Clownfish lethargic and breathing heavy

MarieKelvdon · Jul 15, 2021

Hello All,

My female clownfish has started acting lethargic and breathing heavy for about the last week now. I really started watching her to night and something is clearly wrong. My tank parameters appear just fine (see below). Any ideas based on the videos? I'm not seeing any aggression from the other fish. I added the six line, royal gramma, and diamond goby about a month ago (got them from https://drreefsquarantinedfish.com/).

Tank Parameters:
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0

Nitrate: 5
Calcium 420
Phosphate: .01
Alk: 10.2
Magnesium: 1240

Tank:
90 Gallon Reef with a 20 gallon sump
2 Icecap Gyre's on either side of the 90 gallon, placed at the top of the water.
Fish:
Kole Tang
Two Snowflake Clowns (paired)
Tailspot Blenny
Diamond Goby
Six Line Wrasse
Royal Gramma

Jekyl · Jul 15, 2021

#reefsquad

MarieKelvdon · Jul 16, 2021

Update: The clownfish died.

A few pictures of the dead fish below, I hope that is okay? I don't like seeing dead fish from anyone's tank, but I'm hoping for any advice on cause of death, so I can make sure my other fish will be okay.

I pulled out my kid's low powered microscope to try and see if I could see anything that would have caused death. I did a freshwater dip to see if any flukes or anything came off, didn't see anything. But there were a few (maybe, I'm not sure what I'm looking at) spots on the bottom of the fish that I could only see while it was in the freshwater dip.

The second two photos are some discoloration above the left eye. Looking back at my videos you can kind of see this discoloration. Not sure what it is? Battle wound? Something worse?

Any advice would be much appreciated, I really don't want to see the rest of my fish start dying too. No one else is showing any similar symptoms (heavy breathing, lethargy, or discoloration).

(White spots on side fin and a few on bottom fin. Like I said, I'm not sure I'm really seeing anything, but this was the best picture I could get.

Two pictures of discoloration that was above left eye:

Jekyl · Jul 16, 2021

@Jay Hemdal

Jay Hemdal · Jul 16, 2021

This is a tough one; it is unusual for just one fish in a tank to exhibit rapid breathing, and even more unusual for it to die with no other fish showing symptoms. Water quality issues (like low dissolved oxygen) would be affecting all fish more of less equally. Epizootics of protozoan disease would again, typically affect more fish, and usually symptoms would be seen in the others prior to the one reaching the point where it dies. The small external spots/lesions you noted are probably not related - the issue is more likely internal; gill disease, anemia, etc.
In the end, this could have been bacterial gill disease, and if so, may not be contagious. With no other fish showing symptoms, there isn't anything to treat for, just keep a VERY close eye on them, especially their respiration rates over the next few weeks.

Jay

MarieKelvdon · Jul 16, 2021

Jay Hemdal said:
This is a tough one; it is unusual for just one fish in a tank to exhibit rapid breathing, and even more unusual for it to die with no other fish showing symptoms. Water quality issues (like low dissolved oxygen) would be affecting all fish more of less equally. Epizootics of protozoan disease would again, typically affect more fish, and usually symptoms would be seen in the others prior to the one reaching the point where it dies. The small external spots/lesions you noted are probably not related - the issue is more likely internal; gill disease, anemia, etc.
In the end, this could have been bacterial gill disease, and if so, may not be contagious. With no other fish showing symptoms, there isn't anything to treat for, just keep a VERY close eye on them, especially their respiration rates over the next few weeks.

Jay

Thanks so much Jay! I really appreciate you taking the time. I'll keep an eye on the rest of the tank and see if anyone else starts breathing heavy or getting lethargic.