New Clownfish possible Brook?

[Broadwell]

Hello, I made an account for this post so please forgive my lack of knowledge. I have recently set up my 65g tank, which I fully cycled for about 6 weeks dosing ammonium chloride without fish. I know it looks like a new tank but I am certain it is cycled. I got my first two fish about a week ago on 2/7. They are both ~3/4 inch ocellaris clowns.

I am looking for opinions on if this is brook or something else on the black clown. I did not notice this until last night and it looks slightly more defined today. It looks like squiggly white lines and possibly a large pale spot on the back lower half of the fish (both sides) and I cannot tell if it is slime, discoloration, an injury, or otherwise. There seems to be no behavioral changes; he is swimming quickly and eating normally.

I now have a 20g quarantine tank and would like to do what is best with the fish. Please advise!

Today:

Feb 9 (showing lack of lines/spot):

Stock list:
1 Ocellaris Clownfish
1 Black Ocellaris Clownfish
1 Orange Marble Snail
1 Nassarius Snail
2 Margarita Snail
5 Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab
No corals

Parameters (from LFS testing yesterday, I also do my own and they are similar to these numbers):
Ph: 8.1, Salinity: 1.024, Ammonia: 0, Nitrites: 0, Nitrates: 18, Alkalinity: 7.34dkH, Phosphates: 0.11, Calcium: 319, Magnesium: 1066

More details: Sump filtration, Octo Classic 152-S skimmer, 1 MP40-QD running at minimum speed agitating the surface, White & Actinic T5 lighting.

Both fish have seemed very healthy since I got them and have been eating voraciously and being active in the tank, with no aggressive behavior seen (I sit at the tank an hour or two per day). I have been feeding a mix of x-small TDO Chroma Boost pellets and frozen brine shrimp, occasionally soaked in selcon.

The orange clown does not appear to have any signs of brook or other problems.

I did not use any quarantine procedure due to ignorance and the LFS telling me that they are captive-bred and healthy. The tanks looked quite clean with no sickly or lethargic clowns.

I have ordered formalin (37% formaldehyde, 15% methanol), Seachem Metroplex, and Ruby Reef Rally Pro in case but they will not be arriving for 2 days. I can try sourcing elsewhere if I need to be faster. I do have some Seachem Paraguard and Seachem Stressguard (both possibly expired) if those would be useful immediately.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Welcome to R2R and thank you for joining us! I'll tag the #fishmedics @Jay Hemdal @vetteguy53081 to take a look for you

 

[MnFish1]

Usually Ruby Rally pro would take the place of formalin. I am not sure why you would use 15% methanol? However, if brook - and the mucus does look think - suggests it. you can use Ruby Rally Pro per the directions - and it can be used in the display tank. Increased aeration is always helpful.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Start with a prolonged 60 minute bath of ruby rally pro then at a lower concentration in a quarantine tank. The longer the fish are exposed to the treatment, the more effective it will be at eliminating this issue.
Since a formalin solution is often not available for use, temporary relief can be achieved by giving the fish a FW bath or dip in water same temperature as display tank. 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 using either quick cure (more effective but now harder to find) or Ruby Rally Pro. Ruby takes a little longer and initial treatment generally takes 2-3 days to really start going to work.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hello, I made an account for this post so please forgive my lack of knowledge. I have recently set up my 65g tank, which I fully cycled for about 6 weeks dosing ammonium chloride without fish. I know it looks like a new tank but I am certain it is cycled. I got my first two fish about a week ago on 2/7. They are both ~3/4 inch ocellaris clowns.

I am looking for opinions on if this is brook or something else on the black clown. I did not notice this until last night and it looks slightly more defined today. It looks like squiggly white lines and possibly a large pale spot on the back lower half of the fish (both sides) and I cannot tell if it is slime, discoloration, an injury, or otherwise. There seems to be no behavioral changes; he is swimming quickly and eating normally.

I now have a 20g quarantine tank and would like to do what is best with the fish. Please advise!

Today:

Feb 9 (showing lack of lines/spot):

Stock list:
1 Ocellaris Clownfish
1 Black Ocellaris Clownfish
1 Orange Marble Snail
1 Nassarius Snail
2 Margarita Snail
5 Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab
No corals

Parameters (from LFS testing yesterday, I also do my own and they are similar to these numbers):
Ph: 8.1, Salinity: 1.024, Ammonia: 0, Nitrites: 0, Nitrates: 18, Alkalinity: 7.34dkH, Phosphates: 0.11, Calcium: 319, Magnesium: 1066

More details: Sump filtration, Octo Classic 152-S skimmer, 1 MP40-QD running at minimum speed agitating the surface, White & Actinic T5 lighting.

Both fish have seemed very healthy since I got them and have been eating voraciously and being active in the tank, with no aggressive behavior seen (I sit at the tank an hour or two per day). I have been feeding a mix of x-small TDO Chroma Boost pellets and frozen brine shrimp, occasionally soaked in selcon.

The orange clown does not appear to have any signs of brook or other problems.

I did not use any quarantine procedure due to ignorance and the LFS telling me that they are captive-bred and healthy. The tanks looked quite clean with no sickly or lethargic clowns.

I have ordered formalin (37% formaldehyde, 15% methanol), Seachem Metroplex, and Ruby Reef Rally Pro in case but they will not be arriving for 2 days. I can try sourcing elsewhere if I need to be faster. I do have some Seachem Paraguard and Seachem Stressguard (both possibly expired) if those would be useful immediately.

That's classic Brooklynella. Both clowns are showing symptoms, just the orange one is not as bad.

Formalin is the best treatment for this issue, but it it VERY dangerous to use in a home situation due to off-gassing.

Ruby Reef has a small amount of formalin in it (or at least it used to) but it is also not as effective. Paraguard and Stressguard have no application here.

If you think you have the PPE to do this safely, you could do formalin dips on the clownfish, while dosing the tank itself with Ruby Reef Rally Pro. Then, you could dump the dip water down the drain, so that it doesn't off gas in your home as much. Formalin dips would be 150 ppm for an hour with good aeration.

 

[Broadwell]

Usually Ruby Rally pro would take the place of formalin. I am not sure why you would use 15% methanol? However, if brook - and the mucus does look think - suggests it. you can use Ruby Rally Pro per the directions - and it can be used in the display tank. Increased aeration is always helpful.

The fastest shipping option was this and it seems like most available formalin options contain some methanol. Does that make it useless for this purpose?

 

[Broadwell]

@vetteguy53081 @Jay Hemdal

Thank you so much for the info! I am headed to a LFS I found that has RRRP in stock and am going to treat today. I plan to do a 90 min bath of RRRP with 1 tsp/gallon and an air stone as described here https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/acriflavine.282887/

I plan to move fish to QT afterwards and dose metronidazole every 48 hours for 14 days as described here https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/brooklynella.247938/ OR should I be using RRRP in QT at lower concentration?

What should I be looking for as to timeline? Should I be doing more RRRP baths if the mucus does not clear up in a certain timeframe?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

The fastest shipping option was this and it seems like most available formalin options contain some methanol. Does that make it useless for this purpose?

All formalin contains 7 to 15% methanol. Lower is better, but I've used 15% quite often.

 

[vetteguy53081]

The fastest shipping option was this and it seems like most available formalin options contain some methanol. Does that make it useless for this purpose?

While this will work, Be very cautious with both handling and atmospheric fumes which can cause issues. I prefer Ruby Rally for this reason

 

[Broadwell]

Update:
Went out to grab RRRP from the LFS (not so local)

Doing a 90 min RRRP bath at 1 tsp/gallon with airstone and heater now. Both clowns are still eating and behaving normally as far as I can tell.

Afterwards, I plan to move the fish to my 20g QT and dose every 48 hours starting today with Seachem Metroplex at recommended dosage.
I will NOT be using RRRP in the QT because I have been advised to use EITHER Metroplex or RRRP in QT after the initial high concentration bath but I have seen no advice to use them together.

The 20g QT was sadly set up using 1/2 DT water and 1/2 new saltwater so I hope there are no lingering parasites in the water but it is the best I have at the moment.

If anyone thinks I am doing something incorrectly or could be doing better, please advise.

 

[Broadwell]

Update:

90 minute RRRP bath completed yesterday with no ill effects. Fish have been in quarantine tank for 24 hours. Seem to be taking it well, swimming and eating. Both clownfish seem to have lost most of the slime but at least the black ocellaris still has some signs of brook. Dosing Seachem Metroplex in QT.

Start with a prolonged 60 minute bath of ruby rally pro then at a lower concentration in a quarantine tank. The longer the fish are exposed to the treatment, the more effective it will be at eliminating this issue.
Since a formalin solution is often not available for use, temporary relief can be achieved by giving the fish a FW bath or dip in water same temperature as display tank. 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 using either quick cure (more effective but now harder to find) or Ruby Rally Pro. Ruby takes a little longer and initial treatment generally takes 2-3 days to really start going to work.

When you say the initial treatment takes a few days to go to work, does that mean I should be patient and wait or that I should be giving another RRRP bath soon since I still see some brook symptoms?

Thank you!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Update:

90 minute RRRP bath completed yesterday with no ill effects. Fish have been in quarantine tank for 24 hours. Seem to be taking it well, swimming and eating. Both clownfish seem to have lost most of the slime but at least the black ocellaris still has some signs of brook. Dosing Seachem Metroplex in QT.


When you say the initial treatment takes a few days to go to work, does that mean I should be patient and wait or that I should be giving another RRRP bath soon since I still see some brook symptoms?

Thank you!

Yes as it takes a couple of days to work and then dose every 3 days , not 48 hours. Skip the metro which addresses internal issues and should be used when absolutely necessary by weight and makes food taste bitter to some fish

 

[Broadwell]

Yes as it takes a couple of days to work and then dose every 3 days , not 48 hours. Skip the metro which addresses internal issues and should be used when absolutely necessary by weight and makes food taste bitter to some fish

Brooklynella

Brooklynella hostilis What You Need To Know: * This is most often seen in clownfish, but it can afflict any fish. The fish’s skin will appear to be peeling or sloughing off, oftentimes causing excessive white mucous to form around the affected area(s). * Treatment of choice is a 45 minute...

www.reef2reef.com

Acriflavine

Acriflavine What It Treats – This is an antiseptic that is very useful for rendering “first aid” if a fish has a bacterial infection or to treat an open wound. It can also be used as part of a “three step program” for treating Marine Velvet Disease: 1) 5 minute freshwater dip 2) 90 minute...

www.reef2reef.com

Both of these threads say to dose Metro rather than RRRP in QT. Are they out of date?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Brooklynella

Brooklynella hostilis What You Need To Know: * This is most often seen in clownfish, but it can afflict any fish. The fish’s skin will appear to be peeling or sloughing off, oftentimes causing excessive white mucous to form around the affected area(s). * Treatment of choice is a 45 minute...

www.reef2reef.com

Acriflavine

Acriflavine What It Treats – This is an antiseptic that is very useful for rendering “first aid” if a fish has a bacterial infection or to treat an open wound. It can also be used as part of a “three step program” for treating Marine Velvet Disease: 1) 5 minute freshwater dip 2) 90 minute...

www.reef2reef.com

Both of these threads say to dose Metro rather than RRRP in QT. Are they out of date?

These threads are from 2014 and have changed and Acriflavine is the agent in Ruby Rally pro. Additionally does not mention metro in acriflavine. You can take our fishmed advice or go with a 2014 thread and let us know how it works out