Sick Clownfish

[Razorbacks]

I just returned home from a 3 day trip and one of my Clownfish is really lethargic on the bottom of the tank and breathing heavy. Water looked poor so I just did about a 40% water change, added some carbon to my HOB, and added an air stone in case oxygen levels where the issue (I do use a lid).

Is there any kind of medication I should give? The other clown seems fairly normal so I'm not sure what's going on....I've been doing regular water changes. PH was normal as was salinity. Ammonia looked normal/safe on the seachem alert badge. Did a 2nd test with my API kit and it might have been a .25ppm.

I've had the fish 8 months and this is the first sign of trouble.

 

[Dom]

I would ask for more details:

How long do you have the fish?
Did you quarantine?

Please provide pictures under white light .
Please provide a video clip.

 

[Stephen8169301]

Please post a video under white lighting 20secs

 

[Razorbacks]

Here is the video. 8 months. Yes quarantine.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Here is the video. 8 months. Yes quarantine.

Video has audio only. Try you tube video

 

[Stephen8169301]

Video has audio only. Try you tube video

There’s a vid there try it out again clown is very skinny

 

[Razorbacks]

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

 

[Stephen8169301]

Are they the only fish in the tank?

 

[Razorbacks]

Yes the only fish

 

[Stephen8169301]

Yes the only fish

No coral? Do you have a full shot of tank

 

[vetteguy53081]

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtube.com

This fish is thin as mentioned and weak and becoming moribund.
Is it eating?
Can I get a close up of the fish under same lighting ?
What is current ammonia and nitrate and how are you testing ?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

The clown is severely emaciated. The other one doesn’t look as thin - that tends to rule out general underfeeding.
What food have you been feeding them?
Has it stopped eating?
Did you see it take food in and then spit it out?
Jay

 

[Razorbacks]

The one that's weak is the female (or at least the dominant of the pair). She's eaten voraciously up until right now as I'm returning home from a few days away. Never seen an issue with lack of appetite and I fed them right before leaving. If I was worried about one not getting food before it would have been the male.

 

[Razorbacks]

I just took the female out and tried to feed her separately and she still wouldn't go for it. Was also very easy to catch with my hand.

 

[Razorbacks]

 

[vetteguy53081]

View attachment 3104616

Unfortunately as I used the word moribund and Jay emancipated- they both amount to the point of too weak and with it not eating may or may not make it. You can aeration via air stone but it may only buy time and do nothing to perk this fish up unfortunately to say

 

[Razorbacks]

I appreciate your feedback. Any idea what the cause could be? I'm wondering if I should scramble to do anything for the second beyond what I've already done? He seems normal.

 

[Razorbacks]

So a few times now after resting on the bottom she's taken off to the top and thrashed at the surface making me thing she's fighting for air but again the other is totally normal and I have an air stone going just in case...

 

[Razorbacks]

She's gone...Still unsure what happened. Things deteriorated very fast. The other still seems fine so I'm hoping he's ok.

 

[Razorbacks]

24 hours later and the other fish still seems to be behaving normally. He ate normally this evening and I see no signs of heavy breathing or difficulty moving. I've left an air stone in simply because I don't think it could hurt and I'm still worried. I also added a new trochus snail yesterday (I bought it before I returned home and saw the issues) and as of the moment he's also moving about normally. I know snails are extra sensitive to many water chemistry issues so I see this as a good sign.

I don't see anything in my water test results that would have me panicked so not sure what else to do besides wait and see and do my normal maintenance.

Test Results
Salinity: 1.022....need to raise this but not low enough I would think to kill a fish.
Ammonia: 0/"safe" on Seachem alert badge. .25 with API master test kit (best guess, I never can tell for sure with the color).
Nitrate: 0
Ph = 8.0
Phosphate: .04 ppm with Hannah ULR checker