New Clownfish with white stuff

Haru · Mar 5, 2023

Hi! I am new to Reef tank hobby!
Just finished cycling my tank and got my first pair of clowns yesterday. This morning one of them has some white stuff on his tail. I have been reading ans ir could be brook? But I am not sure so I wanted to show people with more experience in the hobby.
He ate today.
Water temp-78.5F
Gravity- 1.025
Nitrite- 0
Ammonia- >0.25
Nitrate- >5
Calcium- 400
pH- 8
dKH- 9
Any help and tips are welcome

Sharkbait19 · Mar 5, 2023

Welcome to the forum!
Has there been any off-behavior with the clown? Change in breathing rate, lethargy, lack of appetite, etc..
Could you post a video (linked through youtube)?
Brook is a possibility, especially in new clowns, but I’d want to rule everything else out first. Being localized on the tail, I wouldn’t be surprised if it were a bacterial infection that sprung from an injury.

Haru · Mar 5, 2023

Sharkbait19 said:
Welcome to the forum!
Has there been any off-behavior with the clown? Change in breathing rate, lethargy, lack of appetite, etc..
Could you post a video (linked through youtube)?
Brook is a possibility, especially in new clowns, but I’d want to rule everything else out first. Being localized on the tail, I wouldn’t be surprised if it were a bacterial infection that sprung from an injury.

He seems fine. He ate some flakes, and was swimming around chasing the flakes (which was very fun to watch ) and I have been trying to get their breathing rate but they’re both hanging out in the back of some rocks. I attached a video, but how do I link it through YouTube? Now that you mention injury, I did see something weird in the fin near the tail. It seems like it’s missing a little part right?

Sharkbait19 · Mar 5, 2023

I can’t see much in the pics - to link it to YouTube, just upload it there and paste the link on the post.

Haru · Mar 5, 2023

Sharkbait19 said:
I can’t see much in the pics - to link it to YouTube, just upload it there and paste the link on the post.

Oh thanks! Got a clear video of the white stuff
YouTube video: https://youtube.com/shorts/hwE_ytX0bbI?feature=share

KING KONG · Mar 5, 2023

Haru said:
Oh thanks! Got a clear video of the white stuff
YouTube video: https://youtube.com/shorts/hwE_ytX0bbI?feature=share

It can be brook or bacterial infection. Still wait for expert's confirmation. If I stated something, sorry

Sharkbait19 · Mar 5, 2023

The mucus looks like brooklynella to me - you just generally don’t see it only on the tail like that. The anal fin has a small bite, which is to be expected when pairing new clowns.
I would recommend to treat for brook and see where that goes.
Unfortunately this means quarantining all fish and treating with formalin. The tank should remain fishless for 6 weeks during treatment.
Let me call in the rest of the #fishmedic squad for a second opinion though.

Haru · Mar 5, 2023

Sharkbait19 said:
The mucus looks like brooklynella to me - you just generally don’t see it only on the tail like that. The anal fin has a small bite, which is to be expected when pairing new clowns.
I would recommend to treat for brook and see where that goes.
Unfortunately this means quarantining all fish and treating with formalin. The tank should remain fishless for 6 weeks during treatment.
Let me call in the rest of the #fishmedic squad for a second opinion though.

Ok. In case the tank has to be fishless for 6 weeks, does that also mean removing snails and corals?
Thank you for your help!

KING KONG · Mar 5, 2023

Haru said:
Ok. In case the tank has to be fishless for 6 weeks, does that also mean removing snails and corals?
Thank you for your help!

KING KONG · Mar 5, 2023

Haru said:
Ok. In case the tank has to be fishless for 6 weeks, does that also mean removing snails and corals?
Thank you for your help!

Sharkbait19 · Mar 5, 2023

Haru said:
Ok. In case the tank has to be fishless for 6 weeks, does that also mean removing snails and corals?
Thank you for your help!

Just fish - all invertebrates can stay in the tank.

Jay Hemdal · Mar 5, 2023

Sharkbait19 said:
The mucus looks like brooklynella to me - you just generally don’t see it only on the tail like that. The anal fin has a small bite, which is to be expected when pairing new clowns.
I would recommend to treat for brook and see where that goes.
Unfortunately this means quarantining all fish and treating with formalin. The tank should remain fishless for 6 weeks during treatment.
Let me call in the rest of the #fishmedic squad for a second opinion though.

I agree that it looks like Brook, but I also agree that Brook typically doesn't start on the tail like that. I wonder if this is mucus / damage from a bit wound? Although the clowns seem to be getting along well now, they may have had to "duke things out" when first added to the tank.

Jay

Haru · Mar 5, 2023

Jay Hemdal said:
I agree that it looks like Brook, but I also agree that Brook typically doesn't start on the tail like that. I wonder if this is mucus / damage from a bit wound? Although the clowns seem to be getting along well now, they may have had to "duke things out" when first added to the tank.

Jay

They have been swimming around the tank together the whole day so it looks like they’re buddies now. I was observing them throughout the day and I don’t see any abnormal behaviors. Should I quarantine them and threat them for Brook? If so, none of my LFS have formalin, is there anything else I could use from a Petco or Petsmart? If I buy it online, I would have to wait a week until it arrives.

Haru · Mar 6, 2023

This morning I woke up and observe my clowns for a few minutes. The clown with the white stuff doesn’t have that white stuff anymore, but it has some sort of crack on his tail?

Jay Hemdal · Mar 6, 2023

Haru said:
This morning I woke up and observe my clowns for a few minutes. The clown with the white stuff doesn’t have that white stuff anymore, but it has some sort of crack on his tail?

I can see 3 distinct bite marks, 2 on the tail and one on the bottom fin. The fish looks hazy also, is that just from the glass?

Jay

Haru · Mar 6, 2023

Haru said:
This morning I woke up and observe my clowns for a few minutes. The clown with the white stuff doesn’t have that white stuff anymore, but it has some sort of crack on his tail?

Glass is getting a little dirty, he doesn’t have any mucus. The rest

Jay Hemdal said:
I can see 3 distinct bite marks, 2 on the tail and one on the bottom fin. The fish looks hazy also, is that just from the glass?

Jay

I don’t think he is hazy, I do see now that the white stuff on his tail didn’t disappear. I got a clear picture here and my other clown now has a little white spot near his fin. I already ordered formalin and it should arrive Wednesday, is there something else I can do to help them in the meantime?