Is his stomach pinched? I’m thinking he may have parasites.

[BombadBrad]

I’ve never actually seen him poo. But I have found white stringy line once in the tank yesterday. I think I may start feeding him treated food with metroplex and focus. He still eats like crazy right now. Only fish in the tank so far

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Yes, your clown is pretty thin, not just in the belly, but also behind the head.
It is tank raised, so it won’t have any of the internal parasites that wild fish can have.
How long have you had the fish?
What is the ammonia level running?

The first thing you should assess is what foods are you feeding it, how often, and how much at a time?

Metroplex and focus is often suggested, but here is the thing; metronidazole is really bitter. If your fish eat food dosed with it more than one time, the dose is too low!
Jay

 

[BombadBrad]

Yes, your clown is pretty thin, not just in the belly, but also behind the head.
It is tank raised, so it won’t have any of the internal parasites that wild fish can have.
How long have you had the fish?
What is the ammonia level running?

The first thing you should assess is what foods are you feeding it, how often, and how much at a time?

Metroplex and focus is often suggested, but here is the thing; metronidazole is really bitter. If your fish eat food dosed with it more than one time, the dose is too low!
Jay

I’ve had the fish for 5 days. The ammonia level is 0 undetectable. I feed him New Life Spectrum 1mm pellets. I give him 3 pellets twice daily for a total of 6. He eats all of it.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I’ve had the fish for 5 days. The ammonia level is nearly undetectable. I feed him New Life Spectrum 1mm pellets. I give him 3 pellets twice daily for a total of 6. He eats all of it.

That’s the key - a fish that is “cleaning its plate” and still looks thin should be offered more food. I have a clown a bit larger than yours and I feed it mysid shrimp and new life spectrum on alternating days. I’d guess it gets 15 pellets a day. The trick is to let the fish tell you how much food it wants; put a few pellets in, let it eat those, put a few more in, etc. until it starts slowing down, then stop feeding it. Do that twice a day.
Jay

 

[BombadBrad]

That’s the key - a fish that is “cleaning its plate” and still looks thin should be offered more food. I have a clown a bit larger than yours and I feed it mysid shrimp and new life spectrum on alternating days. I’d guess it gets 15 pellets a day. The trick is to let the fish tell you how much food it wants; put a few pellets in, let it eat those, put a few more in, etc. until it starts slowing down, then stop feeding it. Do that twice a day.
Jay

This fish is 1.25” max. I have a hard time believing he can take in almost 15 pellets a day but I’ll definitely try to give it a shot. Is there still a chance he has parasites based off what I found in the water? So what exactly does being thin behind the head indicate? Thank you for all the help.

 

[JohnTheReefer]

It usually means that the fat reserves on the fish are very low. Keep feeding it as much as it will eat

 

[Kiorayla]

I agree with feeding more, Our nemos eat a lot of food!

We feed a mixture of Mysis, Krill, Copepods

 

[BombadBrad]

Just wanted to update you guys after treating him for the past 10 days for internal parasites. I believe the difference is night and day. Old-bottom, new-top.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Just wanted to update you guys after treating him for the past 10 days for internal parasites. I believe the difference is night and day. Old-bottom, new-top.

And you increased the diet, right? Internal parasites don't want to kill the host, but they will "steal" food from the host if there isn't enough to go around. Increasing the food being fed (amount and frequency) is the key. Fish in the wild live with parasite naturally with no issues.

Jay

 

[BombadBrad]

And you increased the diet, right? Internal parasites don't want to kill the host, but they will "steal" food from the host if there isn't enough to go around. Increasing the food being fed (amount and frequency) is the key. Fish in the wild live with parasite naturally with no issues.

Jay

Yes I absolutely increased his diet maybe by 3x. Spread over 3 times a day. I'm now even mixing in Fish Frenzy every day

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Yes I absolutely increased his diet maybe by 3x. Spread over 3 times a day. I'm now even mixing in Fish Frenzy every day

As long as it isn't leaving uneaten food, you can feed it pretty heavily. As fish mature though, they tend to build up fat (don't we all!). So you do need to cut back when its growth rate slows down....

Jay