Clear spots on clown fish

[Bleigh]

So I allowed my tank to go fallow for a little more than 6 weeks after brook. These fish have been through copper, formalin, malachite green and prazipro (then switched to general cure in food with focus).

I put them back in DT yesterday. I noticed that one had see through spots on its tail this morning. I thought maybe it was fighting with the other. When I checked later, the spots were gone, but the other fish had see through spots on it's fins, which are now gone. You can see the two spots on this one's tail. They were in the exact location on both sides, and it was as if I could see the light coming through them, which is why I call them clear, and not white. At the moment, neither have any spots on them, they're eating and swimming and poop looks normal.

My thoughts are, 1) did they get injured by the net when I moved them; 2) get stung by some corals; 3) hurt each other; or 4) get some parasite that the treatments didn't help?

 

[drstardust]

Are you referring to those two white dots on its tail? Could you get another picture? (hard, I know lol)

 

[Bleigh]

Are you referring to those two white dots on its tail? Could you get another picture? (hard, I know lol)

Yeah, those are the spots. They went away. I'll go look and she if either have any right now. They're coming and going on both, so it's weird. It doesn't look like something on the skin, it looks like a loss of pigment. They're breathing is fine and their gills don't look inflamed. I didn't notice any spots while they were in QT. So it's weird. Has to be something to do with DT.... at least, that is my guess....

 

[Bleigh]

So now she has one on her posterior dorsal fin. You can see through it. I tried to get a picture from both sides so this was evident. It really looks like a loss of pigment, not mucous. But I honestly have not idea what could be going on.

 

[ngoodermuth]

Looks like flukes, easier to see on black colored fish. You said you did prazipro then switched to general cure in food. Did you dose prazipro twice? 5-7 days apart?

 

[ngoodermuth]

Here is a photo of flukes on a black clown:

Obviously much more severe case, but you get the idea. If you can catch one of them, you can perform a 5-minute freshwater dip to confirm or rule out flukes as a possibility.

Freshwater Dip
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...p?threads/Freshwater-Dip.248898/&share_type=t

 

[Bleigh]

Looks like flukes, easier to see on black colored fish. You said you did prazipro then switched to general cure in food. Did you dose prazipro twice? 5-7 days apart?

I did. How long can flukes be in the water? The DT was fishless for 6 weeks. They seemed totally good in the QT. I did see stringy poop one day, but it was only the one day. I'm sure they had it before that day, but I had been dosing them already and just didn't know to look for it. I didn't see it again. Other that, they've looked amazing. So I have to believe it was something in the DT? Or something that happened in the move....

 

[Bleigh]

Here is a photo of flukes on a black clown:

Obviously much more severe case, but you get the idea. If you can catch one of them, you can perform a 5-minute freshwater dip to confirm or rule out flukes as a possibility.

Freshwater Dip
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?share_fid=1020&share_tid=248898&url=https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/Freshwater-Dip.248898/&share_type=t

Thanks for the link! I'll try a dip this afternoon, just to rule it out. I don't think it looks like that though, at least not yet... It really looks like pigment loss... and then the pigment fades back in and the spot is gone. It s possible that a coral may be stinging them or that I may have a hitchhiker in the tank that causes pigment loss?

 

[Bleigh]

Just an update, neither fish have any spots on them anymore. So the "clear" spots are coming and going pretty quickly. And there's no indication there was an issue at the spot once they've gone. What surprises me is that where the spots are seem to be clear. Like, when they swim, I can see the light filtering through. Then once the color comes back, this isn't the case. It really doesn't look like something attached to the fish at all. Can fish get anything similar to vitiligo?

 

[ngoodermuth]

I did. How long can flukes be in the water? The DT was fishless for 6 weeks. They seemed totally good in the QT. I did see stringy poop one day, but it was only the one day. I'm sure they had it before that day, but I had been dosing them already and just didn't know to look for it. I didn't see it again. Other that, they've looked amazing. So I have to believe it was something in the DT? Or something that happened in the move....

4 weeks is the fallow period for flukes, so should be good there. There is a such thing as prazi-resistant flukes though, so that’s a possibility. I would do the freshwater dip in any case, to rule it out. The moving and appearing/disappearing would sound more like a parasite than a sting or site wound.

 

[Bleigh]

4 weeks is the fallow period for flukes, so should be good there. There is a such thing as prazi-resistant flukes though, so that’s a possibility. I would do the freshwater dip in any case, to rule it out. The moving and appearing/disappearing would sound more like a parasite than a sting or site wound.

Thanks for all the help!

What salinity should RODI water be? I just checked mine and it's around 1.009. I was expecting it to be 1.000. Will it still count as a fresh water dip?

 

[ngoodermuth]

Thanks for all the help!

What salinity should RODI water be? I just checked mine and it's around 1.009. I was expecting it to be 1.000. Will it still count as a fresh water dip?

Hmm... could some leftover saltwater have been in the barrel? RODI is definitely 1.000

Could you run some fresh RODI into a new container to double check, or check directly from the output line? Also... has you refractometer been calibrated recently?

 

[Bleigh]

Hmm... could some leftover saltwater have been in the barrel? RODI is definitely 1.000

Could you run some fresh RODI into a new container to double check, or check directly from the output line? Also... has you refractometer been calibrated recently?

I buy all my water from the LFS at this point. I only have a biocube, so that's more efficient for me at this point. So if the RO water has salt in it, they've done something wrong on their part... uh oh.

 

[ngoodermuth]

Humble has posted that flukes will die after 2 days in water at 1.011, but I’m honestly not certain if using 1.009 will cause them to dislodge as they would in a freshwater dip after 3-minutes....

@HotRocks @bigG @Humblefish @4FordFamily

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I buy all my water from the LFS at this point. I only have a biocube, so that's more efficient for me at this point. So if the RO water has salt in it, they've done something wrong on their part... uh oh.

Can you run to the grocery store and get a 5 gallon bottle of RO water out of the machine? You need it at 1.000 to be effective within the 5 min. The only thing I’d add to that is a little prime to ensure chlorine didn’t get through the machines filters.

 

[Bleigh]

Humble has posted that flukes will die after 2 days in water at 1.011, but I’m honestly not certain if using 1.009 will cause them to dislodge as they would in a freshwater dip after 3-minutes....

I think I need to take my jug back and have them put in new RO water. When I first brought it home this time, I noticed a bunch of sediment in the bottom of the jug. Which I thought was weird, but didn't really think much about it.... So i'm sure something weird must have happened.

 

[Bleigh]

Can you run to the grocery store and get a You really need it at 1.000 to be effective within the 5 min. The only thing I’d add to that is a little prime to ensure chlorine didn’t get through the machines filters.

Yeah. I'll go do that. Then I'll take my jug back to the LFS. I may have been the first person to notice there's an issue with it. Hopefully not, but still....

The jug is labeled RO water. And it's only ever been used for that. I just can't fathom how it's not 1.000 or 1.026. Unless they switched the jug to the other tap half way through filling it, which wouldn't make sense... Or their water system is having an issue....

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I think I need to take my jug back and have them put in new RO water. When I first brought it home this time, I noticed a bunch of sediment in the bottom of the jug. Which I thought was weird, but didn't really think much about it.... So i'm sure something weird must have happened.[/QUOTE

Yeah. I'll go do that. Then I'll take my jug back to the LFS. I may have been the first person to notice there's an issue with it. Hopefully not, but still....

The jug is labeled RO water. And it's only ever been used for that. I just can't fathom how it's not 1.000 or 1.026. Unless they switched the jug to the other tap half way through filling it, which wouldn't make sense... Or their water system is having an issue....

Have you considered buying your own RODI? You can a small 50GPD on Amazon cheap that hooks to your sink. Doing that would remove any risk from contaminated water at the LFS

 

[Bleigh]

Have you considered buying your own RODI? You can a small 50GPD on Amazon cheap that hooks to your sink. Doing that would remove any risk from contaminated water at the LFS

I started looking at them. I think I may get one. I'm such a control freak. It will make me feel better knowing there's one more thing I have personal control over.

I did run to the store and got a 5 gallon bottle of glacial water. I have a heater in it waiting on the water to warm up now.

 

[ngoodermuth]

Make sure the water is well aerated as well as heated (an airline works fine) for at least 20 minutes prior to the dip (and during) and splash a little tank water in just before the fish to help match the ph.