Help - Little Clown

[CherryRock]

Please help.

Does anyone know what this could be on my little clown? It started off as a red bump under his mouth, but has turned white and he now seems to be bothered by it and keeps his mouth open all the time.

Tank is relatively new (2 months) and this guy seems to be having issues. He is the smaller of the two and gets picked on a little, but have never seen them fight or lock on to each other.

What's in my tank:
- 2 Ocellaris clowns
- 8 snails

 

[vetteguy53081]

Please help.

Does anyone know what this could be on my little clown? It started off as a red bump under his mouth, but has turned white and he now seems to be bothered by it and keeps his mouth open all the time.

Tank is relatively new (2 months) and this guy seems to be having issues. He is the smaller of the two and gets picked on a little, but have never seen them fight or lock on to each other.

What's in my tank:
- 2 Ocellaris clowns
- 8 snails

It’s an abscess and likely from a bacterial infection that has become secondary and will require treatment in a separate quarantine setting using Maracyn 2 or seachem kanaplex for treatment

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

I agree that this looks like and abscess. It may be fighting. Clownfish are very sly and often won’t fight while you are around.
Is it breathing faster than the other one?
Jay

 

[CherryRock]

Thanks guys, for the help and welcome!

Just getting into reef tanks and have been just trying to learn. I figured the clown probably got in a fight with the other or scraped it on a rock, but had no idea what to do.

I'll get a quarantine tank tomorrow and see if I can get him back to good health.

He does seem to be breathing a little harder, but he is still going after food and it swimming around well.

 

[CherryRock]

Unfortunately the little clown didn’t make it.
I’ll have to chalk this up to inexperience and not knowing when to put in quarantine.

Does this look like a bite that turned into an infection still or something else? Half his jaw was gone on the left side.
Just want to make sure I know for next time.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Sorry,

It does look like an abscess that the bacteria then consumed the tissue around. Those often result from fighting, in the case of clowns, "lip locking".

Jay