Clownfish Help

[MurphTech]

Hi Reef2Reef Friends.

I am new to the hobby. I have done some research on a few separate occasions about getting a salt water tank but last week the opportunity to jump in feet first presented itself when the wife and I took our 2 year old daughter to a LFS a few blocks away.

The ladies really liked the fish and I had bugged the wife in the past about getting a tank but for whatever reason that day seemed to be the one where she said "let's do it but I am not paying for it and I want to pick the decorations." Terms that I could agree with at the moment.

So the ladies left and I spent about 2 hours in discussion with very patient sales people trying to be sure I knew what I was getting into and making sure that what I was going to purchase was the correct equipment. I ended up with a 29G tank, 6lbs of live rock, 5lbs of dry rock(?), a bag of live sand, an over-sized filter and some other necessities.

I got the tank all set by that evening, had the salt dialed in after 24 hours, and I went back to the LFS to see if I was cleared for some clown fish. They did a water quality test and gave me the thumbs up and I walked out of there with "Arthur" and "Molly".

A day later (Saturday) everything seemed fine except the HOB filter was really noisy and sounded defective. It was a rattle that just did not sound natural for a pump. So I took a video of the pump and took another trip to the LFS to see what the return policy was. They heard the video and said bring it back. I asked about a canister filter after spending some time on Google the night before and upgraded to a Fluval 206.

I got the new filter up and running in no time but on Sunday I thought it looked like the one fish had a scrape on its side. But it was small. Nothing to worry about I thought, "I'll keep an eye on it." On Monday it looked a little worse but still, do I worry maybe she banged into a rock. Today however it is definitely more noticeable.

Being new to this hobby I really don't know if I should worry or if I need meds or if this fish was purchased sick, something experience would probably hand me. However, I did my best to take a picture of it. It looks like there might be something stuck in the gill, I feel like I see something towards the bottom of the gill in there but definitely don't take my word for it.

Hopefully someone can take a look a the pictures I was able to take and shed some light on what could be going on here.

Thank you ahead of time.

 

[MurphTech]

I took another stab at trying to get a good picture of the questioned area. Let's try this one.

 

[ccombs]

Are you talking about the area right behind the first white stripe?

Also, side note that I want to clarify for your long term success, how did you cycle your tank? Did you just fill it with salt water and the store told you that everything was ok? Did you use a bottled bacteria product or anything?

 

[MSB123]

What are your parameters right now?
Ammonia:
Nitrite:
Nitrate:
PH:
Phosphate:
Temp:

 

[Big G]

Redness of the gills can be a symptom of ammonia that is too high in the water. Or it can be a symptom of a bacterial infection. Neither are good news.

 

[Westside Guy]

Two days and you are adding fish? :mad:
You should call your LFS and tell them that they need to keep Arthur and Molly for you until the tank is really cycled.

 

[MurphTech]

Womp womp.

Yes. That is the area in question. Right behind the white stripe in the gill region. The other fish looks like he is doing just fine though. No visible areas of concern on him.

I fear I don't have the answers to most of the questions you guys are asking. An even bigger fear that I am now having is that the LFS is really just looking to push fish out the door. They said give the tank 24 hours and then come back for some clowns since they are hardy and they should do just fine for the first cycle due to the live rock that I purchased. I specifically asked them about water test kits and they said I don't really need to worry about it right now since the tank is fresh and they do free tests on water during the week.

I can say the moment I inspected the fish yesterday I ordered test kit from Amazon and it will deliver tomorrow. I can add the details in when I get them

I do have a Hydrometer and I just checked that. The meter is sitting right at 1.022.

The fish were only put in the water Friday evening. Its a 29G tank and it seems like the I saw this Sunday. I would guess that it would be too early for ammonia to build up that fast but I really don't have the data or the experience to back that up.

I will also add that my home does not have an RO water filtration system installed but it does have a 5 stage water filtration system in it. Last time I did a water test from the tap both Nitrite and Nitrates were at 0 ppm.

Seems like I need the data to answer your questions. Without it I am sure you are all flying blind. Once the kit delivers I will be happy to provide the data as early as I can tomorrow.

Edit: Temp is at 78-79F
Edit 2: No bottled products were added with the exception of Aqua Life Complete Water Conditioner and Marine Buffer.

 

[Westside Guy]

Please take the time to read this discussion.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/cycling-an-aquarium.306554/

 

[MurphTech]

Thank you for sending me that link with information for cycling the tank.

They gave me a nice little printout with a not as detailed version of your thread. I read through it the first night, but I am sure you won't like whats at the end of the "Cycling" section of page one on the printout... "Below I've listed the recommended number of fish to start a new tank".

This puts me in a weird spot. I really don' have much confidence in my LFS at this point, but I also seem to be somewhere in the middle of the first cycle.

 

[Seawitch]

Okay. I'll say it. I would find a different LFS.

Okay, you need some test kits. But right now, I'd change some water right away. As soon as possible. It's very likely that there's too much ammonia in the water for the fish.

 

[Westside Guy]

If you have another LFS near where you live I recommend that you visit them and ask your questions.

Okay. I'll say it. I would find a different LFS.

Okay, you need some test kits. But right now, I'd change some water right away. As soon as possible. It's very likely that there's too much ammonia in the water for the fish.

I second both motions.
The OP should find a different LFS and do a water change.
Meantime he needs to call his original LFS and tell them the tank isn’t cycled and ask them to hold the 2 clowns until the water is correct or the fish will not survive!

 

[Big G]

I really don' have much confidence in my LFS at this point

An all too common situation.

 

[JDnKY]

I agree with everything above. You might also check your filtered water with your hydrometer. It should read 0, if not then your water is still contaminated with some sort of dissolved solid.

 

[MurphTech]

Okay ladies and gentlemen at least it seems I might have done one thing right and that was coming here.

I am taking the advice and I have some water warming up for the tank right now. As soon as I can say its warm enough for the tank its going in. It doesn't seem like I can do much else tonight. I really do appreciate everyone's input and advice.

I also tested my water from the tap and it perfectly zeroed out so it doesn't look like there are any dissolved solids in it which is nice to know and makes a lot of sense to check.

As for tomorrow, I will test the water once Amazon rings the bell with my test kit and talk to the LFS or perhaps an alternative to see what options I would have. I certainly don't want a loss of life on my hands in the first week.

I will keep everyone posted especially once I get the data that is probably crucial for things like this. I promise not to make that rookie mistake again.

Thanks again everyone.

 

[Big G]

This hobby has a rather steep learning curve. Best of luck. Keep us in the loop!

 

[Seawitch]

We're rooting for you, and we all make mistakes. None of us are born knowing how to do this stuff.

 

[ccombs]

Womp womp.

Yes. That is the area in question. Right behind the white stripe in the gill region. The other fish looks like he is doing just fine though. No visible areas of concern on him.

I fear I don't have the answers to most of the questions you guys are asking. An even bigger fear that I am now having is that the LFS is really just looking to push fish out the door. They said give the tank 24 hours and then come back for some clowns since they are hardy and they should do just fine for the first cycle due to the live rock that I purchased. I specifically asked them about water test kits and they said I don't really need to worry about it right now since the tank is fresh and they do free tests on water during the week.

I can say the moment I inspected the fish yesterday I ordered test kit from Amazon and it will deliver tomorrow. I can add the details in when I get them

I do have a Hydrometer and I just checked that. The meter is sitting right at 1.022.

The fish were only put in the water Friday evening. Its a 29G tank and it seems like the I saw this Sunday. I would guess that it would be too early for ammonia to build up that fast but I really don't have the data or the experience to back that up.

I will also add that my home does not have an RO water filtration system installed but it does have a 5 stage water filtration system in it. Last time I did a water test from the tap both Nitrite and Nitrates were at 0 ppm.

Seems like I need the data to answer your questions. Without it I am sure you are all flying blind. Once the kit delivers I will be happy to provide the data as early as I can tomorrow.

Edit: Temp is at 78-79F
Edit 2: No bottled products were added with the exception of Aqua Life Complete Water Conditioner and Marine Buffer.

Unfortunately your LFS put you in a really bad spot. If the store won't take them back and hold them, there is an alternative here. Please note what I am about to describe is not ideal at all, but it will probably work.

Dr. Tim's One and Only is a bottled product that allows you to start an aquarium instantly with a fish. Essentially it adds a bunch of bacteria that would typically be built up over time to process waste through the nitrogen cycle. If you could get this product, dump it in, the fish might make it.

In regards to the red spot, that is either a reaction to ammonia or an infection. Either way it is probably not a good sign. Since the tank is only the 2 fish at the moment, you could treat the tank with a 'trifecta' of antibiotics frequently advocated on the forum. This mix of antibiotics covers a wide range of issues and would probably cover yours. It is Hikari Metroplex, Seachem Kanaplex, and API Furan-2. Bacteria infections are practically impossible to diagnose over a forum at the hobbyist level with any sort of accuracy, this combo should cover what you are dealing with.

Best of luck to you, read all you can on the forum, take your time. Once again, I am so sorry the fish store steered you wrong.

Edit-On a more morbid note, if any fish die, please take some pictures of any spots or abnormalities. Getting close ups will help us diagnose something that might be contagious to other fish.

 

[Westside Guy]

Okay ladies and gentlemen at least it seems I might have done one thing right and that was coming here.

I am taking the advice and I have some water warming up for the tank right now. As soon as I can say its warm enough for the tank its going in. It doesn't seem like I can do much else tonight. I really do appreciate everyone's input and advice.

I also tested my water from the tap and it perfectly zeroed out so it doesn't look like there are any dissolved solids in it which is nice to know and makes a lot of sense to check.

As for tomorrow, I will test the water once Amazon rings the bell with my test kit and talk to the LFS or perhaps an alternative to see what options I would have. I certainly don't want a loss of life on my hands in the first week.

I will keep everyone posted especially once I get the data that is probably crucial for things like this. I promise not to make that rookie mistake again.

Thanks again everyone.

Where exactly do you live?
Do a Google search for the best LFS in your area.

 

[MurphTech]

I live in Northen NJ. Not too far from NYC. The LFS has a 4.6 Google rating with 650 reviews. There are other options and I will explore them.

I also don't want to jump to any crazy conclusions on them either. 650 Google reviews must mean they must be doing some right and it is a business. At the end of the day they really are there to make money, support jobs and get the bills paid. I am sure the owners are not trying to run a charity and the fact of the matter is if a customer is looking to spend $500+ you better be ready to sell that person something. However, was very open with them that I wanted to be sure that I was doing things correctly and having the knowledge to take on this hobby for the family.

If the water quality has nothing to do with it and I just bought a "lemon" fish that has some kind of bacterial infection well then that's par for the course with my luck and I get a crazy crash course in this hobby.

I think I need all the facts I can get which I should hopefully have in an hour. At that point it will be easier to make decisions as well as add or take away confidence in the local fish store.

The second fish seems to be doing really well but I also don't know if one fish can be more sensitive than the other within the genus(?).

 

[4FordFamily]

Is it an accurate observation that perhaps some of the gill flap has been removed? It looks like it's either become infected or bitten off? (aside from the others I agree with regarding proper cycling and the need for a new LFS)