Clown fish disease? Ick? Velvet? Paranoid?

[Rham1281]

I noticed this morning that my smaller clown has some white spots on him. He's still very active, eats enthusiastically, and doesn't appear to have any breathing problems.

No other fish in my tank (another clown and a Lawnmower Blenny) have these markings on them and no one is acting strange.

I've got a medical tank ready to go and medicine ready to go just in case.

Thoughts?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I noticed this morning that my smaller clown has some white spots on him. He's still very active, eats enthusiastically, and doesn't appear to have any breathing problems.

No other fish in my tank (another clown and a Lawnmower Blenny) have these markings on them and no one is acting strange.

I've got a medical tank ready to go and medicine ready to go just in case.

Thoughts?

Looks like a development of slime coating and buildup associate with a clown disease known as Brooklynella.
This mucus generally starts at the facial area as well as gills and spreads across the body producing lesions as it progresses often confused with ich and can turn into secondary bacteria. Other symptoms will be lethargic behavior, refusing to eat and heavy breathing from the mucus.
Typical treatment is a formalin solution is mixed with in a separate container with either fresh or saltwater. Start with a quick dip in the formalin at a higher concentration then performing treatment in a prolonged bath of formalin base at a lower concentration in a quarantine tank. The longer the fish are exposed to the formalin treatment the more effective it will be at eliminating this issue. Unfortunately, none of the bottles you have will work.
If a formalin solution is not available for immediate use, temporary relief can be achieved by giving the fish a FW bath or dip in water same temperature as display tank. Even though this treatment will not cure the disease, it can help to remove some of the parasites, as well as reduce the amount of mucus in the gills to assist with respiration problems.
Treatment is best done in a QT tank using either quick cure (more effective but now harder to find) or Ruby Rally Pro. Ruby takes a little longer and initial treatment generally takes 2-3 days to really start going to work.
In some cases, you may have to quarantine of all inhabitants and leaving display without fish for 4-6 weeks. You may be safe here but keep a close eye on them.

 

[Rham1281]

Looks like a development of slime coating and buildup associate with a clown disease known as Brooklynella.
This mucus generally starts at the facial area as well as gills and spreads across the body producing lesions as it progresses often confused with ich and can turn into secondary bacteria. Other symptoms will be lethargic behavior, refusing to eat and heavy breathing from the mucus.
Typical treatment is a formalin solution is mixed with in a separate container with either fresh or saltwater. Start with a quick dip in the formalin at a higher concentration then performing treatment in a prolonged bath of formalin base at a lower concentration in a quarantine tank. The longer the fish are exposed to the formalin treatment the more effective it will be at eliminating this issue. Unfortunately, none of the bottles you have will work.
If a formalin solution is not available for immediate use, temporary relief can be achieved by giving the fish a FW bath or dip in water same temperature as display tank. Even though this treatment will not cure the disease, it can help to remove some of the parasites, as well as reduce the amount of mucus in the gills to assist with respiration problems.
Treatment is best done in a QT tank using either quick cure (more effective but now harder to find) or Ruby Rally Pro. Ruby takes a little longer and initial treatment generally takes 2-3 days to really start going to work.
In some cases, you may have to quarantine of all inhabitants and leaving display without fish for 4-6 weeks. You may be safe here but keep a close eye on them.

Thanks so much for the help!

Where do you recommend getting the formalin solution?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks so much for the help!

Where do you recommend getting the formalin solution?

Drug store or better yet,

Home New ‣ Aquanest

TO SAVE 20% ON YOUR ENTIRE ORDER FOR A SHORT TIME!CODE: NEW20PHARMACEUTICAL GRADE ANTIBIOTICSWe sell only the highest quality pharmaceutical grade antibiotics sourced and manufactured in the United States! No fillers, binders, or adulterants ever! SAME DAY SHIPPINGAll orders within the US...

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It must be mixed precisely to 37% solution

 

[Rham1281]

Drug store or better yet,

Home New ‣ Aquanest

TO SAVE 20% ON YOUR ENTIRE ORDER FOR A SHORT TIME!CODE: NEW20PHARMACEUTICAL GRADE ANTIBIOTICSWe sell only the highest quality pharmaceutical grade antibiotics sourced and manufactured in the United States! No fillers, binders, or adulterants ever! SAME DAY SHIPPINGAll orders within the US...

aquanestbiotic.com

It must be mixed precisely to 37% solution

Would it be named just "formalin" or would it go by something else?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Would it be named just "formalin" or would it go by something else?

Formaldehyde. Theres a chance aquanest may not have it but acriflavine would work

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Would it be named just "formalin" or would it go by something else?

You want pure formalin, which is 37% formaldehyde gas in water. This stuff is toxic. I don't like using it inside my home. I wish there was a better treatment for this.....

Jay

 

[Rham1281]

You want pure formalin, which is 37% formaldehyde gas in water. This stuff is toxic. I don't like using it inside my home. I wish there was a better treatment for this.....

Jay

Do you have any brands in particular you'd use?

And any tips or pointers for using it to not kill everything would also be very appreciated!

 

[Weeb]

You want pure formalin, which is 37% formaldehyde gas in water. This stuff is toxic. I don't like using it inside my home. I wish there was a better treatment for this.....

Jay

Any chance those 'spots' are mucous tuffs not related to Brook? They aren't clear (out of focus) in the (under blue lighting) photo, and if the fish has gone through the recommended QT and potentially in the DT for months it might lead me to think more as mucous extrusions. There is no background info on this fish.

OP wrote that there are no other symptoms which are associated with Brook.

I've had success and seen success using Rally Pro, by Ruby Reef for Brooklynella hostilis if everyone still thinks it must be Brook. Avoids that high % Formaldehyde. I use it as a dip: at 2x recommended concentration, for 90 minutes. Caveats: (a) Temperature control the bath water by using a heater. (b) Provide plenty of oxygen by using an air pump + air stone. (c) Ensure salinity, pH and temperature of the bath water matches the tank the fish is coming from.

Just wondering.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Any chance those 'spots' are mucous tuffs not related to Brook? They aren't clear (out of focus) in the (under blue lighting) photo, and if the fish has gone through the recommended QT and potentially in the DT for months it might lead me to think more as mucous extrusions. There is no background info on this fish.

OP wrote that there are no other symptoms which are associated with Brook.

I've had success and seen success using Rally Pro, by Ruby Reef for Brooklynella hostilis if everyone still thinks it must be Brook. Avoids that high % Formaldehyde. I use it as a dip: at 2x recommended concentration, for 90 minutes. Caveats: (a) Temperature control the bath water by using a heater. (b) Provide plenty of oxygen by using an air pump + air stone. (c) Ensure salinity, pH and temperature of the bath water matches the tank the fish is coming from.

Just wondering.

It could just be mucus, especially in the absence of other symptoms. I wasn't actually diagnosing this case, I was just jumping in to clarify what formalin is, and that I won't have it in my home. When I was a kid, the places I worked used it as net dips. I remember how the fumes would make my nose run and sting my eyes....I'm sure I'll pay for that at some point.

Rally Pro as a high dose dip is a safer option. Trouble is, putting the fish back into the infected tank leaves reinfection likely.

Jay

 

[Weeb]

back into the infected tank

Thank you for your post. I know. Very challenging when in the DT. Moving all fish out for a fallow time is a big stress for hobbyist and fish.

how the fumes would make my nose run and sting my eyes.

I got it on my arm when the lab student next to me thought it was funny to bump me.