Gold Nugget Maroons w/ Fin Rot??

[meandthem]

Have two Gold Nugget Maroons almost 4 weeks in QT. Running Coppersafe in a 10 gallon w/ sponge filter. I added a Half Black Angel within 2 weeks. Started with half DT water & now do water changes with DT water.

So, I believe NOW BOTH my clownfish have fin rot. I thought 1 was being bullied so I put the other 2 in an isolation box. Fins would not FULLY heal & usual color would not return. I suspect fin rot. Fins aren’t the usual dark maroon color they're an orange with dark ends that started spreading up the fin but not badly tattered like fin rot, anal fin even healed from being split during the beginning stages of me watching this . I was treating my QT with Kanaplex, Focus, Garlic Guard pellets once a day for 7 days (last day today). I put my angel in my DT last night because she wasn’t showing signs of fin rot or any other infection & I didn’t want it to become immune to Kanaplex. Clownfish start fighting, equal aggressors, I isolate whoever I can get. I wake up to split fins on both clownfish.

I’m not sure if the other ones fin rot is now taking over or if it’s from the fighting last night. Fins are the usual color. The 1 I assumed had fin rot fins are now significantly shorter as well as unimproved. Should I wait a couple days & run another round of Kanaplex in the water this time? Buy something else? Help please.

Parameters are fine, can’t run a test right now for exact numbers.

 

[Miami Reef]

Here’s my opinion: those look like bite marks from aggression.

It seems like both these clowns are fighting for the dominant female spot. Are they around the same age/size?

 

[meandthem]

Here’s my opinion: those look like bite marks from aggression.

It seems like both these clowns are fighting for the dominant female spot. Are they around the same age/size?

I’ve alternated isolations between all fish for several days over the past couple of weeks, no healing. The main clown i’m concerned with has been by itself majority of that time.

Yes, I got them at my lfs from a frag tank.

 

[Miami Reef]

I’ve alternated isolations between all fish for several days over the past couple of weeks, no healing. The main clown i’m concerned with has been by itself majority of that time.

Yes, I got them at my lfs from a frag tank.

I understand that, but those tears do not look like an infection.

Antibiotics won’t heal a wound like how you would expect them to. It just slows bacterial growth so that the fish’s immune system can fight the infection off. This is most commonly used when a fish’s immune system is weakened or if the bacterial population is overwhelming the fish’s natural immune system.

If those cuts aren’t bacterial (which I am almost sure they aren’t) then an antibiotic won’t do anything for it.


The best thing you can do is feed high quality foods and limit aggression from other fish with tank dividers. Maybe even possibly rehome the terror fish.

 

[meandthem]

I’ve also been using stress coat. Are there any foods or products you recommend?

 

[Miami Reef]

I’ve also been using stress coat. Are there any foods or products you recommend?

All I recommend is clean water with proper chemistry for fish. For foods: I recommend LRS because it is very caloric dense and very nutritious (contains clams, squid, mysis, blackworms etc.) But most foods are good.

But I believe the most important thing is to prevent future fights so that this fish can heal.

 

[DrZoidburg]

It just slows bacterial growth

Not exactly true. These are designed with complex ways to kill bacteria. If it is bacteria maybe using the wrong one for the job. I can agree maybe bite mark though. If any damage occurs to fin rays usually takes longer to heal versus just a split. How long after separation have they got "shorter"? @Jay Hemdal what do you think?

 

[meandthem]

Not exactly true. These are designed with complex ways to kill bacteria. If it is bacteria maybe using the wrong one for the job. I can agree maybe bite mark though. If any damage occurs to fin rays usually takes longer to heal versus just a split. How long after separation have they got "shorter"? @Jay Hemdal what do you think?

They weren’t that “short” after separating them. When I woke up this morning they were both in the condition of the last 4 pictures. The 1st picture is the fish I was concerned about originally, original condition. The isolated fish is the initial fish.

 

[DrZoidburg]

What else do you have to use? Also just thinking. Did you use focus at the same time as kanaplex? I think not 100% that it may bind to kanaplex for internal use. Maybe that the dose you did had no effect on outside of fish.

 

[meandthem]

Yes, mixed it all together, followed mixing instructions.

 

[meandthem]

All I recommend is clean water with proper chemistry for fish. For foods: I recommend LRS because it is very caloric dense and very nutritious (contains clams, squid, mysis, blackworms etc.) But most foods are good.

But I believe the most important thing is to prevent future fights so that this fish can heal.

Where can I get it?

 

[DrZoidburg]

Yes, mixed it all together, followed mixing instructions.

If it is not in a place where it could hurt other things you could dose it to the water. If it doesn't work you might have to try something else.

 

[Miami Reef]

Where can I get it?

Most fish stores sell it in the freezer section. LRS Fish Frenzy is the name.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Not exactly true. These are designed with complex ways to kill bacteria. If it is bacteria maybe using the wrong one for the job. I can agree maybe bite mark though. If any damage occurs to fin rays usually takes longer to heal versus just a split. How long after separation have they got "shorter"? @Jay Hemdal what do you think?

I agree that damaged/truncated fin rays take way longer to heal than non-infected splits between the rays.

I haven't dealt with maroon clowns for years, but I always found that they can be raised by the breeders in groups, but when you then split them off in smaller numbers, they will just fight. When the fish are equal size, there may not be a clear winner and loser - all fish may show damage.

These injuries do not seem infected to me, but I can't say for sure and they may still become infected.

Going forward, I don't think these fish can be kept together until they are larger, and then you may be able to pair them off.

Jay Hemdal

 

[Jay Hemdal]

If it is not in a place where it could hurt other things you could dose it to the water. If it doesn't work you might have to try something else.

Noga has some good references for Kanamycin - 50 to 100 mg/l as a bath, every 3 days for 3 treatments, with a 50% water change before treatment #2 and #3. This implies a great margin of safety.

Orally, it is dosed at 50mg per kg of fish mass.

Kanaplex is only 32% kanamycin though.

Jay

 

[meandthem]

I agree that damaged/truncated fin rays take way longer to heal than non-infected splits between the rays.

I haven't dealt with maroon clowns for years, but I always found that they can be raised by the breeders in groups, but when you then split them off in smaller numbers, they will just fight. When the fish are equal size, there may not be a clear winner and loser - all fish may show damage.

These injuries do not seem infected to me, but I can't say for sure and they may still become infected.

Going forward, I don't think these fish can be kept together until they are larger, and then you may be able to pair them off.

Jay Hemdal

I just have the QT & DT. Will a tank divider be enough until one heals enough to go to the DT? Will my 75 gallon not be big enough to house them together? I didn’t go all out for my QT set up, didn’t expect I’d need to have it running for months.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I just have the QT & DT. Will a tank divider be enough until one heals enough to go to the DT? Will my 75 gallon not be big enough to house them together? I didn’t go all out for my QT set up, didn’t expect I’d need to have it running for months.

Tough to say about compatibility going forward - I wonder if the folks over at the fish breeding section would have some advice as to how pair these up? I’ve never done it myself, but because these can change sex, under certain conditions you can get any two fish to pair up, with the smaller one turning male and the larger one female.
Jay