Spot under clownfish mouth

[reefyreef]

Hi,

Looks like my clownfish has a weird spot underneath it's mouth. This appeared overnight after some maintenance was done on my tank, it looks like a spot just underneath my clownfish's mouth. Sorry for the bad image quality. Clownfish's breathing looks like it's normal now, but had me freaked me for a bit until I fed him. Anyone experience a similar experience?

Here are my recent parameters, they haven't changed much for the last 2 or so weeks.
Ammonia: .25
Nitrate: 5
Nitrite: 0
Gravity: 1.025
Ca: 470
Mag: 1330
Alk: 7.8
Phosphate: 0.11

 

[vetteguy53081]

Pic very fuzzy but may be an isopod or other foreign worm

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hi,

Looks like my clownfish has a weird spot underneath it's mouth. This appeared overnight after some maintenance was done on my tank, it looks like a spot just underneath my clownfish's mouth. Sorry for the bad image quality. Clownfish's breathing looks like it's normal now, but had me freaked me for a bit until I fed him. Anyone experience a similar experience?

Here are my recent parameters, they haven't changed much for the last 2 or so weeks.
Ammonia: .25
Nitrate: 5
Nitrite: 0
Gravity: 1.025
Ca: 470
Mag: 1330
Alk: 7.8
Phosphate: 0.11

My first thought is to think that there might be some connection between the tank maintenance and the sudden appearance of this spot. Fish often get banged up, or get stung by LPS corals, when they are frightened during tank maintenance.

Jay

 

[reefyreef]

*bumping* turns out it was just a bump that seems to have cleared up? Maybe it was an injury but now it looks like my clown has developed some kind of infection. All other fish are fine but there's definitely something going on with this clown.

What could these white spots be? The clownfish has been exhibiting odd behavior but still eats a lot. No other visual changes besides the spots and maybe slight color loss?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

*bumping* turns out it was just a bump that seems to have cleared up? Maybe it was an injury but now it looks like my clown has developed some kind of infection. All other fish are fine but there's definitely something going on with this clown.

What could these white spots be? The clownfish has been exhibiting odd behavior but still eats a lot. No other visual changes besides the spots and maybe slight color loss?

Can you post a short video of it?
Dark clowns show excess mucus pretty easily, but this could be Brooklynella.
Jay

 

[reefyreef]

Don't have anything higher quality to upload, this mostly appeared over a day, but it sort of looks like Brooklynella. Any recommendations on how to treat it?

 

[reefyreef]

Forgot to upload

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Forgot to upload

Sorry - I just woke up. Diagnosis from just visual clues is always less than 100% certain, but this looks like Brooklynella to me; the cobweb mucus and stiff swimming motion.

Formalin is the primary treatment for this, although some people use ruby reef (as a dip). Trouble is, you'll need to move it to a treatment tank.....is that possible? If so, you would give the fish a ruby reef or formalin dip and then move the fish over to a clean tank. Then, dip daily for 3 to 5 days.

Jay

 

[reefyreef]

Thanks Jay

I do have a QT tank that I haven't used in a bit, so I think I'll hold the clown there. So just a quick dip in formalin, then hold the clown in the tank for until treatment is done.. first time any of my fish displayed any sickness so I'm worried a bit.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thanks Jay

I do have a QT tank that I haven't used in a bit, so I think I'll hold the clown there. So just a quick dip in formalin, then hold the clown in the tank for until treatment is done.. first time any of my fish displayed any sickness so I'm worried a bit.

Formalin is tricky to use. You need 37% formaldehyde gas in water/methanol. Don't use 10% neutral buffered formalin, that seems to be toxic. Formalin is dosed on a time versus concentration basis. I would opt for 75 ppm for one hour. Some people go with 150 ppm for 45 minutes, but that is pretty stressful to some fish.

The way it works is 75 times the number of gallons of the dip divided by 266 to get milliliters of formalin. So - if you are dipping the fish in two gallons, it would be 75 *2 / 266 = 0.56 ml. You'll need a small tuberculin syringe to measure that out. Or - there are about 20 drops in a ml, so use about 10 drops. You need to aerate the bucket well during the dip.

Then - there is the whole issue of the Brooklynella still being in the tank the fish came from. In a quarantine tank, you can dose the water at 25 ppm for 24 hours using the same calculation - but aerate the tank well also!

Brooklynella is tough to treat!


Jay