Raised bumps on clownfish, Is this Brook?

[MyFirstCar]

Hi all,

Just noticed bumps on my clownfish Charlie today. They don't look quite like photos of brook online, but I'm not sure.

What am I dealing with and how do I best treat? (Im Canadian so antibiotics are mostly out)

Tank is 20g, 2 clowns and a Molly miller, last fish was introduced 4 months ago (the Molly miller). Tank has been up for 2 years, I run carbon, have a skimmer. Nitrates around 0.5, phosphate around 0.04

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi all,

Just noticed bumps on my clownfish Charlie today. They don't look quite like photos of brook online, but I'm not sure.

What am I dealing with and how do I best treat? (Im Canadian so antibiotics are mostly out)

Tank is 20g, 2 clowns and a Molly miller, last fish was introduced 4 months ago (the Molly miller). Tank has been up for 2 years, I run carbon, have a skimmer. Nitrates around 0.5, phosphate around 0.04

Associated with brook in most cases, these are secondary bacterial lesions which as it progresses often confused with ich and can turn into secondary bacteria. Other symptoms will 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 prolonged 60 minute bath of ruby rally pro then at a lower concentration in a quarantine tank. The longer the fish are exposed to the treatment, the more effective it will be at eliminating this issue.
Since a formalin solution is often 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.
With the advanced stage of this- I recommend immediate quarantine of all inhabitants and leaving display without fish for 4-6 weeks.

 

[MyFirstCar]

Some more videos under white light

 

[MyFirstCar]

Associated with brook in most cases, these are secondary bacterial lesions which as it progresses often confused with ich and can turn into secondary bacteria. Other symptoms will 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 prolonged 60 minute bath of ruby rally pro then at a lower concentration in a quarantine tank. The longer the fish are exposed to the treatment, the more effective it will be at eliminating this issue.
Since a formalin solution is often 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.
With the advanced stage of this- I recommend immediate quarantine of all inhabitants and leaving display without fish for 4-6 weeks.

Ok thanks! Do you have a thread you can link to that's done this protocol well? First time with a sick fish here

 

[MyFirstCar]

I've dug through some old reefing supplies I had lying around, I have copper power and malachite green. Can any of those help me in the meantime? Ruby rally ships in tomorrow.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I've dug through some old reefing supplies I had lying around, I have copper power and malachite green. Can any of those help me in the meantime? Ruby rally ships in tomorrow.

Neither. A freshwater dip (same temperature as display tank) will give the fish temporary relief IF its struggling, not eating or breathing heavily

 

[MyFirstCar]

Ok. For the freshwater dip, is it 5 mins in RODI, or dechlorinated tap water?

Its still eating, breathing, and swimming well, and If I'm understanding you right, only dip once one of those things stop?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I don't see Brooklynella here. The fish doesn't have the mucus cast or swimming issues that clowns with Brook have.

What I would do is grab a still frame from one of the videos, wait 24 hours and compare that image to how the fish looks then. If the spots are mostly in the same position and no new ones have emerged, its likely these are just mucus plugs and won't require any treatment. If the spots come and go and change location, that is ich. If the fish becomes more milky white and starts to swim in a "mopey" fashion, that's Brook.

Jay

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ok. For the freshwater dip, is it 5 mins in RODI, or dechlorinated tap water?

Its still eating, breathing, and swimming well, and If I'm understanding you right, only dip once one of those things stop?

Temporary relief IF brook - tap water

 

[MyFirstCar]

I don't see Brooklynella here. The fish doesn't have the mucus cast or swimming issues that clowns with Brook have.

What I would do is grab a still frame from one of the videos, wait 24 hours and compare that image to how the fish looks then. If the spots are mostly in the same position and no new ones have emerged, its likely these are just mucus plugs and won't require any treatment. If the spots come and go and change location, that is ich. If the fish becomes more milky white and starts to swim in a "mopey" fashion, that's Brook.

Jay

Ok! Good to know, will hold off and see how it progresses