed about 20 to 30 pellets each day.

If it does have internal worms (unlikely since it is captive raised) you can offset the energy consumed by the worms by just feeding it more. Prazipro only works for external flukes and internal tapeworms.

Stringy white poop is typically NOT worms though. It could be dietary, protozoans, bacteria, or perhaps a virus.

Adding frozen food to the mix is probably a good idea. Feeding frozen brine (as well as the pellets) will decrease the "dwell time" of the food in the gut and may overcome issues with too many protozoans in the gut.

If you can post a video of the fish, I might be able to see more of their "demeanor" - if there is a systemic issue, it will show in the way they behave.

Jay

 

[saltylilthang]

Is that 4-5 pellets per fish? I have a Darwin clown that I've been running an experiment on - NLS pellets as its sole food for 2 1/2 years or so. It's been doing great, but I feed about 20 to 30 pellets each day.

If it does have internal worms (unlikely since it is captive raised) you can offset the energy consumed by the worms by just feeding it more. Prazipro only works for external flukes and internal tapeworms.

Stringy white poop is typically NOT worms though. It could be dietary, protozoans, bacteria, or perhaps a virus.

Adding frozen food to the mix is probably a good idea. Feeding frozen brine (as well as the pellets) will decrease the "dwell time" of the food in the gut and may overcome issues with too many protozoans in the gut.

If you can post a video of the fish, I might be able to see more of their "demeanor" - if there is a systemic issue, it will show in the way they behave.

Jay

These are captive bred clowns so I am not sure. In total it's like 10 pellets per fish but these are babies, just a few months old. I am going to pop down to my LFS and get some frozen food and see what they say. I've had them a little less than 2 weeks.

 

[saltylilthang]

UPDATE: I was able to get some prazipro after darting off after work. After talking to the LFS that sold me the clowns, he said it's worth trying due to symptoms. I did a 20% water change, turned off UV, removed chemipure packets, and dosed tank. I also got some frozen food which the clowns ate a bit but spit up the rest. I will be feeding a mix of hikari frozen brine+spirulina, Rod's food, and new life spectrum marine fish. I will update in a week or so if anything gets better or gets worse.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

UPDATE: I was able to get some prazipro after darting off after work. After talking to the LFS that sold me the clowns, he said it's worth trying due to symptoms. I did a 20% water change, turned off UV, removed chemipure packets, and dosed tank. I also got some frozen food which the clowns ate a bit but spit up the rest. I will be feeding a mix of hikari frozen brine+spirulina, Rod's food, and new life spectrum marine fish. I will update in a week or so if anything gets better or gets worse.

Their demeanor looks o.k. in the video, but they were pretty distant and tough to see.

Be sure to add aeration when you dose prazipro, and run any skimmers, but don't collect the skimmate.

 

[saltylilthang]

Their demeanor looks o.k. in the video, but they were pretty distant and tough to see.

Be sure to add aeration when you dose prazipro, and run any skimmers, but don't collect the skimmate.

Got it. I will run more aeration. I checked on them this morning and they are much more active than before. They aren't too sureof the frozen food but are eating.