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

[Blueskys001]

Long story short my 10 year old onyx clownfish fish is in a lot of trouble! Ughh... The issue started after she started hosting massive leathers after I pulled her RBTA. The first few years I noticed just her skin color turning lighter then irritation turned to an ulcer once but left and came back back but healed again. At first didn't think much of it over the last 18 months but bought another RBTA which she hasn't started hosting. Now something has changed my clowns body, fins, flesh and color and literally pealing off now I got a good look at her tonight because shes breathing rapidly on and off/ mostly swimming head first down often during the day. She Ate this morning but not this stays at the bottom of the tank constantly hiding which is strange not even hosting the leathers until the lights go off and she goes to sleep in one.

I asked clown fish breeder if it was velvet and he said "The fish would have been dead yesterday and fish is old."

I have no idea what to do besides I think its a bacterial infection/infections because caused by open soars and fish being old unable to fight them off. I've spent hours on the net looking for clues who to treat it with ASAP. The fish is very weak overall and I'm afraid pulling the fish and putting her in a hospital tank would kill the fish maybe (which I don't have setup) but do have a 20 gallon sitting empty. I could pull 20 gallons from my display tank and get something setup quickly.

My tank is an extremely healthy reef tank everything water quality isn't an issue. I posted a photo of my tank and fish when she was healthy. I really don't want to lose my first and most loved fish. This week started selling off all of the leathers in the tank to combat the issue. The biggest ones I have no idea what to do with them yet.

How should I handle this does anyone know what should I treat the fish with or know what this is? I do know its not worms. I think its a bacterial infection turned into some sort of fin rot. I took the best photos I could of the fish just now sick and when she was healthy.






body, fins and flesh and literally peal

 

[Peace River]

Let's see if we can get some help....

#reefsquad #clownfish

 

[EmdeReef]

It could be brooklynella if it looks like pealing mucous layers

 

[Blueskys001]

It could be brooklynella if it looks like pealing mucous layers

Hi thanks the skin isn't exactly "pealing" just so sore that some scales have come off. I looked hard at brooklynella and doesn't seem to match.

 

[Dierks]

#reefsquad #clownfish Thats all we can do for this poor Clown? I feel like we could do better....

 

[juanrmattos]

I hope someone helps you to figure something out soon.

Best of luck.

 

[reef lover]

I would get her into qt. From there i would start treatment for brook. Velvet would have already taken her.

 

[Mical]

Anytime my clowns (or any fish) have shown signs of stress or ailments I've added Prazipro. So far everyone has recovered.

Can PraziPro be used as a food additive instead of adding it to the whole tank? - Hikari Sales USA

Please see this link for more information on how to accomplish this.

www.hikariusa.com

 

[Dom]

What have you recently added to the tank and did you QT before introducing it?

 

[Bleigh]

Hi thanks the skin isn't exactly "pealing" just so sore that some scales have come off. I looked hard at brooklynella and doesn't seem to match.

I agree. Don’t think that’s brooklynella, but I’m unsure about what else it could be. Brook kills super fast too.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I would QT and start treating with broad spectrum ABX’s. Metro, Furan 2, and Kanaplex. I’m sure age will play into this but it’s worth a shot, I’m not entirely sure what is afflicting this clown but hopefully this will help.

Dosing the trifecta

I'm going to link this in Bobby's antibiotics write-up for ease of access. Dosing Furan-2, KanaPlex, and Metroplex.... Make sure you dissolve the powders in a bowl of tank water before pouring it in! I'd recommend dosing one at a time, waiting a few minutes between each medication. If you've...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[vetteguy53081]

Looks like brooklynella common on clowns and also fish is thinning. Is it eating as it has in the past?

 

[bluprntguy]

Looks like brooklynella to me. Freshwater dip or bath in ruby reef rally then move to a sterile tank and use the trifecta above. Dont set up the quarantine with your tank water or anything from your tank.

 

[MnFish1]

Have you added anything else but the new BTA? As Vettguy said - he/she looks thin. Internal parasites --->. poor nutrition ---. weakness ----> bacterial/other parasite infection? Agree with the recommendations above.

 

[MTBake]

I also think this is brook. A bath in Ruby Reef Rally is my preferred method of treatment. Either way, I would put it in a qt tank if possible.

 

[MnFish1]

PS - When I see a fish like your picture - upside down swimming - in my hands it has always resulted in death. Good luck with whatever you try - As the clown breeder said - it could be 'age' followed by disease - What I'm trying to say is - unless you added something new that might have changed the type/amount of parasites it is the 'underlying cause' thats likely to be killing the fish - whether age, nutrition or something else - rather than 'brookynella' or another parasite - thats just the result of the underlying process

 

[Blueskys001]

I would QT and start treating with broad spectrum ABX’s. Metro, Furan 2, and Kanaplex. I’m sure age will play into this but it’s worth a shot, I’m not entirely sure what is afflicting this clown but hopefully this will help.

Dosing the trifecta

I'm going to link this in Bobby's antibiotics write-up for ease of access. Dosing Furan-2, KanaPlex, and Metroplex.... Make sure you dissolve the powders in a bowl of tank water before pouring it in! I'd recommend dosing one at a time, waiting a few minutes between each medication. If you've...

www.reef2reef.com

U

Hi thanks for all the replies. The fish are a little today. I've been feeding a food that is called "hex" for sick fish. I've added nothing to the tank besides the RBTA and this was going on before that. Some said "flukes" at a local fish store but that didn't add up. I due think its some sort of bacterial infection first entered through soars on the body from constantly hosting leather (maybe.) I'm going to read up on how to treat for it. Since I started feeding with HEX the fish has done a little better. Swimming more up right and is more alert. I had one other tang I recently removed that out grew the tank and it was fat in perfect health.

 

[Blueskys001]

Fish is doing a little bit better today but clearly in decline eating some food for sick fish called HEX seemed to have improved things as she is swimming better. I just keep coming back to bacterial infection need to find the right medicine to treat her with and pray shock doesn't kill her. Thank you for all the replies

 

[Blueskys001]

Looks like brooklynella common on clowns and also fish is thinning. Is it eating as it has in the past?

Not that much these past few days. Just looks at the food. Back to swimming head down again.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Not that much these past few days. Just looks at the food. Back to swimming head down again.

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