Clownfish Constipation

[Ishy]

Our Percula is displaying the symptoms of constipation- swimming at the top , tail or side up & not pooping as often as he should, white and bitty when he does go. He was treated a few weeks ago with a worm treatment bath for 6 hours and only started to display this in the last few days. An epsom salt bath is the next thing as he spits out the peas , just looking for a dosage per litre for a bath and time in the bath recommended.
Thanks in advance

 

[Humblefish]

Our Percula is displaying the symptoms of constipation- swimming at the top , tail or side up & not pooping as often as he should, white and bitty when he does go. He was treated a few weeks ago with a worm treatment bath for 6 hours and only started to display this in the last few days. An epsom salt bath is the next thing as he spits out the peas , just looking for a dosage per litre for a bath and time in the bath recommended.
Thanks in advance

You can dose pure Epsom salt right in the DT - 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons. However, older clownfish are prone to swim bladder disorders and this is what you may actually be seeing.

 

[Ishy]

Thank you for the response, we want to try a bath what dosage would you suggest for this, I don't think he's very old as he's only around 2 1/2 inches.

 

[Humblefish]

Thank you for the response, we want to try a bath what dosage would you suggest for this, I don't think he's very old as he's only around 2 1/2 inches.

I would use the same dosage, 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons or 15mg per 20L. But it will need to be a long-term bath (at least 24 hrs) to do any good. Another strategy is to dose kanamycin (an antibiotic) whilst the fish is in the bath water, as that lists diarrhea as a known side effect.

 

[Ishy]

Thanks, would our nems ( bubble tips) be ok with Epsom salts in the display and would be need to remove the epsom salt in any other way other than with our normal waterchanges or carbon etc? If we put it in the display is there anything else we need to know.
Again thanks in advance

 

[Humblefish]

Thanks, would our nems ( bubble tips) be ok with Epsom salts in the display and would be need to remove the epsom salt in any other way other than with our normal waterchanges or carbon etc? If we put it in the display is there anything else we need to know.
Again thanks in advance

Epsom salt is just magnesium sulfate, so its completely reef safe.

 

[Ishy]

Ok so we've added the Epsom salts to the DT, our Female perc - who is without issue and is pooping well :). The male is no change, no poop that we have seen and hes floating at a side angle at the top. There's no swelling on his body and at night he leaves the surface to the safety of the rock, he no longer goes in the nems.
After the 24 hour period with the Epsom salts , if he shows no sign of improvement we are going to bath him in Seachem Metroplex as you previously recommend in a thread where we wormed him. Today is the first day he hasn't eaten so now we need to keep trying what we can. If its not constipation then we need to try parasite/ bacterial as next treatment.

It will have to be a bath but how long should we keep him in there and am I correct in saying for a bath it is double dosage? I really hope we can save him:(
Please let me know, thanks.

 

[Humblefish]

After the 24 hour period with the Epsom salts , if he shows no sign of improvement we are going to bath him in Seachem Metroplex as you previously recommend in a thread where we wormed him. Today is the first day he hasn't eaten so now we need to keep trying what we can. If its not constipation then we need to try parasite/ bacterial as next treatment.

It will have to be a bath but how long should we keep him in there and am I correct in saying for a bath it is double dosage? I really hope we can save him:(
Please let me know, thanks.

I would combine Metroplex & Kanaplex in a QT. Short-term exposure in a bath isn't going to do much good.

 

[Ishy]

Just a follow up on this, moved clown over to a hospital tank with Metroplex (can't get Kanaplex for a week) but the strange thing is as soon as we moved him over he behaves perfectly normal, and has done for the two days he's been in, looks really happy:rolleyes: This is now making me wonder if its some behavioural thing due to the other clowns presence? They seem to be ok together but he has grown more distant and only reacts (submissively) when she makes the effort to go to him.

 

[Humblefish]

Are the two clowns close in size? Your "he" might be morphing into a "she".

 

[Ishy]

This is exactly what we've been discussing today. He is now back in the display and back at the top of the tank. The female is going to him and "displaying" and although he shows some signs back is not really that interested.
When we bought them they were quite close in size but bought as a pair, and initially they behaved like a pair. The female is now considerably larger and the male has changed the way he acts towards her. Will monitor for the next couple of days then decide what to do. It's no good for him to live at the top of a tank like this so we may have to change him for a smaller clown.

 

[Humblefish]

This is exactly what we've been discussing today. He is now back in the display and back at the top of the tank. The female is going to him and "displaying" and although he shows some signs back is not really that interested.
When we bought them they were quite close in size but bought as a pair, and initially they behaved like a pair. The female is now considerably larger and the male has changed the way he acts towards her. Will monitor for the next couple of days then decide what to do. It's no good for him to live at the top of a tank like this so we may have to change him for a smaller clown.

It takes patience but what I like to do is buy a small, juvenile clownfish to match up with a big momma clown. She will just ignore him for the first 6 months or so, but they will pair up after that and start to lay eggs. The size difference between them is so great that the male never comes close to morphing.

 

[Lab_Adam]

IF your clown is constipated it may be a good idea to lessen the feedings or stop altogether and try to get this fixed quick. If an impacted bowel ruptures this will be certain death.

 

[Ishy]

Thank's to everyone for the help :) He didn't eat for the 48 hours he was in the Metroplex but did poop white and stringy . Now that he is back in the display he is eating again so fingers crossed he will be ok.

 

[Humblefish]

He didn't eat for the 48 hours he was in the Metroplex but did poop white and stringy .

The white & stringy poop means he has intestinal worms which need to be cleared out. I would continue to dose Metroplex, or you can also soak it in the fish's food if he is eating. You'll also need to use a binder (ex. Seachem Focus) to prevent the med from leaching out of the food.