Clownfish dying

Aaron Soliz · Oct 16, 2017

Hey bud,

I was reading your thread regarding velvet. I never had this issue before... do I need to add copper to my aquarium too or will the continue water changes be enough for 6 weeks? I am still in shock as the fish were fine at the store and breathing the way they should but when introduced... the breathing kicked up fast and then, dead. They even ate as I fed them when I was there. How come when introduced into my tank, thinks happen so fast but when they were there.. they were fine?

Aaron

coweyes298 · Oct 16, 2017

Changing environment may bring stress. Stress will amplify the hidden parasite. Velvet is a super fast killer. Search Humblefish's thread about parasite and look for velvet, then you will understand how fast it can be even without any visual symptom.

No copper for your fishless tank. 6 weeks will take care of velvet. If you can go 76 days plus without fish you will get rid of ich as well. But remember QT every future fish and treat them before put them back to display tank.

Aaron Soliz · Oct 16, 2017

That's crazy! I am disappointed as those fish were not cheap.

When treating, how do you go about it? I never have to do that before. I guess I have gotten lucky but I will start doing a freshwater dip once I figure out how to do that. Will This affect my coral?

Dizzirn · Oct 16, 2017

Aaron Soliz said:
That's crazy! I am disappointed as those fish were not cheap.

When treating, how do you go about it? I never have to do that before. I guess I have gotten lucky but I will start doing a freshwater dip once I figure out how to do that. Will This affect my coral?

Read threads by Humblefish, particularly regarding parasites and velvet... in fact read all the threads you can find about it and also about quarantine tanks... there is so much knowledge for you here in the forums

Good luck

Humblefish · Oct 16, 2017

Info on Marine Velvet Disease: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/velvet-amyloodinium-ocellatum.217570/

How to treat Marine Velvet Disease: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/velvet-amyloodinium-ocellatum.217570/#post-2499437

Aaron Soliz · Oct 17, 2017

Should I also leave the light off? I have the coral in there so not sure if its a good idea.

ricenoodle · Oct 17, 2017

You just need to go fishless for that amount of time, do everything as before in regards to water change and lights. You are making the same mistakes i made 12 years ago when i first started. Don't add any more fish. Some kind of parasite is killing any livestock. Let it ride and Qt and add properly after the period. I added any fish i could get my hands on in the early days and one day they just started off dying one by one, i would add more fish, they died soon after, happed to be ich which wiped out my whole tank in matter of 2 weeks. Every fish my kids were attached to, gone, so yeah take the proper precautions.

Humblefish · Oct 17, 2017

ricenoodle said:
You just need to go fishless for that amount of time, do everything as before in regards to water change and lights. You are making the same mistakes i made 12 years ago when i first started. Don't add any more fish. Some kind of parasite is killing any livestock. Let it ride and Qt and add properly after the period. I added any fish i could get my hands on in the early days and one day they just started off dying one by one, i would add more fish, they died soon after, happed to be ich which wiped out my whole tank in matter of 2 weeks. Every fish my kids were attached to, gone, so yeah take the proper precautions.

+1 Six weeks fallow will take care of velvet, lights off or on.

Aaron Soliz · Oct 17, 2017

Time to get to work then. 6 weeks here we come lol.

Aaron Soliz · Oct 20, 2017

Hello my friend!

Went to pick up some saltwater at my local fish store. While I was there I saw the two clowns I had in my current aquarium. Miss those little guys but besides that fact....I did notice something odd about the both of them. I noticed white dots on them this time. I saw in one of your post that fish that have velvet do not like the light so much. When I had them in my aquarium, I noticed that the last few days I had them... they would stay in cave parts of my aquarium were there is hardly any light and I noticed they would twitch their head. Not a lot but here and there I would notice and I noticed that they were doing that at the store along with their fins twitch.

Reason why I am explaining this is because maybe it was those two that gave my aquarium the parasite. They did last a long time in my aquarium though.

Humblefish · Oct 20, 2017

Aaron Soliz said:
Reason why I am explaining this is because maybe it was those two that gave my aquarium the parasite. They did last a long time in my aquarium though.

They might have been the source of velvet or brook. However, corals/inverts can also introduce fish diseases into your aquarium: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/how-to-quarantine-coral-and-inverts.228/

Aaron Soliz · Oct 20, 2017

I can def see them being the source but how come took a while to see some symptoms? I thought once the fish maybe has it... it is pretty much over unless catching it early.

Crazy, I have had so many saltwater aquariums and never once ran into this issue and every awuarium had clowns in it. My favorite fish to keep

I decided to do a 5 gallon water change and the aquarium is 13.5. Every 7 days I'll do a water change but not such a big one like I did today.

Humblefish · Oct 20, 2017

Aaron Soliz said:
I can def see them being the source but how come took a while to see some symptoms? I thought once the fish maybe has it... it is pretty much over unless catching it early.

Sometimes following a velvet wipeout clownfish are the only survivors. Probably because their unusually thick slime coat affords them some protection from the parasites. However just like with any fish, if they get stressed and their immune system is lowered... they become more susceptible to disease.

I've also seen evidence of them being able to build up temporary immunity/resistance to brook (usually 6-12 months). This probably holds true for velvet as well, since other fish are capable of building up temporary or sometimes even permanent immunity to that pathogen.

Aaron Soliz · Dec 6, 2017

Humblefish said:
Sometimes following a velvet wipeout clownfish are the only survivors. Probably because their unusually thick slime coat affords them some protection from the parasites. However just like with any fish, if they get stressed and their immune system is lowered... they become more susceptible to disease.

I've also seen evidence of them being able to build up temporary immunity/resistance to brook (usually 6-12 months). This probably holds true for velvet as well, since other fish are capable of building up temporary or sometimes even permanent immunity to that pathogen.

Hello everyone,

After a month and 3 week… I added my first fish in today and so far so good. Added the damsel in at 3 today and its going on 12:00AM over here. Happy to see it is moving around and isn't breathing heavy. I continued to do water changed every weekend. I am going to give it a week before I go off and take it back to the pet store to add the clowns I really want in there.

Fingers crossed.

Aaron Soliz · Dec 14, 2017

Humblefish said:
Sometimes following a velvet wipeout clownfish are the only survivors. Probably because their unusually thick slime coat affords them some protection from the parasites. However just like with any fish, if they get stressed and their immune system is lowered... they become more susceptible to disease.

I've also seen evidence of them being able to build up temporary immunity/resistance to brook (usually 6-12 months). This probably holds true for velvet as well, since other fish are capable of building up temporary or sometimes even permanent immunity to that pathogen.

Welllllll.... I guess it was too good to be true. Damsel was perfectly fine for 8 days and then today I noticed it looked like it was having a hard time breathing and its lips out like a O. Went to get my water tested and everything checks out. I really can not find out what is going on and thinking about just taking it down and selling everything. My saltwater store told me to add Mardel Maracyn powder to my tank. One packet a day for 5 days. I added one today but not sure if I want to continue till I ask everyone here. Thoughts?

Humblefish · Dec 15, 2017

Aaron Soliz said:
My saltwater store told me to add Mardel Maracyn powder to my tank. One packet a day for 5 days. I added one today but not sure if I want to continue till I ask everyone here. Thoughts?

Maracyn contains erythromycin, an antibiotic. It does nothing for parasites.

Aaron Soliz · Dec 15, 2017

Humblefish said:
Maracyn contains erythromycin, an antibiotic. It does nothing for parasites.

Well Humble, I did what I could... I just cant seem to figure it out my friend. Maybe not enough oxygen? I could not see why... I have a power head in there along with the stock pump it comes with

coweyes298 · Dec 15, 2017

Fish store' fish will have parasites. Better practice is to QT everything wet before going to display tank.

Aaron Soliz · Dec 18, 2017

If I have a parasite in my tank... why is my Kenya tree thriving so well? Does it not affect coral?

coweyes298 · Dec 18, 2017

It is fish parasite. That doesn't affect coral at all. You need to fallow your tank and later on treat/QT every new fish and coral (anything wet) before adding to the display tank.