Can a BTA kill clownfish?

[Cina]

I have had two clownfish die in the past week and the only common factor is they both hosted a BTA that I added to my tank two weeks ago. The first clownfish that died hosted the BTA for about 3-4 days before I noticed it laying in the sand doing occasional backward flips/twirls. He died minutes later. The day after it died, the second clownfish began hosting the BTA. Within 3-4 days I found him laying in the sand motionless. I thought BTAs were supposed to be harmless to clownfish but it's very interesting how the only two fish in the tank that came into contact with the BTA have died. The clownfish were in my tank for a couple of months before I added the BTA. The tank is 2 years old and 36 gallons.

Has anyone ever experienced or heard of a BTA harming or killing a clownfish?

This is what else is in my tank:
Bangaii Cardinal
Pajama Cardinal
Blenny (black sail maybe)
Twin Spot Goby
3-4 hermit crabs
Coral banded shrimp
Brittle sea star

 

[Sharkbait19]

Have the fish been quarantined? When was the most recent addition?

 

[TCoach]

Can you post a picture of the BTA?

 

[Cina]

Have the fish been quarantined? When was the most recent addition?

The fish were not quarantined. The most recent addition was the BTA two weeks ago.

 

[Cina]

Can you post a picture of the BTA?

This is the anemone the first day I got it when the clownfish were still alive. I'll upload a more recent one in a bit.

The rocks the anemone is on are fairly new but the tank is 2 years old and there are 2 year old live rocks on the other side of the tank not shown in the picture.

 

[Uncle99]

Never had this ever in 40 years.
This bonded pair and nem….6 years….
More likely some other issue.
They have a thick slime coat which makes them immune.
Maybe just two sick fish…..velvet kills fast…..

 

[Cina]

Can you post a picture of the BTA?

Here’s a photo of the BTA today.

 

[TCoach]

BTA may have brought in a disease. I’ve never heard of them killing clowns. Are any of the other fish showing symptoms?

-TCoach

 

[ReefGuard Systems]

Really odd. Never heard of this. Also odd that the clowns both hosted it so fast after being added to the tank. Sorry for the loss of the clowns.

 

[Cina]

BTA may have brought in a disease. I’ve never heard of them killing clowns. Are any of the other fish showing symptoms?

-TCoach

No other fish are showing symptoms.

 

[Spare time]

The fish probably died of something unrelated. There is 0 evidence that the anemone is involved at all.

 

[Tamberav]

Maybe brook? It tends to infect clowns more so than other fish.

 

[Cina]

Maybe brook? It tends to infect clowns more so than other fish.

I looked up a bunch of info on Brook and watched some videos and I’m pretty sure that’s what it was. They didn’t have all the symptoms but they did have heavy breathing, cloudy eyes, and were less active. They still are and their color didn’t dull until they died but I’m sure it was Brook.

Can an anemone bring Brook into a tank? I ask because I had these two clowns for about a month and things symptoms started showing after I added the anemone. I thought I had the clowns for just a week before the anemone but thinking back, I had them for at least a month.

 

[BirdFish5000]

The water in/around the anemone could have brought in a parasite, yes. Not super likely, but possible.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Brook can also stay dormant in a tank for a long time. I never had a single run in with Brook until after a tank failure, but it was there and killed both my beautiful Glads.

 

[Cina]

If it was Brook that killed my clowns, is it possible to try getting another clown after so many weeks or months? Will Brook live in my tank forever?

 

[Tamberav]

I looked up a bunch of info on Brook and watched some videos and I’m pretty sure that’s what it was. They didn’t have all the symptoms but they did have heavy breathing, cloudy eyes, and were less active. They still are and their color didn’t dull until they died but I’m sure it was Brook.

Can an anemone bring Brook into a tank? I ask because I had these two clowns for about a month and things symptoms started showing after I added the anemone. I thought I had the clowns for just a week before the anemone but thinking back, I had them for at least a month.

Yes because an anemone has water inside it. Anything WET can bring disease. Nems, corals, snails, rock, etc.

 

[Tamberav]

If it was Brook that killed my clowns, is it possible to try getting another clown after so many weeks or months? Will Brook live in my tank forever?

You can run the tank without fish. I would do 45 days at temp of 80-81. Turn the temp back down to normal before adding the fish though.

This requires removing all fish though and I realize this may be something you don’t want to do.