Sick Clown. Help needed

[kdsmithey]

Late last night I found one of my Clowns on its side breathing heavily. I thought for sure it would not survive the night, but to my surprise he is still alive, although in the same state as last night. I have had this pair for nearly 3 years.

I am not seeing any injuries or markings such as spots. All other fish are completely normal and parameters are in line and consistent with my usual readings.


My parameters:
Salinity- 1.025
Phosphate- .2 ppm
Nitrate- 21.3
Calcium- 400
Mag- 1390
PH- 8.3
dKH- 9.5

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

 

[sc50964]

How about ammonia? How new is the tank? Any other fish sick in the tank? Any new fish introduced recently?

 

[kdsmithey]

How about ammonia? How new is the tank? Any other fish sick in the tank? Any new fish introduced recently?

Ammonia is 0. Tank is coming up on 3 years and this pair have been in it since the beginning. No other sick fish. I added a Diamond Watchman 2 weeks ago (the clowns killed it within 24 hours) and a sea cucumber 9 days ago. Neither were QTd.

 

[sc50964]

Ammonia is 0. Tank is coming up on 3 years and this pair have been in it since the beginning. No other sick fish. I added a Diamond Watchman 2 weeks ago (the clowns killed it within 24 hours) and a sea cucumber 9 days ago. Neither were QTd.

Were both new additions QT’ed? I suppose not & that’s most likely where something was introduced to your DT that’s making him sick. Or was there extra bullying from the female? If not then it’s either velvet or fluke. How long did it take for him to go from eating to not eating?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Late last night I found one of my Clowns on its side breathing heavily. I thought for sure it would not survive the night, but to my surprise he is still alive, although in the same state as last night. I have had this pair for nearly 3 years.

I am not seeing any injuries or markings such as spots. All other fish are completely normal and parameters are in line and consistent with my usual readings.


My parameters:
Salinity- 1.025
Phosphate- .2 ppm
Nitrate- 21.3
Calcium- 400
Mag- 1390
PH- 8.3
dKH- 9.5

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Your phosphates are a little elevated (you want .06- .1) but likely not an impact on fish. Seeing the larger (female) Hovering over the fish, may or may not have started as aggression but assure your ammonia-nitrate-water temp did not climb suddenly or sudden ammonia spike although you stated zero reading. Rarely do they get velvet and ich would be noticeable as little rings around protozoan.
An air stone may help fish as well as water change but fish is appearing to become moribund in which it may not eat or swim normal and slowly decline

 

[kdsmithey]

Were both new additions QT’ed? I suppose not & that’s most likely where something was introduced to your DT that’s making him sick. Or was there extra bullying from the female? If not then it’s either velvet or fluke. How long did it take for him to go from eating to not eating?

No QT. The female often gets quite aggressive with him, so my first thought was injury related to that although I did not see anything happen yesterday. All was normal when I fed around 4pm. I returned home at 10pm and found him like this.

 

[sc50964]

No QT. The female often gets quite aggressive with him, so my first thought was injury related to that although I did not see anything happen yesterday. All was normal when I fed around 4pm. I returned home at 10pm and found him like this.

How new is the yellow tang? How big is the tank? Is the tang ever aggressive? What other fish are there? Seems like you got a goby or hawk fish near by as well. 6 hours - clown aggression for a 3yr old pair that has a much larger female doesn’t make sense.

 

[kdsmithey]

Your phosphates are a little elevated (you want .06- .1) but likely not an impact on fish. Seeing the larger (female) Hovering over the fish, may or may not have started as aggression but assure your ammonia-nitrate-water temp did not climb suddenly or sudden ammonia spike although you stated zero reading. Rarely do they get velvet and ich would be noticeable as little rings around protozoan.
An air stone may help fish as well as water change but fish is appearing to become moribund in which it may not eat or swim normal and slowly decline

Thank you. I will add the air stone now and do a water change. The female is often aggressive towards him. My weekly tests have been stable and inkbird shows no swing in temp.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you. I will add the air stone now and do a water change. The female is often aggressive towards him. My weekly tests have been stable and inkbird shows no swing in temp.

I can guess aggression played a role and isolating the female on an acclimation box or in sump may help lower the stress on the male

 

[kdsmithey]

I can guess aggression played a role and isolating the female on an acclimation box or in sump may help lower the stress on the male

Would putting the male in the box instead make any sense, or would that be too stressful at this point? I am a little concerned about my hermit crabs going after him while on the sand.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Would putting the male in the box instead make any sense, or would that be too stressful at this point? I am a little concerned about my hermit crabs going after him while on the sand.

Yes you can- hermits will hone in on him at night. I have 4 breeder pairs and they do not behave like this- its likely aggression which you have noticed already

 

[Uncle99]

Yup separate him. Ok, we have a pair 3 years, no issues.
She’s all over him, she may be entering breeding cycle and may be rejecting him, or just overly annoying him.
She does look like the source of the problem.
He needs a break IMM, provided the annoyance is on-going and sustained.
Can I assume nobody new recently added?

 

[kdsmithey]

Yup separate him. Ok, we have a pair 3 years, no issues.
She’s all over him, she may be entering breeding cycle and may be rejecting him, or just overly annoying him.
She does look like the source of the problem.
He needs a break IMM, provided the annoyance is on-going and sustained.
Can I assume nobody new recently added?

I added a diamond watchman 2 weeks ago that the clowns killed in less than 24 hours. I also added a sea cucumber 9 days ago. I did not QT either. Prior to that, nothing other than an urchin added in the last 3 months.

I will go ahead separate them. To note, the female is not staying with him all the time. She comes over periodically and nudges him, but she is primarily in the area of the tank they host, which is the opposite end to where he’s laying.

 

[kdsmithey]

How new is the yellow tang? How big is the tank? Is the tang ever aggressive? What other fish are there? Seems like you got a goby or hawk fish near by as well. 6 hours - clown aggression for a 3yr old pair that has a much larger female doesn’t make sense.

I’ve had the tang a year and it has always been a model citizen. The only fish that have ever shown any aggression are the clowns.

 

[Uncle99]

I added a diamond watchman 2 weeks ago that the clowns killed in less than 24 hours. I also added a sea cucumber 9 days ago. I did not QT either. Prior to that, nothing other than an urchin added in the last 3 months.

I will go ahead separate them. To note, the female is not staying with him all the time. She comes over periodically and nudges him, but she is primarily in the area of the tank they host, which is the opposite end to where he’s laying.

That’s interesting, maybe she’s not the attacker,,assuming this is the result of an attack. I would have though I’d see something visual on the attack theory, and I see nothing.

I think the separation is a good idea, we can only watch and wait to see if anything develops or he makes positive progress.

 

[kdsmithey]

That’s interesting, maybe she’s not the attacker,,assuming this is the result of an attack. I would have though I’d see something visual on the attack theory, and I see nothing.

I think the separation is a good idea, we can only watch and wait to see if anything develops or he makes positive progress.

I thought the same thing about seeing injuries. I am quite confident that if it was an attack, it was her.

I noticed that other than when she nudged him in the video, he always stays on his left side. I’m running out to get a new acclimation box now, so when I put him in I’ll be curious to see if there is an injury on his left that I just haven’t been able to see. There didn’t appear to be in the brief moments I’ve seen it though.

 

[Uncle99]

I thought the same thing about seeing injuries. I am quite confident that if it was an attack, it was her.

I noticed that other than when she nudged him in the video, he always stays on his left side. I’m running out to get a new acclimation box now, so when I put him in I’ll be curious to see if there is an injury on his left that I just haven’t been able to see. There didn’t appear to be in the brief moments I’ve seen it though.

Please keep me posted on the outcome.
Lots to be learned here.

 

[kdsmithey]

Please keep me posted on the outcome.
Lots to be learned here.

Will do. I appreciate your help.

 

[sc50964]

Is the female clown eating?

 

[kdsmithey]

Is the female clown eating?

Yes. She’s acting normal.