Clown goby with mysterious disease

[Grijalvaj22]

Hello I’m new to the hobby and I currently have a 15 g with two clowns, fire shrimp, 3 bumble bee snails,yellow clown goby,and a conch and for the last couple of weeks I’ve noticed these white bumps on my clown goby after I introduced a springeri damsel and after about a day he suddenly had ich and after I took him out he died in about 20 minutes. A couple of days after I noticed the goby had white spots but i didn’t look like ich. He’s been eating the one thing I find weird is that he’s been perching out in the open and usually he’s hiding most of the time. I was wondering if anyone could help me identify what he has and how to treat it?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello I’m new to the hobby and I currently have a 15 g with two clowns, fire shrimp, 3 bumble bee snails,yellow clown goby,and a conch and for the last couple of weeks I’ve noticed these white bumps on my clown goby after I introduced a springeri damsel and after about a day he suddenly had ich and after I took him out he died in about 20 minutes. A couple of days after I noticed the goby had white spots but i didn’t look like ich. He’s been eating the one thing I find weird is that he’s been perching out in the open and usually he’s hiding most of the time. I was wondering if anyone could help me identify what he has and how to treat it?

This looks very much like ich and this type of fish is Not the easiest to treat. I prefer use of general cure or chloroquine phosphate. They dont do well with hyposalinity and you may get by with coppersafe at 2.0 which is the minimum level coppersafe works along with an air stone for added aeration

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hello I’m new to the hobby and I currently have a 15 g with two clowns, fire shrimp, 3 bumble bee snails,yellow clown goby,and a conch and for the last couple of weeks I’ve noticed these white bumps on my clown goby after I introduced a springeri damsel and after about a day he suddenly had ich and after I took him out he died in about 20 minutes. A couple of days after I noticed the goby had white spots but i didn’t look like ich. He’s been eating the one thing I find weird is that he’s been perching out in the open and usually he’s hiding most of the time. I was wondering if anyone could help me identify what he has and how to treat it?

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

That does look like marine ich. Are you seeing any other fish with spots yet?

You’ll need to treat all of the fish, but in the absence of all invertebrates. Coppersafe or hyposalinity are the two best options.

 

[Grijalvaj22]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

That does look like marine ich. Are you seeing any other fish with spots yet?

You’ll need to treat all of the fish, but in the absence of all invertebrates. Coppersafe or hyposalinity are the two best options.

No other fish have any spots and the goby’s fins are like ripped too and in the early stage it kinda looked like his skin was rotting

 

[Grijalvaj22]

No other fish have any spots and the goby’s fins are like ripped too and in the early stage it kinda looked like his skin was rotting

I’ve also been putting I think it’s melafix for the last week and a half and have done about water change of about 2 gallons every week and I turned up the temperature to 82 as per recommended by my local fish store

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I’ve also been putting I think it’s melafix for the last week and a half and have done about water change of about 2 gallons every week and I turned up the temperature to 82 as per recommended by my local fish store

That won't really help if it is marine ich. Hopefully, it isn't ich. This species is also prone to getting mucus plugs. I think though, that the behavior change you are seeing means it isn't those.

 

[Grijalvaj22]

That won't really help if it is marine ich. Hopefully, it isn't ich. This species is also prone to getting mucus plugs. I think though, that the behavior change you are seeing means it isn't those.

Is there anything I can do to treat mucus plugs and is it life threatening? I don’t think it’s ich because I’ve seen ich when I first started that wiped out my whole set up within a week and to my understanding ich is something that shouldn’t last longer than a week and he’s been like that for about 3 and a half weeks

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Is there anything I can do to treat mucus plugs and is it life threatening? I don’t think it’s ich because I’ve seen ich when I first started that wiped out my whole set up within a week and to my understanding ich is something that shouldn’t last longer than a week and he’s been like that for about 3 and a half weeks

Nobody knows the exact cause of mucus plugs, but it is caused by some stress. The trouble is that ich can cause this, and it is very difficult to tell ich trophonts from mucus plugs.

Is the goby still eating?

 

[Grijalvaj22]

Nobody knows the exact cause of mucus plugs, but it is caused by some stress. The trouble is that ich can cause this, and it is very difficult to tell ich trophonts from mucus plugs.

Is the goby still eating?

Yes it is still eating ahhh ok so I assume there is no treatment in anyway ?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Yes it is still eating ahhh ok so I assume there is no treatment in anyway ?

Just keep a very close eye on the other fish - any spots showing up on them will require treatment.

 

[ajmckay]

Just curious if there's an update to your goby? I've had a yellow clown goby in my 4g for about a year now and while researching shark nose gobies I've learned about mucous plugs. Ha. I'm just wondering if that's what it was or if it was actually ich/crypto.

 

[Grijalvaj22]

Just curious if there's an update to your goby? I've had a yellow clown goby in my 4g for about a year now and while researching shark nose gobies I've learned about mucous plugs. Ha. I'm just wondering if that's what it was or if it was actually ich/crypto.

Yea sadly he sadly passed about a week after I made this post

 

[Fishguy8]

Thats tough

 

[ajmckay]

Yea sadly he sadly passed about a week after I made this post

Ah bummer sorry. Thanks for closing it out though.