Why does everytime I add clownfish it will die?

[fzakuan]

Aquarium Parameters:
Reef (Fish, Live rock, Corals, Invertebrates)
40cm3 AIO tank, filled almost to the brim ~ 60 Liters
Using backsum filteration (Filter sock, Bio filter, Protein Skimmer, Activated carbon)
Lighting: SP20
Established for almost 6 months

Water quality
Salifert test kit
Temperature: 26.5 degree Celcius
pH: 8
Salinity / specific gravity: 1.025
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0.25
Phosphate: 25
Kh: 8
Ph: 8
Calcium: 400
Magnesium: 1250

In-depth information:
Have you lost any fish to this problem yet? (see below): Yes, multiple time over the course of the tank from starting till date
Are any invertebrates affected?: No
Respiration rate of affected fish (in gill beats per minutes, count for 15 seconds and multiply by 4): Fast, cant count fish already died
Are the affected fish still feeding?: Not before the fish die

About 10 clownfish have died since i started the tank. Other fish are okay (2x Green Chromis, 1 Fire goby, 1purple dottyback). 2 turbo snail, 1 zombie snail. Corals: few zoa, 1 frogspawn, 1 toadstool, 1 pulsing xenia.

Over this 6 months, everytime I add clownfish to the tank it will die (fastest 2 days - longest 3 weeks).

From the last clownfish I saw the belly is sunken with stringy white poop.

 

[Mebbid]

My first guess would be Brooklynella. It's particularly dangerous to clowns and fish can develop a temporary immunity to it. You'd see a thick whitish slime coat, peeling skin, and rapid breathing in affected fish.

 

[fzakuan]

My first guess would be Brooklynella. It's particularly dangerous to clowns and fish can develop a temporary immunity to it. You'd see a thick whitish slime coat, peeling skin, and rapid breathing in affected fish.

I didn’t see white slime from my latest 2 clownfish that just died. The standard clown have a sunk in belly with stringy with poop. The snowflake just suddenly tumble over by wave and got weak before die.

Note that I did 50% wc last 2 days to reduce my nitrate from 50 to 25ppm. But that didn’t justify my last 8 clownfish that were dead, because previously i only do 15-20% wc weekly or bi-weekly.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

First of all, you tried the same thing 10 times each time hoping for a different result, you can't do that, you have to stop after 2-3 times and evaluate.

Your tank is very overstocked with very aggressive fish. You should not add more fish to this tank, I would remove the chromis and dottyback, the tank is too small for them. Stick to 2 or 3 peaceful nano fish like gobies and blennies, your tank is not big enough for what you want. Sorry

 

[vetteguy53081]

Aquarium Parameters:
Reef (Fish, Live rock, Corals, Invertebrates)
40cm3 AIO tank, filled almost to the brim ~ 60 Liters
Using backsum filteration (Filter sock, Bio filter, Protein Skimmer, Activated carbon)
Lighting: SP20
Established for almost 6 months

Water quality
Salifert test kit
Temperature: 26.5 degree Celcius
pH: 8
Salinity / specific gravity: 1.025
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0.25
Phosphate: 25
Kh: 8
Ph: 8
Calcium: 400
Magnesium: 1250

In-depth information:
Have you lost any fish to this problem yet? (see below): Yes, multiple time over the course of the tank from starting till date
Are any invertebrates affected?: No
Respiration rate of affected fish (in gill beats per minutes, count for 15 seconds and multiply by 4): Fast, cant count fish already died
Are the affected fish still feeding?: Not before the fish die

About 10 clownfish have died since i started the tank. Other fish are okay (2x Green Chromis, 1 Fire goby, 1purple dottyback). 2 turbo snail, 1 zombie snail. Corals: few zoa, 1 frogspawn, 1 toadstool, 1 pulsing xenia.

Over this 6 months, everytime I add clownfish to the tank it will die (fastest 2 days - longest 3 weeks).

From the last clownfish I saw the belly is sunken with stringy white poop.

Try a different store of purchase and these fish tend to be over-bred and I recommend quarantining at least 3 weeks using ruby Rally pro which addresses many clownfish issues

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I didn’t see white slime from my latest 2 clownfish that just died. The standard clown have a sunk in belly with stringy with poop. The snowflake just suddenly tumble over by wave and got weak before die.

Note that I did 50% wc last 2 days to reduce my nitrate from 50 to 25ppm. But that didn’t justify my last 8 clownfish that were dead, because previously i only do 15-20% wc weekly or bi-weekly.

This looks to be a wild caught ocellaris clownfish. Have they all been wild caught? Any other type of clownfish?

I stopped buying wild caught ocellaris clownfish from SE Asia due to the high mortality rate from Brooklynella and another unidentified disease that causes rapid breathing and white feces.

 

[Justdrew]

That dottyback is one of the meanest fishes out there. Possibly beating the heck out of it.

 

[fzakuan]

This looks to be a wild caught ocellaris clownfish. Have they all been wild caught? Any other type of clownfish?

I stopped buying wild caught ocellaris clownfish from SE Asia due to the high mortality rate from Brooklynella and another unidentified disease that causes rapid breathing and white feces.

My first pair was actually snowflake as well they survive for about 3 weeks, the others are standard ocellaris which die quicker.

So you are saying it could be brook.

Right now I am starting fallow with my current fish in QT tank.

Since I believe the brook could stay in the water column and re-attach to other fish and keep cycling.

90 days for fallow and will add 3 peaceful fish once done.

Let me know if I am on the right direction.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

My first pair was actually snowflake as well they survive for about 3 weeks, the others are standard ocellaris which die quicker.

So you are saying it could be brook.

Right now I am starting fallow with my current fish in QT tank.

Since I believe the brook could stay in the water column and re-attach to other fish and keep cycling.

90 days for fallow and will add 3 peaceful fish once done.

Let me know if I am on the right direction.

The fallow period for Brook is less than 60 days as it has no resting stage.

However, it’s likely that your new fish will just bring it in again with them. Quarantine for Brook is tricky - formalin is best, but it is toxic and really should not be used in homes. Can you get Ruby Reef Rally Pro? That doesn’t always work on advanced infections, but it does work in mild cases.