CLOWNFISH BREATHING RAPIDLY AND NOT EATING-Please help

[gaki]

Hi, I got a pair of clownfish from my LFS about 2 weeks ago and both seemed healthy. They spent some time in an acclimation box in my main tank and then went into their own tank 9 days ago. I've been feeding them pretty regularly and all seemed well, but the last time I saw the little one eat was three days ago. Also, he is breathing pretty quickly (opening and closing his mouth quickly) and not swimming like most clowns do (he's only using his pectoral fins). What should I do? The other fish is perfectly fine, so I seriously doubt it's something in the water (parameter wise).

some additional notes:
- no aggression between the two
- tank is quite new (only 2-3 weeks)
- other fish is fine

*I might try putting them back in the acclimation box in my other, more established tank and see if that fixes things

 

[gaki]

i can also post some pictures if that would help

 

[Jay Hemdal]

i can also post some pictures if that would help

Pictures might help, but a short video might be better.
What are your water quality parameters?
Rapid breathing is a very serious symptom....

Jay

 

[gaki]

videos have never really worked for me, but I'll try. I don't have an accurate way to test parameters, but the other fish is happy and healthy, so it's confusing. should I put them in my main tank just to be safe? maybe that will show if it is a water problem

 

[Jay Hemdal]

The video worked fine, thanks. At first with rapid breathing, I was thinking velvet, a gill disease, but this doesn't look like that and if it was, both fish would be infected by this point. Water quality is also mostly ruled out by the other clown still doing o.k.
It could be a bacterial gill disease, or remotely, it could be gill flukes (same issues though - the other clown isn't affected).
I don't see an obvious course of action, but it you don't try something, you will lose the clown. I would not move it to a new tank, if there is an infection, you'll just spread it. You could try a five minute freshwater dip to see if it provides any temporary relief over the next day or so. There is a risk that the dip will kill the fish, but if so, that just meant it was going to die soon anyway. There is also a good chance the dip won't do anything, but it is at least something to try.

jay

 

[si reef]

2-3 week old tank sounds like may be hi Ammonia

 

[gaki]

Thanks so much for the advice. I will see how he's doing tomorrow and make a decision then, but it sounds like his odds aren't great

 

[si reef]

I would put him back in a established tank if possible till the new tank cycles

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I would put him back in a established tank if possible till the new tank cycles

If it were water quality, both fish would be affected, at least to some degree. If it is a disease, and they move it to an established tank, they have then moved the disease along with the fish.

Jay

 

[gaki]

Unfortunately, he did not make it. I did the freshwater dip yesterday and it seemed to have no affect, so I am still unsure of what it was that did him in. Looking at his body, though, his gill flaps seemed a bit inflamed and his stomach area seemed to have faint lines (like on the inside). His partner is still doing well -knock on wood- but is there any way to find out what killed him? Also, thanks so much everyone for your time in trying to help me with this, much appreciated.