Clownfish Skin Peeling

[goopyy]

I have a clownfish pair, and the male has the skin on only the left side of his body peeling. It is near his tail at the end of his body, and white. He behaves normally and still has a normal appetite, what could this be and how do I treat? There’s no other fish apart from the 2 clowns and no corals yet either.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have a clownfish pair, and the male has the skin on only the left side of his body peeling. It is near his tail at the end of his body, and white. He behaves normally and still has a normal appetite, what could this be and how do I treat? There’s no other fish apart from the 2 clowns and no corals yet either.

Appears to be brooklynella and fish also looks slightly thin.
What foods are you feeding it?
The most significant sign is the amount of slime on its body which is noticeable on the fish. This mucus generally starts at the facial area as well as gills and spreads across the body producing lesions as it progresses often confused with ich and can turn into secondary bacteria. Other symptoms will be lethargic behavior, refusing to eat and heavy breathing from the mucus which with yours eating is a good sign.
Start with a prolonged 60 minute bath of ruby rally pro then at a lower concentration in a quarantine tank. The longer the fish are exposed to the treatment, the more effective it will be at eliminating this issue.
Since a formalin solution is often not available for use, temporary relief can be achieved by giving the fish a FW bath or dip in water same temperature as display tank. Even though this treatment will not cure the disease, it can help to remove some of the parasites, as well as reduce the amount of mucus in the gills to assist with respiration problems.
Treatment is best done in a QT tank using either quick cure (more effective but now harder to find) or Ruby Rally Pro. Ruby takes a little longer and initial treatment generally takes 2-3 days to really start going to work.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I have a clownfish pair, and the male has the skin on only the left side of his body peeling. It is near his tail at the end of his body, and white. He behaves normally and still has a normal appetite, what could this be and how do I treat? There’s no other fish apart from the 2 clowns and no corals yet either.

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

While it does sound like Brooklynella, it being only on one side is odd.

Can you post a clear video of the fish? That can help us diagnose the issue.

 

[W31Olds]

You need to feed way more. Your Clown is thin, does the other one look that way also? Minimal Brine Shrimp, more pellets and Mysis Shrimp. LRS Fish Frenzy is very good.

 

[goopyy]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

While it does sound like Brooklynella, it being only on one side is odd.

Can you post a clear video of the fish? That can help us diagnose the issue.

Here’s a video of the fish. I thought it wasn’t brook because there’s nothing near his face or gills

 

[vetteguy53081]

Here’s a video of the fish. I thought it wasn’t brook because there’s nothing near his face or gills

Weird swim pattern and discoloration aligns with brook

 

[goopyy]

Weird swim pattern and discoloration aligns with brook

he has always been slightly yellower. Should I use quick cure or ruby?

 

[vetteguy53081]

he has always been slightly yellower. Should I use quick cure or ruby?

Ruby rally pro covers an array of clownfish issues

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Here’s a video of the fish. I thought it wasn’t brook because there’s nothing near his face or gills

Brooklynella can involve all parts of the fish and the gills. In this video, the mucus lesions seem isolated and localized. I do not see the typical "mopey" swimming behavior of a fish with moderate to heavy Brooklynella. It could be that the disease is in its early stages, or that it isn't Brook at all. Using Ruby Reef Rally Pro is safe, so the risk in using it is minor and it will help if this ends up being Brook.