10 year old clown fish is very ill. Please help ASAP. May die...

[Blueskys001]

Fish is weak and need s to eat or it will go bad. What is temp and salinity of tank. Have you tried enticer such as brine shrimp? You could try PraziPro to assure no flukes or similar

Thanks you know what. I fed the fish again just know with something called HEX shield which I've been feeding for two days now and noticed a small improvement. The fish ate more than it has in a week. I also ordered some paraguard from seachem and will have a hospital tank setup by tomorrow. Not giving up just yet.

Temp is like 78F salinity is around 1.25

 

[resortez]

It would help to share parameter numbers & definitely would move the clown to quarantine. In quarantine, you can throw everything but the kitchen sink at the disease & have the upper hand on the infection. As time goes by without proper treatment, the disease gets stronger & the clown gets weaker. I can’t stress enough on quarantining the fish asap, especially when the little guy has been around for 10+ years. Believe me, I know the heartache of losing a fish that has been around that long. Good luck with the fight.

 

[Paul Sands]

Looks like a classic case of brook. It may also have an infection. The treatment for both are relatively the same though. Need to do a bath either freshwater or reef rally and get that fish into a clean hospital tank. I’d do it immediately.

 

[Danyal khan]

I would add prazi pro. A short bath in formalin may help too but I wouldn't do it for too long as the fish has been sick for some time and is old

 

[Blueskys001]

Hi everyone. I've looked at 100 photos of Brooks and took more photos of my fish today. Whatever it is it doesn't appear to be brooks starts with white bumps and had white bumps mine has none. I found someone trying to get help for disease out break in their tank and they showed a photo of a dead fish and it looked exactly like what mine has. He treated his fish for ich and it still died which I'm guess that treatment would have also killed brooks. I'm still guessing bacterial infection maybe some sort of internal parasites too. Well QT tomorrow and pray the shock doesn't kill the fish. I have to use my tank water because of that reason alone.

 

[Blueskys001]

This is the dead fish with that I mentioned above with something very similar. I have to go with my instinct. Pro longed skin irritation from those leathers turned into a sever bacterial infection with fin rot and possible malnutrition trying to fight it off everything along with it. Whatever killed this fish looks too familiar to my fish and the person said it was only 2 years old... and treated it for ICH. I have a feeling once I separate it from those corals I should see some improvement with a bactericidal treatment. Its either make or break for my fish moving into a hospital tank and getting used to it. Not much I have so far to add for the fish to hide. Looks for items. I'm trying to find some medicated fish food too.

 

[Paul Sands]

Omg. Your fish has brooklynella. It has classic symptoms. No idea what you think read on the internet that makes you think it doesn’t look like brook. It does. CLASSIC BROOK SYMPTOMS.

Regardless, if you think it has a bacterial Infection, then treat it. Ruby reef rally (acriflavine) bath and then transfer to a sterile tank and dose antibiotics Including metronazole. Again, the treatment for brook is identical to the treatment for a bacterial infection.

 

[P-Dub]

Treat it as you see fit. You're being a good fish parent. One thing to keep in mind and you touched on it already, that fish has lived a long life. Be satisfied that it was well taken care of if it passes but don't beat yourself up over its loss if it happens. 10 years is pretty much max for clowns. Best of luck and holding on to hope for you.

 

[Bleigh]

Can you describe what the fish’s slime coat looks like? I find it interesting that it almost seems as if the fish coat isn’t sliming. (As is pretty common with brook). I wonder if there’s anything that could inhibit slime production. If it’s slime coat is thinner than normal, could that actually be stings? My clown fish were getting stung by the corals they were hosting initially. It resulted in spots that were transparent. Not white, but see through. Like the scales had lost all color. I’ve read that stings normally appear the way I described. After a week or so, the clear spots stopped popping up. My fish had much smaller spots than yours. Just trying to this of possible alternatives to consider. Since you’ve gotten several of the same response.

 

[Blueskys001]

Can you describe what the fish’s slime coat looks like? I find it interesting that it almost seems as if the fish coat isn’t sliming. (As is pretty common with brook). I wonder if there’s anything that could inhibit slime production. If it’s slime coat is thinner than normal, could that actually be stings? My clown fish were getting stung by the corals they were hosting initially. It resulted in spots that were transparent. Not white, but see through. Like the scales had lost all color. I’ve read that stings normally appear the way I described. After a week or so, the clear spots stopped popping up. My fish had much smaller spots than yours. Just trying to this of possible alternatives to consider. Since you’ve gotten several of the same response.

Hi thanks for the reply. I've asked high and low breeders who asked other breeders. One place the breeds said looks like "flukes." That doesn't exactly match up either. The stings you asked about I do have these massive Neon Green Leathers the size of near basket balls and the fish has been hosting them for years rubbing on them like she used to do the anemone and I mean rubbing on it hard hard. My Clown would basically just lay in the anemone and never want to come out (Lazy) like in the photo all day everyday. I've been reading these leathers shed their skin from time to time and its poisonous.

The coat is rough and soar as if over time the scales were just scrapped off. I can't find a single brooks bump on my fish, not one, or any trailing white slimming flesh coming off not any or a single cloudy eye and this is has been going on for a good minute (my fault) for not paying better attention. I just thought hosting those leathers was no big deal, even when I rub them I see a whitish chalky film came off now and again when I need to move them or cut some from rocks recently to sell. I believe its probably what started the skin irritation and worn down the fishes coat and now something it developed into something else. Even the fish for some reason doesn't want to host the leathers or touch them now, its weird, like it knows its making it sick. It just swims behind the leathers during and above them at night.

 

[Bleigh]

Hi thanks for the reply. I've asked high and low breeders who asked other breeders. One place the breeds said looks like "flukes." That doesn't exactly match up either. The stings you asked about I do have these massive Neon Green Leathers the size of near basket balls and the fish has been hosting them for years rubbing on them like she used to do the anemone and I mean rubbing on it hard hard. My Clown would basically just lay in the anemone and never want to come out (Lazy) like in the photo all day everyday. I've been reading these leathers shed their skin from time to time and its poisonous.

The coat is rough and soar as if over time the scales were just scrapped off. I can't find a single brooks bump on my fish, not one, or any trailing white slimming flesh coming off not any or a single cloudy eye and this is has been going on for a good minute (my fault) for not paying better attention. I just thought hosting those leathers was no big deal, even when I rub them I see a whitish chalky film came off now and again when I need to move them or cut some from rocks recently to sell. I believe its probably what started the skin irritation and worn down the fishes coat and now something it developed into something else. Even the fish for some reason doesn't want to host the leathers or touch them now, its weird, like it knows its making it sick. It just swims behind the leathers during and above them at night.

There’s many examples of clown hosting leathers, so unless I’m missing something, I wouldn’t find this to be the primary concern. Clowns normally produce a think layer of mucous that protects them from stings. I wonder if you’re clown’s slime production has declined for some reason, and this is what’s made it susceptible to something else. I know people keep saying brook, but in my experience, it’s a fast killer, not a slow one, and your normally see long mucous threads. I mean, it could still be that, but, from what I see, I think it has too little mucous, not an overproduction.

 

[Bleigh]

I have an idea. Can you get a microscope? They’re only about $50 on amazon. You can then attempt to take a scraping from the clownfish and see more precisely what is going on.

 

[MnFish1]

There’s many examples of clown hosting leathers, so unless I’m missing something, I wouldn’t find this to be the primary concern. Clowns normally produce a think layer of mucous that protects them from stings. I wonder if you’re clown’s slime production has declined for some reason, and this is what’s made it susceptible to something else. I know people keep saying brook, but in my experience, it’s a fast killer, not a slow one, and your normally see long mucous threads. I mean, it could still be that, but, from what I see, I think it has too little mucous, not an overproduction.

One problem is that (and with due deference to those who are sure its 'one thing' or 'another' or 'are sure its brook' - different diseases can look almost identical at different stages and depending on the type of disease. The site has hundreds of threads where it goes back and forth between velvet and ci, etc etc.

Appearance is only one criteria to a diagnosis - how the disease is progressing, etc is also part of the equation, This might be brook - it might be 10 other things - I agree with @Bleigh that its difficult to know 'for sure'.. If at all..

 

[Bleigh]

One problem is that (and with due deference to those who are sure its 'one thing' or 'another' or 'are sure its brook' - different diseases can look almost identical at different stages and depending on the type of disease. The site has hundreds of threads where it goes back and forth between velvet and ci, etc etc.

Appearance is only one criteria to a diagnosis - how the disease is progressing, etc is also part of the equation, This might be brook - it might be 10 other things - I agree with @Bleigh that its difficult to know 'for sure'.. If at all..

That’s why I think getting a microscope may be beneficial in this case. It seems to be progressing slowly. I half wonder if the fish is just losing it ability to produce slime due to old age... kind of like people going bald. I don’t know if this is actually a thing and can’t find any information on it, so am hesitant to suggest it without looking for parasites.

Although, I don’t think a slime coat is the end of the world. I would imagine you’d just have to remove things it could injure itself on and try to boost its immunity to skin diseases as much as possible (good foods and vitamins). It’s kind of like when our dogs get so old they can’t go up and down the stairs. It’s not the end of the world, but it does point towards the end. ;Sorry

 

[MnFish1]

One problem is that (and with due deference to those who are sure its 'one thing' or 'another' or 'are sure its brook' - different diseases can look almost identical at different stages and depending on the type of disease. The site has hundreds of threads where it goes back and forth between velvet and ci, etc etc.

Appearance is only one criteria to a diagnosis - how the disease is progressing, etc is also part of the equation, This might be brook - it might be 10 other things - I agree with @Bleigh that its difficult to know 'for sure'.. If at all..

Addendum - If its a parasite - Nothing new was added to the tank - it would suggest something that was in the tank at low levels - and the fish developed infection due to a problem besides 'just the infection'. If thats the case all the formaldehyde, copper, freshwater dips, etc aren't going to help (and may hurt).

If its bacterial (and I tend to agree with the OP that an injury may have started the process (on the skin) - unsure about the leather coral - have never seen that - an antibiotic bath will be beneficial - and low toxicity.

I certainly wish him well. As @Bleigh said - microscopic diagnosis is the only way to sort most of this out.

 

[Bbfishb81]

Not that it helps now, but it looks like a bacterial infection. Brook or velvet is usually a quick death, not the prolonged like it seems to have happened. I have used marycyn 2 for bacterial infections in a QT tank. Daily bacteria dosing to help keep water parameters in check, due to it being a negative gram medication, and 3 weeks later healed and healthy.

 

[Blueskys001]

Hi guys, thanks for all the replies. I'm trying my hardest to save the fish. Its been in the hospital tank for 3 days now and wont eat swims head first down nearly all day besides at night when I see the fish swimming sideways sometimes. I think something might have spread to the bladder because of some bounces issues also the gills I noticed were inflamed around the same time and shes breathing heavy for the past 3 days. It looks like the entire fishes is being affected. The only things ok are the eyes, nose and head are perfectly clear. I've been treating with paraguard on day 3 no improvement it said in their forums to treat "a wide range of bacterial infections." Now I can see the fish up close there are zero not one white bumps or spots on the fish. Brooks/velvet all of them are out. I'm thinking about switching to API Furan 2. I read online if one bactericidal medication doesn't work after 3 days switch to another. Any thoughts? Far as buying a microscope and scrapping the fish I don't exactly want to do that that could kill the fish. Any thoughts?

 

[Blueskys001]

btw my water parameters were all absolutely perfect. I have beautiful reef setup and only the clown was sick and nothing has been added.

 

[bluprntguy]

Is there a reason that you decided to use paraguard instead of using the antibiotic cocktail recommended in this thread? IME, paraguard is a nice preventative, but completely useless for something as severe as this.

 

[MnFish1]

btw my water parameters were all absolutely perfect. I have beautiful reef setup and only the clown was sick and nothing has been added.

Maybe I missed it - Paraguard is more like a 'formaldehyde' type treatment (that doesnt contain formaldehyde. There are some protocols using for Brook using paraguard - that said - if you think this is a bacterial infection - what antibiotic are you using to treat it?