Help diagnosing clownfish?

[chrisder13]

Hello! I am new to saltwater fish keeping , but have had my tank set up for several months. Tank is fully cycled, parameters are in check (0,0,10ppm), SG: 1.024, Temperature: 76. My pair of clowns developed some spots between last night and this morning, and I’m having some trouble figuring out what it is! I’m attaching pictures (tried to get them as clear as possible). Whitish coloration, so of course I’m worried for Brooklynella, Ich, or velvet. It really looks like a scratch of some sort, but they haven’t been visibly scratching against anything. Hoping someone with more experience might be able to have a better idea; they look very similar to me in early stage pictures I’ve seen and they have not developed any other symptoms. Breathing is normal, they are active, and eating well. They were quarantined for 4 weeks before moving over to my DT. Moving them back to the QT now, and prepared to medicate with whatever I need to.

 

[Idoc]

It doesn't look like individual "spots" in the pictures, like ich. It looks more like a sheating of mucus on the Clown's back (especially in the 4th picture). This makes me more concerned for Brooklynella. Since it is a fast killing disease, I would suggest treating for this now since waiting a day or so could make a huge difference. So, I would definitely get the fish into a quarantine tank for treatments.

The primary treatment is a 45 min Formaldehyde (37%) dip or 90 min Ruby Reef Rally dip....followed by putting into a clean quarantine tank and performing Methodonizole treatment to the water column every 48hrs for 10-14 days.

Afterwards, it will take 45 days for your main tank to go fishless (fallow) in order to kill Brook out of that tank...otherwise your re-introduced, clean clowns may get it again.

Good luck!

 

[chrisder13]

It doesn't look like individual "spots" in the pictures, like ich. It looks more like a sheating of mucus on the Clown's back (especially in the 4th picture). This makes me more concerned for Brooklynella. Since it is a fast killing disease, I would suggest treating for this now since waiting a day or so could make a huge difference. So, I would definitely get the fish into a quarantine tank for treatments.

The primary treatment is a 45 min Formaldehyde (37%) dip or 90 min Ruby Reef Rally dip....followed by putting into a clean quarantine tank and performing Methodonizole treatment to the water column every 48hrs for 10-14 days.

Afterwards, it will take 45 days for your main tank to go fishless (fallow) in order to kill Brook out of that tank...otherwise your re-introduced, clean clowns may get it again.

Good luck!

Thank you so much for the reply! Got everyone (two clowns and a striped Blenny) in a Ruby Reef Rally dip yesterday morning, and into the QT tank with a sponge filter and some extra media I keep in the sump. Using Seachem Metroplex for the next two weeks. I’ve seen several people recommend both dosing the water column, and using Focus to bind to food, do you have any thoughts on this?

Everyone still seems to be doing well, no loss of appetite or sluggishness, and no symptoms at all on the blenny.

Thanks again!

 

[Idoc]

Thank you so much for the reply! Got everyone (two clowns and a striped Blenny) in a Ruby Reef Rally dip yesterday morning, and into the QT tank with a sponge filter and some extra media I keep in the sump. Using Seachem Metroplex for the next two weeks. I’ve seen several people recommend both dosing the water column, and using Focus to bind to food, do you have any thoughts on this?

Everyone still seems to be doing well, no loss of appetite or sluggishness, and no symptoms at all on the blenny.

Thanks again!

I would just treat the water column vs medicating the food.

Brook is an external disease so the external water column treatment should be sufficient. Plus, treating the food could also give an overdosing problem for the fish.

 

[chrisder13]

I would just treat the water column vs medicating the food.

Brook is an external disease so the external water column treatment should be sufficient. Plus, treating the food could also give an overdosing problem for the fish.

Thank you again for your input! I’m continuing Metroplex, but everyone seems happy in the QT! All of the mucus has cleared up and everyone is still active and eating well. Now just counting down to getting to put them back into the DT!

 

[Idoc]

Thank you again for your input! I’m continuing Metroplex, but everyone seems happy in the QT! All of the mucus has cleared up and everyone is still active and eating well. Now just counting down to getting to put them back into the DT!

Remember, brooklynella requires a DT to be fallow for 45 days in the hopes of clearing it out of the system.