clown fish swimming oddly and not eating

[Ymrhb]

Hi all,

I noticed that my clown fish is swimming oddly and stopped eating. He shakes a bit while swimming but not swimming upside down or something like that. I'm not sure if this is a swim bladder problem. I'm thinking about trying methylene blue. I'll go to a fish store tomorrow to buy it and set up a hospital tank. I was wondering if anyone experienced this before and give me some tips about how to deal with it? I don't see any problem on his skin.

I didn't add any fish to my tank over a year but I bought a month ago some cleanup crew and corals. I'm not sure if any disease can come from them. I also recently have a bit of a cyanobacteria outbreak but as far as I know it shouldn't effect the fish much. I hope I'm not too late to save him.

 

[Reef By Steele]

How long have you had the clown? How long has it not been eating. Do you have a pair or just a single. What else is in the tank? Yes disease can come in with the water from any infected system even if the corals and inverts can’t carry the disease.
Any signs of odd poop? Stringy, white, black etc. normal breathing, rapid breathing?

 

[Ymrhb]

I have a pair and this one is almost 3 years old, the other one is more than 3. I was on holiday for 3 days, I found out yesterday when I came back that he is in this condition. He also breathes heavily. I think it's not too bad for now but compared to the other one I can see that it's rapid. I didn't see any poop so far to say anything about it but the skins looks healthy to me.

Besides the pair I have a fire fish, a fire shrimp and some cleanup crew (hermits, snails, emeral crab). Also, I had a banggai cardinal but it passed away last week. He was almost 4 years old, since they have a relatively short life span, I thought he passed away because of the old age but I'm not sure anymore.

 

[Reef By Steele]

Have you checked you water parameters. Being gone and leaving someone else to care for your tanks is always a little scary. Maybe they overfed or made some other error? Not sure what you mean by twitching, my clowns alway swim in what I consider a weird manner, especially when they are mating, but I’m sure you would be familiar with those wiggles.

What are you feeding and have you tried using garlic to entice it to eat.

 

[Ymrhb]

Have you checked you water parameters. Being gone and leaving someone else to care for your tanks is always a little scary. Maybe they overfed or made some other error? Not sure what you mean by twitching, my clowns alway swim in what I consider a weird manner, especially when they are mating, but I’m sure you would be familiar with those wiggles.

What are you feeding and have you tried using garlic to entice it to eat.

I tried mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, and gold pods (nyos), and I also added some garlic oil today. Even though the food was directly in front of him, he didn't react. Over the last month or so, this male clown fish has been staying in a different corner than the female as if they are separated. Now, I'm thinking maybe the female stressed him out. But I saw the mating-like moves before.

I checked salinity, nitrate, and alkalinity, and all seem fine. Tomorrow I'll also buy the kits for ammonia and pH.

I attached a video to my first post. In the last seconds you can see what I mean by shaking/twitching. I agree that it's not too obvious but it's not normal either. Maybe this is happening because he's getting weak.

 

[Reef By Steele]

Unfortunately I’m on my phone so can’t see the video. Maybe we can get some help from @Jay Hemdal @vetteguy53081

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi all,

I noticed that my clown fish is swimming oddly and stopped eating. He shakes a bit while swimming but not swimming upside down or something like that. I'm not sure if this is a swim bladder problem. I'm thinking about trying methylene blue. I'll go to a fish store tomorrow to buy it and set up a hospital tank. I was wondering if anyone experienced this before and give me some tips about how to deal with it? I don't see any problem on his skin.

I didn't add any fish to my tank over a year but I bought a month ago some cleanup crew and corals. I'm not sure if any disease can come from them. I also recently have a bit of a cyanobacteria outbreak but as far as I know it shouldn't effect the fish much. I hope I'm not too late to save him.

This odd swimming with wobbly pattern often associated with brooklynella. Could use closer image under white light only. If brook, other signs you will see are. . . . . lethargic behavior, hiding. refusing to eat and heavy breathing from the mucus.

 

[Ymrhb]

This odd swimming with wobbly pattern often associated with brooklynella. Could use closer image under white light only. If brook, other signs you will see are. . . . . lethargic behavior, hiding. refusing to eat and heavy breathing from the mucus.

Thanks for the answer. What would be the best treatment for it? Does it require any specific treatment or the general ones like methylene blue would be enough? I checked a bit online but I got a bit confused.

Do you think that then this disease came with the cleanup crew or corals that I added recently? I wasn't buying any fish lately because I was scared of bringing any disease. Now sadly it looks a bit tragic...

 

[Reef By Steele]

I have never treated or had Brook so can’t say much, but found a thread from the UK so you being in Germany thought it might be relevant.

Best Brooklynella treatment in the UK?

Hi guys, I know Formalin and Ruby Reef are known to be the best Brooklynella treatments but I haven’t been able to find anyone in the UK that supplies them. Does anyone know the best option in the UK? I have noticed white marks on one of my clowns in my new main tank and have already treated...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Ymrhb]

I have never treated or had Brook so can’t say much, but found a thread from the UK so you being in Germany thought it might be relevant.

Best Brooklynella treatment in the UK?

Hi guys, I know Formalin and Ruby Reef are known to be the best Brooklynella treatments but I haven’t been able to find anyone in the UK that supplies them. Does anyone know the best option in the UK? I have noticed white marks on one of my clowns in my new main tank and have already treated...

www.reef2reef.com

Thanks a lot! I'm going to check it now. Tomorrow I'll go to a fish store to learn about the treatment options here. Hopefully I can save the little guy.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks for the answer. What would be the best treatment for it? Does it require any specific treatment or the general ones like methylene blue would be enough? I checked a bit online but I got a bit confused.

Do you think that then this disease came with the cleanup crew or corals that I added recently? I wasn't buying any fish lately because I was scared of bringing any disease. Now sadly it looks a bit tragic...

Can be stress, other fish and wild caught clowns which generally are the ones to get this.
I see you are in the UK region and can use either Waterlife Myxazin Or Avloclor.

 

[Ymrhb]

Today I went to the fish store, the same place where I purchased this clownfish, and discussed the situation with the owner. Unfortunately the conversation wasn't very helpful. He said he doesn't think that it's brooklynella since there are no visible signs on his skin (I took more images under white LED lighting, and it appears fine) and the rest of the fish are fine. He simply said there is nothing I can do and I should wait until he dies or decides to eat again... Not very motivating. I might go to another fish store on the weekend.

Meanwhile the clownfish still shows no interest in eating but he swims okay.

 

[Ymrhb]

Update

Today I went to the other fish store from which I purchased my other two fish. The owner is guessing that it is something called oodinium disease. Now I set up a hospital tank and started treating the fish with a copper-based solution. I was told that the chances are 50-50.

 

[Reef By Steele]

That is a name for velvet. Yes copper is the treatment for velvet. Fish should show a fine powdery dusting covering its skin.