4 Year Old Clownfish Suddenly Sick Any Advice??

[chrisd6]

Hi all,

My clownfish became suddenly sick in what seemed to be overnight and I am at a complete loss. I have a pair of clownfish in a 20 gallon cube which have been my only livestock for the four years I have owned them. I have been meticulous in avoiding anything that might introduce disease to their tank, so for the four years I have owned these fish they have not been exposed to any new fish or even any corals. The tank is FOWLR.

I know disease can always be present and I can never rule that out, but my fish certainly APPEARS healthy.

Now, (hopefully this was not my ignorance for all these years) but my female clownfish has always been a bit quirky to me. For the better part of all four years that I owned the fish, she would often lay on the sand from time to time. No health issues and the clown did this for four years so I just accepted it as normal behavior for this clown.

Last night, something just seemed different. She was laying on the sand constantly (whereas she would just do it occasionally previously) and her breathing is a bit heavy. I would say her breathing is heavier than normal but certainly not breathing as hard as a distressed or sick fish typically would. Just heavier than normal. She seems unable get up. It is like her head has a lead weight on it and she can't lift her head off the sandbed.

It at least appears to be a swim bladder issue, but I am aware many issues are misdiagnosed so I am coming here looking for any advice as I am fearful I may lose the fish soon.

The fish has not gotten up off the sand on its own will in over 24 hours and isn't eating due to the same. Physically, the fish appears completely healthy. No signs of disease that I can see.

I would post a video or photo but the fish literally just lays on the sand - you'd think the fish was dead. There is nothing to show.


I think it is important to note that the male clownfish is completely fine. No issues whatsoever.

Given it is FOWLR I don't have many parameters to share
78 degrees
1.026 salinity
0 ammonia
nitrates less than 5 ppm


Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Does this sound like a swim bladder issue? Anything I can do?

I searched the forums and seemed to find mixed results. I felt this was unique enough to post given my fish has a history of lounging on the sand while completely healthy.


Wanted to edit to add:

-No aggression issues. No other fish besides the other clown.
-No torn fins, fish looks completely healthy and free from disease in terms of appearance

 

[KrisReef]

What foods do you feed your fishes?

Are they still eating?

Hopefully it will bounce back tomorrow.

 

[chrisd6]

What foods do you feed your fishes?

Are they still eating?

Hopefully it will bounce back tomorrow.

I feed predominantly pellets. The male clown is eating as normal, the female is not eating at all as she won't get off the sandbed

I am hoping for a bounce back but it is beginning to feel unlikely.

 

[Jekyl]

Can you please post some white light pics and video?

 

[chrisd6]

Can you please post some white light pics and video?

Attached is a photo I just took. I feel awful attaching this photo because I know the clown looks awful and dead. The fish was acting completely normal about 40 hours ago. There is no sense in attaching a video because the fish does not move often.

 

[chrisd6]

Again I do want to stress I have owned these fish for 4 years now and the male is acting completely normally. It is not like these are new fish. I am truly baffled and heartbroken.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Can be disease or water quality issue in many cases as is age of fish. A video will help more under same lighting.
Fish looks a little thin and opic is a little blurry to tell if any imperfections including discoloration and blemishes

 

[vetteguy53081]

I feed predominantly pellets. The male clown is eating as normal, the female is not eating at all as she won't get off the sandbed

I am hoping for a bounce back but it is beginning to feel unlikely.

It should get some meats such as Brine and mysis shrimp, plankton and even LRS fish frenzy

 

[chrisd6]

Hi all,

Just to update, the fish passed away overnight. The decline in the fish's health was so sudden that I am really speechless. Other fish is still completely healthy.

I took some photos of the fish which seemed to show some discoloring in the white areas of the fish, I will try to upload those a little later today to see if someone can give an opinion on it.

Given the ages of the fish as well as how healthy the other fish is as well as my water parameters, I believe I am comfortable ruling out water quality. I am really at a loss.

I've done everything in my power to avoid introducing anything that may carry disease for these fish. How common is it for disease to just appear after 4 healthy years?

 

[MnFish1]

Agree - and will underscore what the others said. I'm curious does the fish, if you prompt it - with a straw or something - does it swim the way it used to? I'm assuming you have no other tanks, or fish, etc that could have cross contaminated with a disease - and nothing on anyone's hands in the tank with soap, cleaners. I

In any case, a toxin may not affect each individual the same.

My opinion is that this is a non-parasitic disease - possibly an internal bacterial infection or some other internal process as others have said. It could be this has been a long process - with some symptoms previously when the fish laid on the sand that has merely gotten worse (like something neurologic) - Without a video, its hard to say - but the picture suggests the fish is really not doing well.

I suppose you could try hospital tank - with neomycin or kanamycin in the off chance it's an infection. I would also carefully watch your other fish. I'm assuming you haven't seen anything to suggest internal parasites? Sorry for your fish - could you post a picture of the tank

 

[chrisd6]

Agree - and will underscore what the others said. I'm curious does the fish, if you prompt it - with a straw or something - does it swim the way it used to? I'm assuming you have no other tanks, or fish, etc that could have cross contaminated with a disease - and nothing on anyone's hands in the tank with soap, cleaners. I

In any case, a toxin may not affect each individual the same.

My opinion is that this is a non-parasitic disease - possibly an internal bacterial infection or some other internal process as others have said. It could be this has been a long process - with some symptoms previously when the fish laid on the sand that has merely gotten worse (like something neurologic) - Without a video, its hard to say - but the picture suggests the fish is really not doing well.

I suppose you could try hospital tank - with neomycin or kanamycin in the off chance it's an infection. I would also carefully watch your other fish. I'm assuming you haven't seen anything to suggest internal parasites? Sorry for your fish - could you post a picture of the tank

Forgive me as I'm not the best photographer but this is my tank as of this morning. I keep it quite empty really, just the fish and the rock. Fighting a little red cyano in the back left corner but nothing that should affect fish health.


You may have missed it but I updated in my last post the fish passed overnight. I am really at a loss for what happened - the decline was so sudden. She went from a healthy fish to a dead fish within about 48 hours.

When I did prompt the fish, she did not swim normally. She was negatively buoyant and it appeared like her head was weighing her down.

And you are correct - my only other tanks are freshwater and I have introduced nothing which could cross contaminate..

 

[KrisReef]

Forgive me as I'm not the best photographer but this is my tank as of this morning. I keep it quite empty really, just the fish and the rock. Fighting a little red cyano in the back left corner but nothing that should affect fish health.


You may have missed it but I updated in my last post the fish passed overnight. I am really at a loss for what happened - the decline was so sudden. She went from a healthy fish to a dead fish within about 48 hours.

When I did prompt the fish, she did not swim normally. She was negatively buoyant and it appeared like her head was weighing her down.

And you are correct - my only other tanks are freshwater and I have introduced nothing which could cross contaminate..

Designer? Clownfish are probably more likely to have shorter lifespans than natural bred wild fish. When the time comes, it often manifests rapidly in otherwise healthy beings. It is out of our control. Sorry.

 

[stewy14]

wow, I am so sorry man, four years, must have had a deep bond with the fish, I am so sorry
anything we can do to help u?

 

[Uncle99]

Sometimes, the answers elude us and we’ve done nothing wrong.

You seemed to be very careful and with nothing added and fish kept four years, disease would not be at the top of my list.

Sorry for the loss, it does happen more frequently than we may hear about.

When your ready, you can always add a mate.

Good luck.

 

[chrisd6]

Designer? Clownfish are probably more likely to have shorter lifespans than natural bred wild fish. When the time comes, it often manifests rapidly in otherwise healthy beings. It is out of our control. Sorry.

Yep, designer clown

 

[chrisd6]

wow, I am so sorry man, four years, must have had a deep bond with the fish, I am so sorry
anything we can do to help u?

Just trying to come to terms with it... It is hard to accept that I may have done nothing wrong, the fish just took a turn for the worse so fast that it is easy to blame myself.

I am genuinely unsure what to do next. I don't know if I should be replacing her so the male has someone or if that is going to cause more troubles.

I had always held off on adding corals because I was irrationally afraid of disease but it may be my time to add coral to the tank and go that route with this hobby..

 

[MnFish1]

Forgive me as I'm not the best photographer but this is my tank as of this morning. I keep it quite empty really, just the fish and the rock. Fighting a little red cyano in the back left corner but nothing that should affect fish health.


You may have missed it but I updated in my last post the fish passed overnight. I am really at a loss for what happened - the decline was so sudden. She went from a healthy fish to a dead fish within about 48 hours.

When I did prompt the fish, she did not swim normally. She was negatively buoyant and it appeared like her head was weighing her down.

And you are correct - my only other tanks are freshwater and I have introduced nothing which could cross contaminate..

Sorry to hear it - and yes I did miss it. And no other changes you can think of? I meant to say yesterday - strictly based on probability - aggression remains high - though you don't see torn fins, etc - sometimes it can just be bumping, or things you cannot see. Clowns can live 12 years + in captivity - so - it all depends on how old it was before you got it. I would carefully watch the other fish - and additionally, when you add new fish - since they were a pair for a long time - be extra careful

 

[chrisd6]

Sorry to hear it - and yes I did miss it. And no other changes you can think of? I meant to say yesterday - strictly based on probability - aggression remains high - though you don't see torn fins, etc - sometimes it can just be bumping, or things you cannot see. Clowns can live 12 years + in captivity - so - it all depends on how old it was before you got it. I would carefully watch the other fish - and additionally, when you add new fish - since they were a pair for a long time - be extra careful

No changes that I can think of at all. I'm really at a loss

After taking the fish out, I noticed some discoloring on the white parts of the fish and photographed in hopes someone here may have a thought.

I am thinking of not adding a new clownfish to the tank unless the general consensus is my other fish would be WORSE off alone?

The flash on the camera certainly made the fish look worse (shinier) than reality, but I am predominantly concerned on the discoloring?

My other fish is still fine.