Hi everyone

Can anyone tell me what is wrong with my clown fish, got up this morning and found my clown fish to have white dusting all over his body.

Quick reply would be most greatful

Andy

That sounds like whitespot, oodinium or even brooklynella, difficult to say for certain from that description. It's very important to get the diagnosis right before trying to treat him.

Questions that might help:
1. Water parameters - all of them?
2. tank size and setup details
3. UV? Skimmer? other equipment?
4. Recent changes, additions, losses?
5. how long have you had the clown?
6. What other fish do you have?
7. What is his current behavoiur and can you get a photo of him?

Thanks for reply

All my pm 0
tank size 175 ltrs
30 kg live rock
no uv in system tank is a Aquamarine 900


Yesterday put in yellow tang, dotty, blemmy

had the clown since march 08 so i think what erver this is has come from these fish but they are all fine


His current behavoiur is he is eating well and moving around

Andy

All parameters are zero? Even ph, mg, ca, kh, 02, Fe, PO4, temperature?
Seriously, I'm not having a go here but we need to know what you've tested for as well as the results. Although in this case the new additions to the tank would appear the most obvious cause.


I've learned the hard way that quarantine for marines is virtually essential. The fish stores all have huge UV systems which are excellent at preventing an outbreak but dont cure the diseases that most fish carry in small doses in the wild. Once in a contained system the disease concentrates to deadly proportions. UV is also a good idea, especially if you plan to have a reef.


This is white spot:


You cant treat it in the main tank without killing all the live rock and making the tank permanently unsafe for invertibrates (inc coral)
You need to quarantine all the fish, treat them with a copper based medication and leave the main tank free of fish for 8 weeks. Reef safe medications don't work, and aren't really reef safe!

This is Oodinium:


Another parasite and treatment is similar to white spot. quarantine all fish, copper based med and leave tank fallow - although I think it has a short lifecycle to white spot I'm not certain. Reef safe medications don't work, and aren't really reef safe!

Brooklynella:
Brooklynella is probably best described as white spot on steroids. It's the rambo of the parasites and cant be killed with copper. Visible symptoms are the white spots, increased mucus and slime and the fish develops rapid breathing and lethargy. If it's this you need to treat all the fish in quarantine with formalin, however you often get less than 48 hours from first symptom to death.

With all these if one fish shows signs then all fish are infested. A photo of the fish would help.

pic of clown fish

not sure from that, its a bit blury - does it look more like this that the previous photos? (please say no!)

Hi

Just done water testing and have a massive spike

ph 8.2
ammonia 0.25
nitrite o
Nitrate 20
cal 500
Have done a 20% water change

The clown fish has no signs of anything now, just don't understand it. done the water change and the fish is going around like nothing has happened.

Not sure what to do now?

All i can say for now thanks so much for the quick help

cheers Andy

I could be what you saw was an excess of slime coat breaking off from the body then. This is a sign or poor water quality, similar to you or I getting a nasty rash.

Keep an eye on him and watch out for wavering water parameters. Don't forget KH indirectly effects PH and KH, Ca and Mg can all interact so need to be kept in balance so you need to keep a regular check on all of these, plus Ammonia, Nitrate, temperature and salinity. (temp and salinity effect the ammount of oxygen the water can carry which is also quite important).

Glad he's looking better, best of luck with it

If it comes back , read this and be prepared to act quickly , because that looks like Brook to me.

If the clowns fins start to look ' brittle ' and he has white ' trails ' off him , it could well be Brook , this can kill within 12 hours .... hope its not ...

BROOKLYNELLA ARTICLE

Best wishes

H

Hi Howard

thanks for the article, will read this. not sure if the clown has got this but he is looking fine, and no signs of anything. touch wood. will keep everyone informed if any new signs


Cheers Andy