Clownfish not eating recently

JustinMN18

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 1, 2020
Messages
335
Reaction score
90
Location
55427
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello, I have 2 clownfish. They have been together for about 5 months now. Over the last 4 days, both clowns haven't really eaten, which seems to stem from the female not wanting to eat and the male follows suit. Here's the back story.

I have a 55 gallon mixed reef tank. It got ich, so I went fallow there and treated the clowns with copper and prazipro. During the treatment they ate well, and did great.

After 30 days of copper and prazipro, I moved the clowns to a sterile tank (saltwater only) and kept them there for about 2 months. They had been eating very well. After about 1.5 months of sterile tank, I noticed some itching against the PVC. I decided to start dosing polyplab medic for 10 days. Clowns ate fine. I continued to notice itching so I re started prazipro, 2 rounds, 5 days per dose. That just finished today. I moved them now into a new tank I bought, to replace the 55 gallon (innovative marine ext 100).

They both stopped eating mid way through the second round of prazipro (in the 2 month holding "sterile" tank), which seems like the female is the one who won't eat. They go to the food, the male will MAYBE eat a pellet/shrimp piece, and the female goes up to the food, but couldn't care less afterwards.

I've tried:
Pellets
Frozen Mysis
Frozen Brine
All of the above soaked in garlic

I'm not sure what suddenly changed. They both swim completely normal, zero visual sign of issues. No weird poop, no pinched stomach, no scratching, no spots, nothing. I have no idea why they won't eat anything I give them. Any advice? Thoughts? I have no idea. Thanks everyone.
 

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
90,827
Reaction score
200,068
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
13   0   0
Any pics of the clowns under white light?
I’m suspecting either brooklynella or secondary bacterial.
Is their poop normal or white and stringy?
 

Jay Hemdal

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 31, 2020
Messages
25,278
Reaction score
25,182
Location
Dundee, MI
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
A video taken under white light sometimes allows us to see things like rapid breathing, that otherwise might be missed.
Jay
 
OP
OP
J

JustinMN18

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 1, 2020
Messages
335
Reaction score
90
Location
55427
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
@Jay Hemdal @vetteguy53081 @Hugh Mann @Crabs McJones

I did notice that when they initially stopped eating, they seemed to be breathing faster (mouth opening and closing rapidly) but didn't notice anything odd other than that. I thought maybe they had gill flukes or something, which would cause the scratching and rapid breathing without showing signs of ich. This all happened mid-way through the second round of prazipro.

I didn't add anything new to the tank livestock-wise, they were both in a 24-gallon tank for couple of months once they were done with their copper treatment in a different QT tank.

I did notice some white poop a while back and fed some metroplex/focus / selcon, but since then haven't seen any white stringy poop. I honestly haven't been able to see them pooping for a couple of weeks.

I will take some pictures shortly and post them. I just tried feeding mysis and pellets again, and I think they maybe both ate 1 piece. But most of it gets spit out, or no interest at all. When the female goes up to the food, the male will follow. But as soon as she turns away from it, so does he. It seems like he won't eat unless she does. Thanks for all jumping so fast on this haha. I'll have pictures / video up in a half hour.
 

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
90,827
Reaction score
200,068
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
13   0   0
@Jay Hemdal @vetteguy53081 @Hugh Mann @Crabs McJones

I did notice that when they initially stopped eating, they seemed to be breathing faster (mouth opening and closing rapidly) but didn't notice anything odd other than that. I thought maybe they had gill flukes or something, which would cause the scratching and rapid breathing without showing signs of ich. This all happened mid-way through the second round of prazipro.

I didn't add anything new to the tank livestock-wise, they were both in a 24-gallon tank for couple of months once they were done with their copper treatment in a different QT tank.

I did notice some white poop a while back and fed some metroplex/focus / selcon, but since then haven't seen any white stringy poop. I honestly haven't been able to see them pooping for a couple of weeks.

I will take some pictures shortly and post them. I just tried feeding mysis and pellets again, and I think they maybe both ate 1 piece. But most of it gets spit out, or no interest at all. When the female goes up to the food, the male will follow. But as soon as she turns away from it, so does he. It seems like he won't eat unless she does. Thanks for all jumping so fast on this haha. I'll have pictures / video up in a half hour.
Is body hazy/milky looking?
Eyes clear?
Is breathing more than 90 respiration per minute?
Try these foods:
Mysis shrimp
LRS fish frenzy
Spirulina brine shrimp
Medicated flake food
Live brine
 
OP
OP
J

JustinMN18

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 1, 2020
Messages
335
Reaction score
90
Location
55427
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
@Jay Hemdal @vetteguy53081 @Hugh Mann @Crabs McJones

Here's a video I just took. I couldn't upload it here for some reason (didn't recognize MP4 as a video I suppose), so I uploaded it to YouTube.



I think it's still rendering the HD version, but should be good to be able to pause the video and look if needed. Thanks everyone for your help.
 

Crabs McJones

I'm so shi-nay
View Badges
Joined
Jul 24, 2017
Messages
27,292
Reaction score
138,256
Location
Wisconsin
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
One of the side effects of prazipro is suppressed appetite. It wouldn't surprise me if once you get them out of prazi they start eating again. 4 days isn't a huge concern in my opinion. When they start looking skinny or having pinched stomach i would start panicking. prazi can also strip O2 out of the water so make sure you have increased surface agitation to keep oxygen levels up.
 

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
90,827
Reaction score
200,068
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
13   0   0
Clowns actually look a-ok and I agree with crabs on appetite which will play an importance along with good water quality.
Add selcon vitamins alternating with garlic extract to their foods for overall stamina and immunity health
 
Back
Top