clownfish gasping

mariaharris225 · May 1, 2022

Guys, Please help. I came home last to my clownfish lying on the sandbed gasping. He would get up and swim for a while and look active but always end up lying down on the sandbed again and continue gasping. He ate earlier that morning as usual, so this surprised me. The last couple of days I have noticed him lying sideways on my rock, but I just thought he was being silly and hosting the zoas + he would swim off normally. I moved him to an accomation box to avoid the cuc or other fish picking at him. He's still alive this morning, but is much less energetic and hasn't gotten of the floor. I got my water tested the day before this happened and all my parameters were fine with slightly low alk and calcium. All the other fish and invertibrates look completely fine. If anyone has any ideas or know whats wrong and what I should, I'd beyond appriciate?

Jay Hemdal · May 1, 2022

mariaharris225 said:
Guys, Please help. I came home last to my clownfish lying on the sandbed gasping. He would get up and swim for a while and look active but always end up lying down on the sandbed again and continue gasping. He ate earlier that morning as usual, so this surprised me. The last couple of days I have noticed him lying sideways on my rock, but I just thought he was being silly and hosting the zoas + he would swim off normally. I moved him to an accomation box to avoid the cuc or other fish picking at him. He's still alive this morning, but is much less energetic and hasn't gotten of the floor. I got my water tested the day before this happened and all my parameters were fine with slightly low alk and calcium. All the other fish and invertibrates look completely fine. If anyone has any ideas or know whats wrong and what I should, I'd beyond appriciate?

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

If the water tests fine, and none of the other fish are showing symptoms or breathing rapidly, there just isn't much to go on in terms of a diagnosis.

The fish looks thin and is swimming with a stiff body.

How long have you had it?

Jay

mariaharris225 · May 1, 2022

Jay Hemdal said:
Welcome to Reef2Reef!

If the water tests fine, and none of the other fish are showing symptoms or breathing rapidly, there just isn't much to go on in terms of a diagnosis.

The fish looks thin and is swimming with a stiff body.

How long have you had it?

Jay

Maybe around 2 months? He was pretty spunky when I got him, but in the 1-2 weeks he's just been getting increasingly more lethargic. I found this patch on his skin after my original post. I've attached a photo of the skin and how he's been resting on the rock work lately. Do you think this could indicate some diseases? I really want to save him, he's a favorite of mine.

Jay Hemdal · May 1, 2022

mariaharris225 said:
Maybe around 2 months? He was pretty spunky when I got him, but in the 1-2 weeks he's just been getting increasingly more lethargic. I found this patch on his skin after my original post. I've attached a photo of the skin and how he's been resting on the rock work lately. Do you think this could indicate some diseases? I really want to save him, he's a favorite of mine.

Blue lights makes things almost impossible to make out.

If you see mucus on its skin, especially if it seems to be coming off in sheets, then it is Brooklynella. Clownfish are really sensitive to that disease, and it is difficult to cure. Any other clowns in the tank though? Typically, if one has it, the others will show symptoms as well.,

Jay

mariaharris225 · May 1, 2022

Jay Hemdal said:
Blue lights makes things almost impossible to make out.

If you see mucus on its skin, especially if it seems to be coming off in sheets, then it is Brooklynella. Clownfish are really sensitive to that disease, and it is difficult to cure. Any other clowns in the tank though? Typically, if one has it, the others will show symptoms as well.,

Jay

I don't see any mucus, and my second clownfish looks and is acting completely normal. What's confusing to me is he seems to have bursts of energy and then suddenly flop on his side, that alongside the fact that he ate this morning has me clueless as to what could be wrong with him or how to treat it

Sharkbait19 · May 1, 2022

Any white stringy poo?

mariaharris225 · May 1, 2022

Possibly. I feel like I may have seen some yesterday however I don't want to say yes and be mistaking it for his anal fin. I have noticed today that his stomach seems to be concaving

vetteguy53081 · May 1, 2022

mariaharris225 said:
Possibly. I feel like I may have seen some yesterday however I don't want to say yes and be mistaking it for his anal fin. I have noticed today that his stomach seems to be concaving

is this fish eating ?
If so, what are you feeding ?
Any aggression with other clown?

Sharkbait19 · May 1, 2022

Treating with a dewormer like levamisole would be my go to - but I’m not sure this fish is going to make it at this stage. Definitely have the fish in a qt because if it’s internal parasites, they would spread after the fish dies.
Another possibility is as @vetteguy53081 suggested which is aggression. If this is the male, the female could have been forcing it out of food until it’s gotten this sick.

mariaharris225 · May 1, 2022

Yesterday he ate excitedly like usual, today initially he seemed a bit reluctant at first but did end up eating. I feed marine-s pellet food that I was recommended from my lfs. And I watch to make sure that everybody eats. And initially, there was some aggression between my 2 clowns and orchid dottyback but I spread the food out and all the fish seemed to have settled.

And ok I'll run over to the store and try to grab some and set up a qt tank. Is there anything I can do to improve his chances? He's one of my favorite parts of my reef and seems to still have a bit of energy in him so I'm hoping for a miracle lol

mariaharris225 · May 1, 2022

Also is there a way to treat my entire tank for this/ any parasites and infections? I'd hate for another fish to go this way. I've gotten attached to this little ecosystem +this hobby is too expensive for things to be dying lol