Clown discoloration and treatment

[DexterKarin]

Hi all.
There is a longish story behind this but trying to give you what you need.
Clown is my oldest fish... 2 years old.
She has been very healthy after an early childhood bout of Ich in 1/2024 (30 days copper and 66 days tank fallow).
She earned the nickname Big Momma because she is rather chunky and a voracious eater.
Lost her partner to edema several months ago, he was always a bit weakly.
On 9/11 I got 3 new quarantined fish.
On 9/15, Big Momma was breathing rapidly and was in one place on the sand floor, but upright.
I thought I saw a "dusting" on her (not distinct ich spots) but I admittedly freaked out (not proud of that) and did not take photos.
I caught her and put her in a QT with 2.36ppm of copper .
10 hours later she was acting normal, no "dusting" on her and no ich spots but had a long thin string of white poop and was not eating. I started doubting myself.
So she has been in the copper QT since the night of 9/15. All other fish are in the DT and doing fine, eating, active and clear of outward symptoms as far as I can tell.
But now I see a dark hue on Big Momma's white area on her back and she is not eating well. I have tried a medicated (metroflex with focus) food to no real success but she eats a few untreated pellets and I'm trying to feed frequently. I know copper can depress appetite
Attaching photos of the dark hue on her saddle. Do you folks see anything here? Am I making this up? Should I shift my treatment? Was planning to continue copper for 30 days (2.36ppm copperpower tested with hanna, salinity 35ppm, ammonia badge reads 0, changing 100% water every 4-5 days). Thank you for any assistance.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi all.
There is a longish story behind this but trying to give you what you need.
Clown is my oldest fish... 2 years old.
She has been very healthy after an early childhood bout of Ich in 1/2024 (30 days copper and 66 days tank fallow).
She earned the nickname Big Momma because she is rather chunky and a voracious eater.
Lost her partner to edema several months ago, he was always a bit weakly.
On 9/11 I got 3 new quarantined fish.
On 9/15, Big Momma was breathing rapidly and was in one place on the sand floor, but upright.
I thought I saw a "dusting" on her (not distinct ich spots) but I admittedly freaked out (not proud of that) and did not take photos.
I caught her and put her in a QT with 2.36ppm of copper .
10 hours later she was acting normal, no "dusting" on her and no ich spots but had a long thin string of white poop and was not eating. I started doubting myself.
So she has been in the copper QT since the night of 9/15. All other fish are in the DT and doing fine, eating, active and clear of outward symptoms as far as I can tell.
But now I see a dark hue on Big Momma's white area on her back and she is not eating well. I have tried a medicated (metroflex with focus) food to no real success but she eats a few untreated pellets and I'm trying to feed frequently. I know copper can depress appetite
Attaching photos of the dark hue on her saddle. Do you folks see anything here? Am I making this up? Should I shift my treatment? Was planning to continue copper for 30 days (2.36ppm copperpower tested with hanna, salinity 35ppm, ammonia badge reads 0, changing 100% water every 4-5 days). Thank you for any assistance.

Videos are very short but I dont see anything jumping out such as parasitical. Loss of color often associated with brooklynella and if fish has it, some signs you will notice is loss of color, erratic swim pattern, elevated breathing, loss of appetite, mucus around face and bacterial lesions often confused with ich

 

[winxp_man]

Have had many black ocy clowns. From what I can see in the video as vette stated nothing jumps out.

Also the blacks will change color when there is minimal light or not light as do other marine fish.

Answers to the second part of Vette’s statement will give you the answers you’re looking for it there is a disease.

 

[DexterKarin]

Well right now I don't see any thing but loss of appetite, swimming fine, no heavy breathing, no mucus or lesions, nor dusting, nor ich looking spots. Thank you for checking out videos.

 

[winxp_man]

Let me ask this. What is the history of the other fish? Qt wise that is. Also did you treat with prazi if they have all been in QT’s?

And when people say I buy QT’ed fish. I would observe even QT’ed fish. I have redone a QT of QT’ed fish being I don’t trust anything any longer. Back in June I reviewed a “QT’ed fish form a QT seller….. ended up with ich two, three weeks later. Said never again.

So it’s why I ask about the history. It lets the forum about what has taken place and what is possibly happening. And what kind of tank mates.

 

[DexterKarin]

The new fish were purchased quarantined and yes, prazipro was administered. And no I did not do a qt or observation outside the DT myself. Respectfully, I really don't want this thread to go into the realm of qt rights and wrongs and buying qt, etc. lots of that out there.

Really just want opinions on the look of the fish now and if I should stay the course of treatment in copper or change things up.

Thanks

 

[winxp_man]

The new fish were purchased quarantined and yes, prazipro was administered. And no I did not do a qt or observation outside the DT myself. Respectfully, I really don't want this thread to go into the realm of qt rights and wrongs and buying qt, etc. lots of that out there.

Really just want opinions on the look of the fish now and if I should stay the course of treatment in copper or change things up.

Thanks

Here is the issue…. Without stating QT processes some do a few days of copper, yes have seen the comments even on FB reef pages, some do a week, some do two.

My findings on two purple tangs I QT’ed when I received them about end of march beginning of April. Two and a half weeks in the fish popped up with ich while in QT. So the statement that is now the new protocol of 30 days in copper will stand in my books that protocol is important. Jay has a whole write up on said subject. The questions have to be asked of any new additional fish.

Example: my last outbreak I got a so called QT’ed powder brown. But him in my in my tank after observing for about a week to a week and a half. A week later my blue gets infected with ich, (mind you the blue has been velvet free for a month and a half from a velvet outbreak that killed half of my fish. And has been in QT for 76 days including observation of three weeks) A few days later my brown breaks out in a major ich infestation and dies.

I pull out the other 11 fish and directly into copper. None died after. I’m not at 3 weeks of no more copper and no disease issues. Just finishing up my fallow period of 80 days in a week and a half. So all in all this writing is just to show that QT protocol is super important. Forgot to mention that the so called QT’ed Powder Brown was only QT’ed for two weeks and observed for one but the seller, then observed for another 1.5 week and showed nothing.

Sorry for the long post, again just want to point out the reason for following the protocols of the medics here on this site to the t. That includes time frames. For me to dump loads of money into this hobby and trust the QT of others, I now have a hard time with.


Now on to the fish, the new fish came and put into DT. big momma a few days later started breathing heavy and at the bottom, into the QT she goes, then stringy white poop, and not eating well. This can be of the same issue, stringy white from not eating much. Is she eating now? And in the videos swimming looks fine, just the breathing is hard to see. Does it seem to have stabilized? Breathing that is.

I would try switching food if that is the only issue. Try dry frozen mysis with garlic drops, and selcon or vitachem to put vitamins back into here. Keep an eye out on her breathing.