Brook, velvet, ich, or something else? Please help!

crazyclownlady · Dec 6, 2021

I introduced a new clown 2 weeks ago and now my old clown has white powder looking stuff on it. They are flashing but dont appear to be breathing hard. They are eating. Please help!!

vetteguy53081 · Dec 6, 2021

Looks like the beginning of Brook. The most noticeable symptom of Brooklynella is the heavy amount of slime that is produced by a fish that has contracted this parasite. As the disease progresses, a thick whitish mucus covers the body. This will usually start at the head and spread outward across the entire body. Skin lesions appear and it is not uncommon for signs of secondary bacterial infections. At the onset, fish may scrape up against objects, rapid respiration develops, and fish often gasp for air at the surface as the gills become clogged with mucus. Very quickly the fish will become lethargic, refuse to eat, and its colors will fade.
Typical treatment is a standard formalin solution is mixed with either fresh or saltwater in a separate treatment container. Initially, all fish are given a quick dip in the formalin at a higher concentration, followed by continued treatment in a prolonged bath of formalin at a lower concentration in a quarantine tank (QT). Of course, the longer the fish are exposed to the formalin treatment, the more effective it will be at eliminating this disease.
If a formalin solution is not available for immediate use, temporary relief may be provided by giving fish a FW bath or dip. 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.

crazyclownlady · Dec 6, 2021

Thanks for your reply. I suspected it might be brook based on my research. I’m in canada where its very hard to get fish medication and its hours to the nearest town. I bought some kordon rid ich plus online (which i believe contains formalin and malachite green). Its going to take a week to arrive

on hand, i only have pimafix, melafix, and erythromycin. Are any of those worth trying or just the freshwater dip?

Lavey29 · Dec 6, 2021

White cloudy on clown is brook. Isolate that fish. Run heavy carbon or you will lose many fish.

crazyclownlady · Dec 7, 2021

Lavey29 said:
White cloudy on clown is brook. Isolate that fish. Run heavy carbon or you will lose many fish.

There are only 2 fish in the tank and i think they both have the white stuff on them. Its hard to tell because the other clown is white (frostbite clown).

I’m going to try to treat them with paraguard baths until the formalin arrives. There is a vet 30 mins away that I can call to see if they have formalin. I don’t know what else to do

crazyclownlady · Dec 8, 2021

vetteguy53081 said:
Looks like the beginning of Brook. The most noticeable symptom of Brooklynella is the heavy amount of slime that is produced by a fish that has contracted this parasite. As the disease progresses, a thick whitish mucus covers the body. This will usually start at the head and spread outward across the entire body. Skin lesions appear and it is not uncommon for signs of secondary bacterial infections. At the onset, fish may scrape up against objects, rapid respiration develops, and fish often gasp for air at the surface as the gills become clogged with mucus. Very quickly the fish will become lethargic, refuse to eat, and its colors will fade.
Typical treatment is a standard formalin solution is mixed with either fresh or saltwater in a separate treatment container. Initially, all fish are given a quick dip in the formalin at a higher concentration, followed by continued treatment in a prolonged bath of formalin at a lower concentration in a quarantine tank (QT). Of course, the longer the fish are exposed to the formalin treatment, the more effective it will be at eliminating this disease.
If a formalin solution is not available for immediate use, temporary relief may be provided by giving fish a FW bath or dip. 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.

@vetteguy53081 i am getting ahold of some formalin but now I’m not sure if its brook. The freshwater dip cleaned the white powder (slime?) off the orange fish. But now my white clown has what looks like a gash on his side and torn fins. Is this consistent with brook? Could you please please please share your thoughts.

Jay Hemdal · Dec 8, 2021

crazyclownlady said:
@vetteguy53081 i am getting ahold of some formalin but now I’m not sure if its brook. The freshwater dip cleaned the white powder (slime?) off the orange fish. But now my white clown has what looks like a gash on his side and torn fins. Is this consistent with brook? Could you please please please share your thoughts.

Could that be a bruise from catching it up for the FW dip? I agree that the early pictures look like the start of Brook. Carbon has no benefit against that. Formalin is the best treatment. In Canada, that is going to be tough. Avoid getting "10% neutral buffered formalin" that won't work. You need pure 37% formaldehyde gas in water. I can help you with the dosing if you manage to get that. Otherwise, Paraguard is an aldhehyde, so might work. One issue with dips is that the fish go back into an infected tank....

Jay

vetteguy53081 · Dec 8, 2021

Agree on post injury

crazyclownlady · Dec 9, 2021

Jay Hemdal said:
Could that be a bruise from catching it up for the FW dip? I agree that the early pictures look like the start of Brook. Carbon has no benefit against that. Formalin is the best treatment. In Canada, that is going to be tough. Avoid getting "10% neutral buffered formalin" that won't work. You need pure 37% formaldehyde gas in water. I can help you with the dosing if you manage to get that. Otherwise, Paraguard is an aldhehyde, so might work. One issue with dips is that the fish go back into an infected tank....

Jay

I was quite gentle when i netted them but anything is possible. The disease is progressing rapidly on one side of the fish more than the other side.

lots of slime on this side of the fish, and a new gash.

Jay Hemdal · Dec 9, 2021

crazyclownlady said:
I was quite gentle when i netted them but anything is possible. The disease is progressing rapidly on one side of the fish more than the other side.

lots of slime on this side of the fish, and a new gash.

This continues to look more like Brooklynella to me. Have you begun any other treatments?

Jay

crazyclownlady · Dec 9, 2021

Jay Hemdal said:
This continues to look more like Brooklynella to me. Have you begun any other treatments?

Jay

unfortunately the paraguard is the best i have. I bought some kordon rid ich plus but it will be another week before it arrives. It supposedly contains formalin but probably not in the right strength

The orange one swims and eats normally. The white one just swims by the sand in one spot and is not very interested in food. Its not looking good for these fish, sadly

Miami Reef · Dec 9, 2021

Metronidazole also works excellent for brook. Local LFS will carry Metroplex.

To use metroplex, remove fish from tank and place into a QT. Dose by bottle instructions and let tank sit fishless for 6 weeks to starve out the parasite from the original tank. Corals can stay.

Miami Reef · Dec 9, 2021

crazyclownlady · Dec 9, 2021

Miami Reef said:
Metronidazole also works excellent for brook. Local LFS will carry Metroplex

Can’t find it in canada unfortunately

Miami Reef · Dec 9, 2021

crazyclownlady said:
Can’t find it in canada unfortunately

How about Quick Cure?

crazyclownlady · Dec 9, 2021

Miami Reef said:
How about Quick Cure?

That one is illegal here too.. only option for fish medication is to go to a vet but the vets I’ve called won’t accept fish as patients

crazyclownlady · Dec 10, 2021

Miami Reef said:
How about Quick Cure?

I have some ruby reef rally coming today. Is that worth a shot?

Still another week for the other meds.. i bought everything i could so i have it onhand to properly quarantine next time. Also setting up a QT tank for next time.. if i ever try fish again

big mistakes were made.. this was my first attempt at saltwater fish after running a coral/invertebrate tank for a year

LeftyReefer · Dec 10, 2021

crazyclownlady said:
That one is illegal here too.. only option for fish medication is to go to a vet but the vets I’ve called won’t accept fish as patients

Well that makes perfect sense.

Any chance you live close to the border?

man, if I was a Canadian reefer, I'd make a trip to the US just to stock up on the common fish/reefing meds.

Jay Hemdal · Dec 10, 2021

crazyclownlady said:
I have some ruby reef rally coming today. Is that worth a shot?

Still another week for the other meds.. i bought everything i could so i have it onhand to properly quarantine next time. Also setting up a QT tank for next time.. if i ever try fish again

big mistakes were made.. this was my first attempt at saltwater fish after running a coral/invertebrate tank for a year

Ruby Reef has worked for folks (I prefer formalin) - the dose is 1 teaspoon per gallon of tank water in a dip container for 3 hours, with aeration and temperature control. Here is the BIG issue - moving the affected fish back to the tank it came from just re-infects the fish. You'll need to do this dip daily, but eliminating the Brooklynella from the tank itself is going to be a challenge. All I can suggest to try there is to dose the whole tank according to the label instructions (lower dose) and hope that helps clear it from the tank.

jay