Clownfish possible disease?

[Gobi-Wan]

I have a pair of oscellaris that are mated. Or close to it I believe. They have been doing a mating dance on and off for about 4 or 5 months, though I've never seen any signs of eggs. At Christmas I got a more powerful light and finally felt comfortable getting a BTA for them, as the smaller of the 2 clowns was trying to host with all my corals and making them mad all the time. I traded the old light in and got a softball sized green BTA. After a couple days the clowns discovered the BTA and have taken to it, sleep in it every night etc. The BTA never moved from the spot I put it, in moderate flow with a large hole that goes all the way into the hollow center of the 50# rock it's on. So that was a success. Now the clowns are doing their mating dance MUCH more often and I just noticed one of them is fat.... but it's the smaller one. From what I understand the smaller 9f the two is the male. The bigger one pushes the smaller one around by its cloaca, and then the smaller one vibrates in front of the bigger one, if that helps clarify which is which... anyway I haven't seen stringy white poop or any other indications of internal parasite but the smaller clownfish shouldn't have a big fat gut right? Or maybe he just gorged himself? It does seem to get bigger and smaller sometimes...

 

[Flippers4pups]

I have a pair of oscellaris that are mated. Or close to it I believe. They have been doing a mating dance on and off for about 4 or 5 months, though I've never seen any signs of eggs. At Christmas I got a more powerful light and finally felt comfortable getting a BTA for them, as the smaller of the 2 clowns was trying to host with all my corals and making them mad all the time. I traded the old light in and got a softball sized green BTA. After a couple days the clowns discovered the BTA and have taken to it, sleep in it every night etc. The BTA never moved from the spot I put it, in moderate flow with a large hole that goes all the way into the hollow center of the 50# rock it's on. So that was a success. Now the clowns are doing their mating dance MUCH more often and I just noticed one of them is fat.... but it's the smaller one. From what I understand the smaller 9f the two is the male. The bigger one pushes the smaller one around by its cloaca, and then the smaller one vibrates in front of the bigger one, if that helps clarify which is which... anyway I haven't seen stringy white poop or any other indications of internal parasite but the smaller clownfish shouldn't have a big fat gut right? Or maybe he just gorged himself? It does seem to get bigger and smaller sometimes...

Post a picture please.

 

[Gobi-Wan]

Post a picture please.

Thanks for the quick reply

 

[Flippers4pups]

@Big G, @Humblefish? Rectal prolapse?

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/fish-disease-index-pictorial-guide.199/

 

[Gobi-Wan]

He is acting normal... still eating plenty, doing mating dances and wallowing in the anemone.

 

[Gobi-Wan]

That link takes me to "group buys" for some reason...

 

[gar732]

If you feed flake or something that floats they could be swallowing air. It used to happen all the time to my baby clowns when I was raising them. I’ve also seen them eat so much they they’d look like that as well. Best to keep an eye on it though, maybe someone else might have some more insight.

 

[Humblefish]

@Big G, @Humblefish? Rectal prolapse?

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/fish-disease-index-pictorial-guide.199/

If it's a rectal prolapse the anus should be protruding outward as shown below:

 

[Gobi-Wan]

If you feed flake or something that floats they could be swallowing air. It used to happen all the time to my baby clowns when I was raising them. I’ve also seen them eat so much they they’d look like that as well. Best to keep an eye on it though, maybe someone else might have some more insight.

I feed a mix of frozen mysis and spirulina enriched brine. Very occasionally I feed formula two pellets but I have only seen the clowns eat those after they become submerged. I have been feeding more lately, in an attempt to get some food down to my new diamond goby. Maybe the clown has just been stuffing himself.

 

[Gobi-Wan]

No definitely not prolapse then. Anus/cloaca area looks normal. Only symptom is a pot belly

 

[Flippers4pups]

Blockage or parasites.

 

[Big G]

Consider adding some frozen cubes of seaweed to your mysis and brine mix you are feeding the clowns. Let's get a little plant fiber in there and see if it makes a difference. Beautiful fish :)

 

[Gobi-Wan]

Consider adding some frozen cubes of seaweed to your mysis and brine mix you are feeding the clowns. Let's get a little plant fiber in there and see if it makes a difference. Beautiful fish :)

Thank you. I have sea veggies sheets, could I shred some of that up in the mix? I have actually seen the clowns eat scraps of it after my blenny tears a piece off.

 

[Big G]

The darker the color (purple, etc.) of the seaweed, the higher the vitamin content. ;)