Clown fish dying

[buzz579]

Morning team.

I have come down this morning to find one of my clownfish behaving like this.... (See video!)

The other fish is fine as well as the CUC seem ok.

Had a basslet disappear a few days ago as well...

am I doing something horribly wrong?!?

All parameters seem ok, testing with red sea testing kit.

 

[buzz579]

Just spoken to a friend and explained signs and symptoms and he thinks it's velvet....

So... If it is velvet. Is my tank *ucked? Full water change etc??? Or can I remove the fish and start again??

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Just spoken to a friend and explained signs and symptoms and he thinks it's velvet....

So... If it is velvet. Is my tank *ucked? Full water change etc??? Or can I remove the fish and start again??

Both clownfish seem to have a protozoan infection, one worse than the other. Velvet is the likely culprit. The only way to treat that is immediate treatment in a hospital tank with copper. You probably cannot get good copper medications in the UK though.

Untreated, you will likely lose both clowns. Then, if you leave the tank fishless for 60 days, the velvet will die out. After that, you should consider buying pre quarantined fish if you can.

Jay

 

[Dom]

After that, you should consider buying pre quarantined fish if you can.

Jay

Jay, while I submit to your expertise on this subject, I'd like to point out that "pre-quarantined" fish can be misleading. As I understand it, sometimes suppliers will keep fish in hypo salinity and copper for suppression of disease.

But when the fish gets home to a prepared tank with proper chemistry, disease rears its ugly head as it isn't in a suppressive environment.

So be careful with "pre-quarantined' fish.

 

[buzz579]

One of the fish has perished.

I had a strawberry pygmy basslet disappear a few days back and not been seen since (guessing it may have also perished)

The last clown isn't looking good and I'm guessing will also go. I unfortunately don't have the room/facilities to have a hospital tank.

I have called the LFS where I got them from and they assure me that they do QT their fish. I have told them about my situation and am awaiting a call back with what they are willing to do for me.

Either way, looks like my tank is going to be fishless for quite a while waiting for the disease to clear from the tank....

 

[2020 Worst Year]

Both clownfish seem to have a protozoan infection, one worse than the other. Velvet is the likely culprit. The only way to treat that is immediate treatment in a hospital tank with copper. You probably cannot get good copper medications in the UK though.

Untreated, you will likely lose both clowns. Then, if you leave the tank fishless for 60 days, the velvet will die out. After that, you should consider buying pre quarantined fish if you can.

Jay

nowhere really sell QT fish in the UK only 1 place and they don't deliver and their stock isnt that much

this is the shop that QT https://allthingsaquatic.co.uk/collections/marine-fish-list?&view=ls

just buy from places with good reviews and it's fine i have had tangs and not QT them everything has been fine

OP where did you buy the fish from so i know to avoid lol

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Jay, while I submit to your expertise on this subject, I'd like to point out that "pre-quarantined" fish can be misleading. As I understand it, sometimes suppliers will keep fish in hypo salinity and copper for suppression of disease.

But when the fish gets home to a prepared tank with proper chemistry, disease rears its ugly head as it isn't in a suppressive environment.

So be careful with "pre-quarantined' fish.

I think that as a term, "pre-quarantined" is only misleading when vendors use the term too loosely. Some vendors understand this, and differentiate between "quarantined" and "conditioned". Then, there are some vendors that call their fish "quarantined" as a selling point, but really do little in that regard. Finally, there are some vendors that run a full quarantine on their fish, and those are the ones I meant. However, I don't know the status of that sort of fish overseas....may not be available.

Jay

 

[Ocean_Queenie]

One of the fish has perished.

I had a strawberry pygmy basslet disappear a few days back and not been seen since (guessing it may have also perished)

The last clown isn't looking good and I'm guessing will also go. I unfortunately don't have the room/facilities to have a hospital tank.

I have called the LFS where I got them from and they assure me that they do QT their fish. I have told them about my situation and am awaiting a call back with what they are willing to do for me.

Either way, looks like my tank is going to be fishless for quite a while waiting for the disease to clear from the tank....

So sorry you had to go thru that, last year we lost quite a few to velvet….it’s always hard to see your fish suffer