Is this brooklynella?

Sambino · Oct 31, 2023

I just got my first saltwater tank up and running... It's a 210 gallon tank and I have 4 black ocellaris clownfish that I have been using to start my cycle on the tank. I added them on 10/22/2023 and now on 10/31/2023 I noticed that only one of my clownfish has these white "spots" and from a certain angle it looks almost like a white "dust" is on the fish's skin. After doing some research it is hard for me to determine what to treat for because it seems like its either velvet or brooklynella, however since I am inexperienced I figured it may be better to look to some people with more experience. Please let me know what you think this is and the best way to treat for it! I will admit that I did not quarantine these fish originally and now I am ready to swallow the hard truth that my DT will more than likely need to be fallow for then next 12 weeks. I went today and got myself a quarantine tank and equipment for it but don't have it set up yet as I am unsure what exactly to treat. From here on out, I plan on quarantining ALL of my fish before they go into the DT!
Thank you for any and all help!

-Sam

vetteguy53081 · Oct 31, 2023

Sambino said:
I just got my first saltwater tank up and running... It's a 210 gallon tank and I have 4 black ocellaris clownfish that I have been using to start my cycle on the tank. I added them on 10/22/2023 and now on 10/31/2023 I noticed that only one of my clownfish has these white "spots" and from a certain angle it looks almost like a white "dust" is on the fish's skin. After doing some research it is hard for me to determine what to treat for because it seems like its either velvet or brooklynella, however since I am inexperienced I figured it may be better to look to some people with more experience. Please let me know what you think this is and the best way to treat for it! I will admit that I did not quarantine these fish originally and now I am ready to swallow the hard truth that my DT will more than likely need to be fallow for then next 12 weeks. I went today and got myself a quarantine tank and equipment for it but don't have it set up yet as I am unsure what exactly to treat. From here on out, I plan on quarantining ALL of my fish before they go into the DT!
Thank you for any and all help!

-Sam

For the future, always use pics under white lighting. It appears to be development of brook as fish shows a signof excess slime on its body. This mucus generally starts at the facial area as well as gills and spreads across the body producing lesions as it progresses often confused with ich and can turn into secondary bacteria. Other symptoms would be lethargic behavior, refusing to eat and heavy breathing from the mucus.
Typical treatment is a formalin solution is mixed with in a separate container with either fresh or saltwater. Start with a quick dip in the formalin at a higher concentration then performing treatment in a prolonged bath of formalin base at a lower concentration in a quarantine tank. The longer the fish are exposed to the formalin treatment the more effective it will be at eliminating this issue.
If a formalin solution is not available for immediate use, temporary relief can be achieved by giving the fish a FW bath or dip in water same temperature as display tank. Even though this treatment will not cure the disease, it can help to remove some of the parasites, as well as reduce the amount of mucus in the gills to assist with respiration problems.
Treatment is best done in a QT tank using either quick cure (more effective but now harder to find) or Ruby Rally Pro. Ruby takes a little longer and initial treatment generally takes 2-3 days to really start going to work.

MnFish1 · Oct 31, 2023

Agree it probably is. However, it is somewhat of an odd pattern - perhaps due to the photography. All of your fish will need to be treated - and your tank should be left fallow unless you use the treatment recommended - which is a formaldehyde based product. Quickcure is impossible to find - and more a freshwater treatment. I would be concerned about other illnesses that are in your tank - assuming you did not use a QT protocol with these.

Sambino · Oct 31, 2023

I turned the lights as white as I could get them. Hopefully these pics do a little more justice, I have to zoom in a good bit because the clownfish are fairly small so I'm sorry for them being a little blurry. This clown didn't eat today and had no interest in food at all, while all the others seemed interested in food and went after it. I picked everything up for my QT today but forgot to get the salt, so I will run back to PetCo in the morning to get some (Note I did not get these clownfish from PetCo). I ordered the formalin solution but it won't be here for a few days, so what should I try doing in the meantime to help increase the odds that all of my fish will live; is the FW bath for all of them, even if all are not showing symptoms, the best option for now? Thank you for all your help so far!
I plan to put all 4 of the clowns that I have in the QT that I am going to set up tomorrow and I plan on leaving my DT fallow for 12 weeks because I agree that I have no idea what parasites/diseases may be in the tank now.

MnFish1 · Oct 31, 2023

Sambino said:
I turned the lights as white as I could get them. Hopefully these pics do a little more justice, I have to zoom in a good bit because the clownfish are fairly small so I'm sorry for them being a little blurry. This clown didn't eat today and had no interest in food at all, while all the others seemed interested in food and went after it. I picked everything up for my QT today but forgot to get the salt, so I will run back to PetCo in the morning to get some (Note I did not get these clownfish from PetCo). I ordered the formalin solution but it won't be here for a few days, so what should I try doing in the meantime to help increase the odds that all of my fish will live; is the FW bath for all of them, even if all are not showing symptoms, the best option for now? Thank you for all your help so far!
I plan to put all 4 of the clowns that I have in the QT that I am going to set up tomorrow and I plan on leaving my DT fallow for 12 weeks because I agree that I have no idea what parasites/diseases may be in the tank now.

just curious thats just one fish (the pictures) - the others look ok?

MnFish1 · Oct 31, 2023

PS - yes - it looks like brooklynella.

Jay Hemdal · Nov 1, 2023

+2, this looks very much like Brooklynella. Formalin is tough to get, and toxic to use, but works the best. Ruby Reef has worked for some people, but you need to act fast.

Jay

Sambino · Nov 1, 2023

I am trying to figure out some way where I can get my 4 clownfish into a QT setup and start treating them today as I won't be able to get my hands on formalin until Friday. I called my LFS and he recommended that I try coppersafe for brook, is this a good recommendation? Do you think that coppersafe would provide some relief for my clownfish until I am able to get my hands on formalin solution or is there another alternative that would give my fish better odds at survival until Friday?

MnFish1 · Nov 1, 2023

Sambino said:
I am trying to figure out some way where I can get my 4 clownfish into a QT setup and start treating them today as I won't be able to get my hands on formalin until Friday. I called my LFS and he recommended that I try coppersafe for brook, is this a good recommendation? Do you think that coppersafe would provide some relief for my clownfish until I am able to get my hands on formalin solution or is there another alternative that would give my fish better odds at survival until Friday?

No, unfortunately.

Jay Hemdal · Nov 1, 2023

Sambino said:
I am trying to figure out some way where I can get my 4 clownfish into a QT setup and start treating them today as I won't be able to get my hands on formalin until Friday. I called my LFS and he recommended that I try coppersafe for brook, is this a good recommendation? Do you think that coppersafe would provide some relief for my clownfish until I am able to get my hands on formalin solution or is there another alternative that would give my fish better odds at survival until Friday?

Coppersafe is of no real benefit against Brooklynella. You might be able to buy some time with a 5 minute freshwater dip. Have you done those before?

Here is some more info about doing a dip:

“Freshwater dips” are commonly used to dislodge parasites from the skin of marine fishes. To perform these dips, the fish is captured and placed in a dimly lit container of clean freshwater at the same temperature as the aquarium system it came from. Do not use reverse osmosis or deionized water, as there is no buffer capacity, and the pH can drop too low. Dechlorinated tap water is suitable unless it is very acidic. The dip container should be covered with a clear material so that the fish is kept from jumping out, yet can still be observed for overt signs of stress. Hold the fish in the freshwater for five minutes to seven minutes. If acute stress is seen, the dip may need to be terminated early. The idea is to dislodge the parasites, without unduly harming the fish. Many aquarists opt to use reverse osmosis water, and adjust the pH to match the aquarium, but this is simply not necessary if the pH of the freshwater is between 7.5 and 8.5. Some advocate not to aerate the water during the dip, but this is incorrect. The water motion from air bubbles can help keep the fish active so that they can be better assessed for stress. Additionally, the air bubbles help dislodge some parasites during the dip process.
Some caveats:
1) Some fish will give extreme reactions to being dipped (hepatus tangs for example), as long as they were swimming well before the dip, it is best to ignore that behavior and continue for a full five minutes.
2) Moribund fish can be dipped but understand that the acute stress from the dip may prove fatal. The dip water should still be checked for parasites in order to possibly help any remaining fish. Moribund would include any fish that was easy to capture or a fish with a respiration rate of 200+ BPM.
3) Choose the type of net wisely, some fish have spines that will become caught in the netting. Have a pair of scissors handy to cut the net if this happens.
4) Dropping a fish while moving it to and from the dip is common, take care. Some fish have venomous spines, so know that before trying to handle any fish.
5) Fish shaking their heads violently after capture is one cause of mechanical exophthalmos (popeye), so try to gently restrain them in the net while moving them.

Jay