Clownfish injury near gills

[Primus]

I recently purchased two True Percula clownfish. The other day I noticed that the skin near the entrance to the fish's gills appears to be pulled and stretched out. There is also some pinkness observed on the skin. It is located on the white band near the fish's head. The injured fish and the other clown have been nipping at each other and I think it may have been caused by injury. My nitrate was very high (50+) for the first week I had the fish. I have brought that level down to 30 and installed a protein skimmer a week ago. I am wondering if there is anything I can do to help the injury heal.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I recently purchased two True Percula clownfish. The other day I noticed that the skin near the entrance to the fish's gills appears to be pulled and stretched out. There is also some pinkness observed on the skin. It is located on the white band near the fish's head. The injured fish and the other clown have been nipping at each other and I think it may have been caused by injury. My nitrate was very high (50+) for the first week I had the fish. I have brought that level down to 30 and installed a protein skimmer a week ago. I am wondering if there is anything I can do to help the injury heal.

View attachment 2915716 View attachment 2915717 View attachment 2915718

Pics are fuzzy, may be an infection or cyst but need clearer pics to best assess

 

[Primus]

I'm sorry my camera is very bad. The skin just looks stretched out on the trailing edge of first white band near the fish's head. There really isn't anything that looks like an infection. If there is its hidden under the skin.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I'm sorry my camera is very bad. The skin just looks stretched out on the trailing edge of first white band near the fish's head. There really isn't anything that looks like an infection. If there is its hidden under the skin.

View attachment 2915768

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

That doesn't resemble any of the common communicable diseases, so I would say it is probably an injury from the other clown - you will need to watch them so it doesn't become worse.

I'm wondering though - the tank looks pretty new. I don't see how the nitrate level reached 50 so soon. What test kit are you using? Has the ammonia level been good?

Jay

 

[Primus]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

That doesn't resemble any of the common communicable diseases, so I would say it is probably an injury from the other clown - you will need to watch them so it doesn't become worse.

I'm wondering though - the tank looks pretty new. I don't see how the nitrate level reached 50 so soon. What test kit are you using? Has the ammonia level been good?

Jay

Yeah they have both been struggling for dominance over the past week. The injured one used to be submissive, but now he is the aggressor for the most part.

I am using the Salifert test. When I was cycling the tank I put way too much food into the tank and had to do several waterchanges to get ammonia and nitrite down. I was also overfeeding with flake food when I added my molly. Last I checked ammonia and nitrite were near undetectable levels. I was using tetra strips to test ammonia and nitrite. The tank is about 2 months old.