Need help identifying the problem with my clown fish

[balajeek15]

I have two blood orange clown fish for around 3 years, they are hosted on sherman nem for a long time.
last week my wife told me that when she feed and clown doesn seem to come for eat, i fed one day and it seem come that time. its been in the nem most of time and today i looked close-up and the big clown seem powdery all over (see pic), it swims and seems active, everytime i go near it run quickly to hide near/on nem. the other small clown seem clear and good.

I do test parameters weekly or every other week, i did test it last sat and all seem in range.
(btw i am right now dealing with the green hairy alage and trying to get it under control with out any chemicals)

What is it and is it something i need to car right away?

 

[Not an IT guy]

It looks like velvet but I’m no expert.

 

[nereefpat]

Clowns are famous for brook, but that looks more like velvet or advanced ich.

I would get that fish into a hospital tank to treat.

 

[balajeek15]

Also want to let know that i have added a dozen of snails around 6 to 8 months ago and haven't added any addition of livestock for a very long time. If its Brookenella or similar, I wonder how can it catch such disease?

 

[linkedsilas]

Also want to let know that i have added a dozen of snails around 6 to 8 months ago and haven't added any addition of livestock for a very long time. If its Brookenella or similar, I wonder how can it catch such disease?

sometimes, things can be dormant or appear normal and just be visible when its overloaded/stressed etc
A lot of animals have what is a tolerable load of something and/or appear completely normal and healthy until they arent.

 

[balajeek15]

sometimes, things can be dormant or appear normal and just be visible when its overloaded/stressed etc
A lot of animals have what is a tolerable load of something and/or appear completely normal and healthy until they arent.

i was clearing up the hairy green alage, pulling by hand (which is too much in my tank right now), so i messed up the aquascape totally, would that make a stress for the fish?

 

[balajeek15]

So for sure its either brook or velvet ?
If so what steps i can do to take care of while the fish seem active.
Step 1. i will setup a QT right away. (I am guessing i shouldn't be using few gals of DT water or rock to get my QT going)

 

[Lavey29]

It looks like brook same as my clown had. I would isolate as soon as possible or it will spread fast.

 

[balajeek15]

I use to QT fishes (last i did was 2 years ago) and I used Chloroquine Phosphate (CP)
Can CP works for brook now?

 

[ying yang]

Would be remove ALL fish from dt and put dish in qt tank or some kind of containers with flow and heat and some kind of filtration either from internal sponge filter or hob filter etc and medicate the fish using whatever medication is used for what dieseses your fish have then let dt go fallow for x amount of time.some say if put heat up to i think 81 or 82 degrees for 46 days and some say go fallow for 72/ 76 days.if raising the temp then depends what other livestock in dt ( ie coral and if they can handle it) also some medications reduce oxygen in water so an airstone is useful and keep eye on amnonia and dont add rocks or sand to a tank if treating with copper as hard to get a true reading of copper as the rocks can suck it in then leach it back out and getting a good quality copper tester is advised.
Fwiw ive never medicated any saltwater fish so only saying above from what ive read this why i say " i think " and 72/ 76 days but @Jay Hemdal is best to ask ( alot others kbow but he helps alot in diesese forum ive noticed) and either him or you can search/ look for his thread on current diesese protocols.
Good luck with your fishy friends whatever you decide to do.ive tagged jay and will try find his recommended diesese protocol for you before he answers.as sure he will answer shortly and ask you some questions

 

[ying yang]

Current Quarantine Protocol

2023 Quarantine Procedures Jay Hemdal David Scarborough Protozoans (Cryptocaryon/ich, Amyloodinium/velvet) and Metazoan trematodes/flukes are by far the most common parasites found on newly acquired fish. A carefully managed quarantine process can effectively eliminate these parasites before...

www.reef2reef.com

Here have a read of this that jay made.
Some very useful and interesting stuff here.
Once again good luck

Fallow periods: Going Fishless

Please see this updated information on fallow periods: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/45-day-fallow-periods.805213/ Jay Hemdal 7/13/2023 The reason to go fallow (fishless) is to eliminate a fish disease from your DT (display tank). Going fallow works because you are denying the disease a...

www.reef2reef.com

Humble fish is no longer on r2r but another very experienced guy when comes to dieseses in fish just like jay.not sure if jay made current protocol for dt going fallow or if believes same as humble fish wrote here as not read it in long time.but im sure jay when gets a moment he will come to this thread and try to assist you in helping your fishy friends.

 

[ariellemermaid]

I have two blood orange clown fish for around 3 years, they are hosted on sherman nem for a long time.
last week my wife told me that when she feed and clown doesn seem to come for eat, i fed one day and it seem come that time. its been in the nem most of time and today i looked close-up and the big clown seem powdery all over (see pic), it swims and seems active, everytime i go near it run quickly to hide near/on nem. the other small clown seem clear and good.

I do test parameters weekly or every other week, i did test it last sat and all seem in range.
(btw i am right now dealing with the green hairy alage and trying to get it under control with out any chemicals)

What is it and is it something i need to car right away?

It’s good to post these issues in the Fish Disease and Treatment forum where @Jay Hemdal will see it (tagged so this runs by him here).

 

[ariellemermaid]

What is it and is it something i need to car right away?

Also, YES! Your fish is sick! Get your QT set up.

 

[balajeek15]

I am closley monitoring my other fishes

blue tang (i see one right eye, a mark/line like, see pic below, is this normal)
royal gramma
2 chromis
black velvet damsel
flame angel
1 more smaller clownfish

 

[balajeek15]

Would be remove ALL fish from dt and put dish in qt tank or some kind of containers with flow and heat and some kind of filtration either from internal sponge filter or hob filter etc and medicate the fish using whatever medication is used for what dieseses your fish have then let dt go fallow for x amount of time.some say if put heat up to i think 81 or 82 degrees for 46 days and some say go fallow for 72/ 76 days.if raising the temp then depends what other livestock in dt ( ie coral and if they can handle it) also some medications reduce oxygen in water so an airstone is useful and keep eye on amnonia and dont add rocks or sand to a tank if treating with copper as hard to get a true reading of copper as the rocks can suck it in then leach it back out and getting a good quality copper tester is advised.
Fwiw ive never medicated any saltwater fish so only saying above from what ive read this why i say " i think " and 72/ 76 days but @Jay Hemdal is best to ask ( alot others kbow but he helps alot in diesese forum ive noticed) and either him or you can search/ look for his thread on current diesese protocols.
Good luck with your fishy friends whatever you decide to do.ive tagged jay and will try find his recommended diesese protocol for you before he answers.as sure he will answer shortly and ask you some questions

moving all fish to QT!, i was planning on using Chloroquine Phosphate (CP)
I am not sure if blue tang would be okay with that. or else i can do copper !

 

[Jay Hemdal]

It looks like velvet or advanced ich, it does not appear to be Brooklynella. If the fish isn’t breathing fast and is still eating, it is ich. If it is breathing fast and not eating it is more likely velvet. Brooklynella will look more like sheets of mucus.
Jay

 

[ariellemermaid]

moving all fish to QT!, i was planning on using Chloroquine Phosphate (CP)
I am not sure if blue tang would be okay with that. or else i can do copper !

No experience with CP whatsoever. However look at this under the Pro’s section. Humblefish says do not use CP with this tang, so I would use copper.

 

[mindme]

Looks like velvet, but based on you saying you haven't added anything in over 6 months, that seems odd. Especially in terms of just 1 fish has it, and has it that bad. When I had velvet it was after adding fish, and it hit the entire population quickly.

Also people here are way to quick to claim velvet/ich IMO. Anything with spots is called that. Few dots, must be ich, lots of dots, must be velvet.

Personally, I would leave him in the tank as to not cause additional stress unless it is having trouble breathing. If it is indeed velvet, you are eventually going to have to QT all your fish and run fallow in your tank for 2 months etc. Your tank is infected no matter if you move them or not.

That said if it is velvet, then getting them in copper quicker is pretty important. So watch the breathing. But you can also kill it by doing all that and causing further stress. Total judgement call that isn't easy to make.

A freshwater dip can help if they are having trouble breathing. Mind the PH and temp.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Im going wit brook especially seeing that the one clown is covered and the other virtually clear as velvet will shower all the occupants in the tank.
The most noticeable symptom of Brooklynella is the heavy amount of slime that is produced by a fish that has contracted this parasite. As the disease progresses, a thick whitish mucus covers the body. This will usually start at the head and spread outward across the entire body. Skin lesions appear and it is not uncommon for signs of secondary bacterial infections. Very quickly the fish will become lethargic, refuse to eat, and its colors will fade.
Typical treatment is a standard formalin solution is mixed with either fresh or saltwater in a separate treatment container. Initially, all fish are given a quick dip in the formalin at a higher concentration, followed by continued treatment in a prolonged bath of formalin at a lower concentration in a quarantine tank (QT). Of course, the longer the fish are exposed to the formalin treatment, the more effective it will be at eliminating this disease.
If a formalin solution is not available for immediate use, temporary relief may be provided by giving fish a FW bath or dip. 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.

 

[ariellemermaid]

Looks like velvet, but based on you saying you haven't added anything in over 6 months, that seems odd. Especially in terms of just 1 fish has it, and has it that bad. When I had velvet it was after adding fish, and it hit the entire population quickly.

Also people here are way to quick to claim velvet/ich IMO. Anything with spots is called that. Few dots, must be ich, lots of dots, must be velvet.

Personally, I would leave him in the tank as to not cause additional stress unless it is having trouble breathing. If it is indeed velvet, you are eventually going to have to QT all your fish and run fallow in your tank for 2 months etc. Your tank is infected no matter if you move them or not.

That said if it is velvet, then getting them in copper quicker is pretty important. So watch the breathing. But you can also kill it by doing all that and causing further stress. Total judgement call that isn't easy to make.

No offense but Jay Hemdal is not just some guy on a forum. I’d trust his experience, degrees, and books above all else. I felt like it might be velvet or ich but I didn’t say anything because I am just some person on the forums who reads a lot. You acknowledge yourself it could be velvet and velvet can kill everything in the tank very quickly, so recognizing that it could be that, you should be advocating for fast treatment.