Any idea what my clowns have

[Marty.h]

Have just noticed on only both my clowns they have like a red area and a white raised lump that looks like it's full of puss they both have it in exactly the same place and side just by pectoral fin.

All other fish are perfectly fine if I can find out what it is I can treat or leave if will sort it's self out here is the best pictures I could get. They are still both eating and swimming fine.

Any ideas...

If it's not one thing it's another

 

[Marty.h]

Just to add they host a cataphilia and this

Are either of those two likely to cause an issue

 

[Humblefish]

This could be a few different things. To help me narrow it down for you I need to know how long have you had these clownfish, and whether or not they were QT'd? Also, wild caught or tank bred?

 

[Marty.h]

Hi

They have been in the tank a few weeks and are tank bred true percula

The LFS had them segregated for me for several weeks as I don't have a QT myself

 

[Humblefish]

Hi

They have been in the tank a few weeks and are tank bred true percula

The LFS had them segregated for me for several weeks as I don't have a QT myself

Being they are new, then statistically disease becomes more likely. There are two possible diseases (uronema & brooklynella) I can think of which could cause what you are seeing. I will post more info about them below.

Are you sure that's an Elegance coral? Looks more like a Flower Pot (Goniopora) to me.

 

[Humblefish]

Brooklynella:

Symptoms – This is most often seen in clownfish, but it can afflict any fish. The fish’s skin will appear to be peeling or sloughing off, oftentimes causing excessive white mucous to form around the affected area(s).

Treatment options - Formalin bath, followed by additional formalin baths (as needed - but give the fish a day to recuperate in-between baths). You can use formalin in a QT (at a much lower concentration than the bath), but great care must be taken to provide plenty of gas exchange as formalin will quickly deplete the water of oxygen. For this reason, doing baths is the safer option as the fish can be pulled from the formalin if showing signs of distress. Formalin-MS is preferred, as that contains 37% formaldehyde. However, in a bind, any medication containing formalin (ex. Quick Cure) is better than nothing. Alternative treatments for brook include metronidazole (ex. Seachem MetroPlex) and acriflavine (ex. Acriflavine-MS). A freshwater dip may provide temporary relief if you are unable to locate any of the aforementioned medications right away.

Uronema marinum:

Symptoms - These are the red sores often seen on chromis damsels. The disease seems mostly confined to damsels and clownfish, but I have seen some exceptions to that.

Treatment options - This is a very difficult disease to treat. Possible treatment options include: Metronidazole (ex. Seachem MetroPlex), acriflavine (ex. Acriflavine-MS), Chloroquine phosphate and copper. The problem is the fish can never be returned to the infected tank from which it came. Uronema is a “free living” parasite which does not require a fish host. So, going fallow will not eradicate it. Most fish seem protected from it via their natural immune system; but for some reason, chromis and some other fish are not always afforded this protection. Once a tank has Uronema, it must be assumed that the disease can survive in there almost indefinitely.

Formalin bath or freshwater dip may provide temporary relief for Uronema.

 

[Marty.h]

Being they are new, then statistically disease becomes more likely. There are two possible diseases (uronema & brooklynella) I can think of which could cause what you are seeing. I will post more info about them below.

Are you sure that's an Elegance coral? Looks more like a Flower Pot (Goniopora) to me.

They host both the flowerpot and an elegance coral that sits beside it

 

[Humblefish]

They host both the flowerpot and an elegance coral that sits beside it

Ah ok, I can see both now. There's a possibility one or the other is stinging the clowns with their sweepers at night. But I think one of the two aforementioned diseases is more probable.

 

[Marty.h]

Just had a google of both them diseases and I would be confident to say it's defo not brooklynella

As for Uronema the white patch is to the front away from the discolouration part.

They also have no other marks anywhere on them at all and what I find strange is they have it both on the same side and in the same place and as I said earlier that is the side they are rubbing the corals with the other side of them is totally unaffected as is the rest of there body's they also eat fine and go for a good swim about.

All other fish are perfectly fine with no symptoms.

Is there any other possibilities as I can't say 100% yes that is what they have from the above two options and if I go to treat I want to make 100% sure I'm treating for the right thing if you get what I mean.

I'm not saying it's not the second option as it could be possible but maybe it's not shown it's full self yet.

 

[Humblefish]

If your fish have brook or uronema, it should spread to the rest of their body in the coming days. However, by then successful treatment will be much more difficult to achieve. I know... no easy answers.

Personally, I would at least QT them for observation.

 

[Marty.h]

The white spot as shown in pictures above has now gone the area on them is still red but not as swollen it possible it could of been a sting ?

 

[Humblefish]

The white spot as shown in pictures above has now gone the area on them is still red but not as swollen it possible it could of been a sting ?

It's certainly possible. If it's just a sting it should continue to improve and heal. Unless, of course, they just keep getting stung. Hopefully your clowns learn how to dodge LPS sweepers at night.

 

[Marty.h]

It's certainly possible. If it's just a sting it should continue to improve and heal. Unless, of course, they just keep getting stung. Hopefully your clowns learn how to dodge LPS sweepers at night.

At night they sleep right beside the cataphilia which is retracted so I suppose the sweepers could be out...

I tried to herd them towards the anenomie but they having none of it not like they cant miss it !!

 

[Humblefish]

At night they sleep right beside the cataphilia which is retracted so I suppose the sweepers could be out...

I tried to herd them towards the anenomie but they having none of it not like they cant miss it !!

Fish can be stubborn. I know a guy who had a Blonde Naso that made his sleeping den right next to a torch coral. Every night he would watch as the sweepers kept hitting the naso over & over, and yet the fish kept going back to that same spot. The fish looked terrible. He couldn't remove the torch (or the naso) without destroying all the rockwork. Eventually the fish died.

If you have another tank, I would try removing the Elegance & Flower Pot for awhile to sorta force the clowns to look elsewhere for a suitable host. Or maybe put the corals in an acclimation box for a while... or something over the corals which still allows light & flow in, but not the clownfish.

 

[Marty.h]

Only tank I have has had copper in it so that's a no go

I could ask my LFS to house them for me for a few weeks and hopefully by then the clowns may find the anenomie !!

 

[Marty.h]

I thought I would update the clowns are looking better the swelling has all subsided and the colouration behind the pectoral fins is coming back.

I would presume it was a sting then would you agree ?

As I would of though if something bad it would of got a lot worse instead of clearing up

 

[Humblefish]

I would presume it was a sting then would you agree ?

Yes, sounds like LPS sweepers got them. Could have also been an infection, that their immune systems fought off naturally.

 

[Marty.h]

Thanks hopefully they well on the way to a full recovery there behaviour has not changed they always been active and eating.