Is Brooklynella killing my Clownfishes?

[Christian Claudio]

I've made the jump to saltwater three months ago through a 10G marine tank that now has some beginner soft corals and a few turbo snails for CUC. Before I added the corals, however, I had a pair of clownfish I obtained from my local LFS and acclimated them using drip that turned out to be wild-caught broke out into what I initially diagnosed as ich.

I quickly took them out of the DT into a hastily setup 10G QT where I dosed them with Cupramine at half the therapeutic levels only to die a day later.

The QT was sterilized with bleach, filled with dechlorinated water, then dried before filling it all up with saltwater again for two new clownfishes from a LFS selling captive-bred fish. They, too, broke out with the same disease that after research I concluded was Brooklynella.

As an emergency measure, I dosed the QT with acriflavine since I did not have Formalin in hand nor CP which I was going to obtain from my friend at 98.5% purity. Today, one of the clowns died after seemingly swimming around in the surface while the other has grown pale to the point of being translucent.

I no longer no what to do to prevent the other clown from dying. I will appreciate any assistance.

Thank you.

 

[sfin52]

The red looks like bacteria. That could be because it is secondary. I'm not sure what the white is but it sounds like it. I've never had it hope never too.

 

[Humblefish]

That is brook, with a possible secondary infection to boot.

Your best bet would be to give him either a formalin or acriflavine bath.

Then place him in a sterile QT and treat with this combination of meds: Metroplex + Kanaplex + Furan-2

Metro will knock out any leftover symptoms of brook, while the other two are antibiotics. The words above in blue provide detailed info pertaining to each treatment.

 

[Humblefish]

Also, concerning the redness near the gills... Have you tested for ammonia lately?

 

[Christian Claudio]

Yes, Ammonia/Nitrite was 0 and Nitrates was between 5 or 10 ppm.

 

[sfin52]

Yes, Ammonia/Nitrite was 0 and Nitrates was between 5 or 10 ppm.

How is the clown now?

 

[Christian Claudio]

He's still pale-translucent and has white spots all over him but the 'bumps' and sloughing seems to have vanished. I sterilized the QT with a 2:5 ratio of Bleach while the clown was dipped into fresh RO/DI water for 5 minutes temp-matched then was bathed in Acriflavine for 90 minutes before finally going into a Kanaplex-Metroplex-BiFuran-Methylene Blue bath for 15 minutes. He stayed in a recovery bucket for a few hours as the QT was air-dried, rinsed with dechlorinator, rinsed again with RO/DI before being filled back with fresh saltwater.

He's now back in the QT recovering until I begin dosing ParaGuard tomorrow in preparation for CP on Thursday once I receive it.

 

[ngoodermuth]

The three antibiotics should be administered in the QT for at least 10 days, dosing every 48 hours after a 20ish percent water-change. Antibiotics are slow-acting in fish, and just doing a 15 minute bath probably won't help a whole lot.

Personally, I would skip the paraguard and continue the antibiotics. They can be continued when the CP is added in as well, just make sure to re-dose CP in the new water during water-changes, before the water hits the tank, and boost the O2 exchange with an extra airline if possible.

 

[sfin52]

Does the DT need to stay fallow for a period of time?

 

[ngoodermuth]

For brook, at least 6 weeks.

If you want to be sure you don't have ich hiding out in there as well- 76 days fallow.

 

[Christian Claudio]

The three antibiotics should be administered in the QT for at least 10 days, dosing every 48 hours after a 20ish percent water-change. Antibiotics are slow-acting in fish, and just doing a 15 minute bath probably won't help a whole lot.

Personally, I would skip the paraguard and continue the antibiotics. They can be continued when the CP is added in as well, just make sure to re-dose CP in the new water during water-changes, before the water hits the tank, and boost the O2 exchange with an extra airline if possible.

Can I actually combine CP safely with the Methylene Blue-Metroplex-Kanaplex-BiFuran+ without any side effects? Would I need to temporarily take out my biofilter in exchange for zeolite for the duration of the treatment?

On CP, I only have 98.5% purity instead of >99%, could I slightly overdose (e.g 450 mg 98.5% vs 400 mg 99.5%) to make up for the purity difference?

 

[Christian Claudio]

Would erythromycin work as well instead of BiFuran-Methylene Blue-Kanaplex in combination with metronidazole and CP?

 

[Humblefish]

Can I actually combine CP safely with the Methylene Blue-Metroplex-Kanaplex-BiFuran+ without any side effects? Would I need to temporarily take out my biofilter in exchange for zeolite for the duration of the treatment?

On CP, I only have 98.5% purity instead of >99%, could I slightly overdose (e.g 450 mg 98.5% vs 400 mg 99.5%) to make up for the purity difference?

Would erythromycin work as well instead of BiFuran-Methylene Blue-Kanaplex in combination with metronidazole and CP?

Let's focus first on the purity of the CP you are using. How do you know its 98.5%??

 

[Christian Claudio]

Let's focus first on the purity of the CP you are using. How do you know its 98.5%??

I apologize but that was what my friend told me was the purity of his CP and I took his word for it out of desperation. I don't have any other pets with an established vet-client relationship that I could ask for Rx to get CP myself from a compounding pharmacy just to be sure of its purity (nearest fish vet charges $100+ at UC Davis while AVSNCA at second farthest is at $80 for a simple check of my fish)

I'll see if I could ask him where he sources his CP and for a certification.

 

[Humblefish]

I'll see if I could ask him where he sources his CP and for a certification.

Not trying to be nitpicky here, but the purity of the CP you are using is crucial with regards to dosing. 98.5% should work if overdosed, but you gotta be sure it is, in fact, 98.5% pure. I just got off the phone with a supplier who buys their CP from a Canadian wholesaler. It was sold to them as 99% pure, but when they tested it for themselves the most recent batches were only 90% pure. So, back to the wholesaler it goes.

 

[Mark Derail]

My SO just texted me that our clowns are facing a similar problem. Oh well!
I needed a cleanup crew for this rescued tank, I wonder if they (bad guys) hitch-hiked with snails / hermit crabs.

So adding myself to this thread for reference. Only in my 3rd week, I'll try to contribute. Off to find Formalin.

 

[Christian Claudio]

According to my friend, it was the prescription that he was allowed to get by his dog's vet who refused to give him a higher concentration of CP for reasons unknown to me or him.

 

[Christian Claudio]

Update:

Clown is back in 10G QT with Methylene Blue (5.5 mL) + BiFuran Plus (9.9 g) + Metroplex (140 mg) + Kanaplex (155 mg) dosed in. CP is in hand though could I put it in with the drugs already in the tank?

He seems to have developed large white 'bumps' easily casting a miniscule shadow on his body under a flashlight.



Has ich also joined in on my clown's pile of problems?

Water Stats:
pH: 8.3
Salinity: ~30 ppt (Refract0meter)
Ammonia: 0 ppm [Currently using Ze0lite due to M.Blue treatment)
Nitrite and Nitrate: 0 ppm

 

[Humblefish]

Clown is back in 10G QT with Methylene Blue (5.5 mL) + BiFuran Plus (9.9 g) + Metroplex (140 mg) + Kanaplex (155 mg) dosed in. CP is in hand though could I put it in with the drugs already in the tank?

I wouldn't dump that many meds on a fish all at once, the liver & kidneys will never take it.

Best to remove all other medications and dose CP @ 80mg/gal. Hopefully it really is 98.5% pure.

 

[Christian Claudio]

Update:
I performed a large water change followed by some carbon application in the tank while he is bathed in Acriflavine again for 2 hours.

I've placed in 450 mg of CP in the tank just a few hours ago.

*Fingers crossed hoping it works