Clown fish with small holes on sides

[ItouchedThebutt]

I recently acquired a 60 gal that came with 2 clown fish. Long story short the tank was neglected for what looked like to be a year, just from having a inch of detritus build up in the sump and other things. I got the tank up and running and safe 2 days ago. Even before adding the fish upon just looking at them in a bucket they looked severely beaten up and just rough. Ribs showing and skinny as can be. After the stress of a 2hour plus drive in a bucket they ate imeideitly after I threw an aireoter in the bucket with them. When throwing them in my 60 gal I noticed they both have small holes all on there side. No slime, fin rot, or white stringy poop as of yet, but they are acting as happy as can be in the new tank so far and eating even twice a day. Any ideas on weather its cause from just terrible water quality or possibly parasites? They are the only live stock in tank so I'm not worried about it spreading or anything and im continuing to monitor them as time passes. Just wanted some inquires. Can try and get photos later but even then I don't know how they will turn out or be able to contrast on the fish at all.

 

[Big G]

Good on you for jumping in to take such care of these poor fish. Sounds like HLLE. Great pristine water conditions and high quality foods (no pellets, flakes) made into a "smoothie" of frozen mysis, seaweed, cyclops, clams, etc., mixed and then dosed with a few drops of Zoecon (formulated for HLLE) would be a step in the right direction to turn around the fish's health.

 

[HotRocks]

Pics would really be helpful to be able to diagnose.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Okay, all I have is frozen mysis and pellet food at the moment. Can you explain what HLLE is exactly?

 

[Humblefish]

Can you explain what HLLE is exactly?

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/hlle-head-lateral-line-erosion.259916/

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

See I saw pictures of that but it's not on the head or look like that. The majority of the holes is on its side to stomach area. But it very well could be. I just thought it could be burns or some kind of worm burrowing holes in them. When I get home I'll do my best to get photos up. But I won't have access to better food other then pellets for a while for how much I'm working. But either way it seems like just keeping them eating and pristine water quality would be the best in the meantime.

 

[reef lover]

Could be black ich.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Could be black ich.

Just looked at the photos of it and I'm not positive but I'm fairly sure it's not that. These don't look like protrusions like the dots shown on the tang but more like holes in them. One hole is the size of maybe the tip of pencil lead? Like out of a mechanical pencil. But inside it is yellow. Now I don't know if that's tissue under his skin or signs of it healing.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Here's the best pictures I can get. Also apparently my fish hate frozen mysis shrimp but love pellets.

 

[reef lover]

I see.... @Humblefish

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

You can see it real well in the second picture, the whole with that yellow tissue. I'm not sure if it's just burns, scars, or just healing.

 

[reef lover]

@Brew12 @melypr1985 .....any ideas

 

[Brew12]

Unfortunately, no. It doesn't look like HLLE but it also doesn't look like black ich. I would just continue with good water quality and feeding what they enjoy. My clowns love pellets, too, in the rare times I feed pellets into my tank. They act like its a special treat. Get some weight on them and monitor it to see if it gets worse imo.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Unfortunately, no. It doesn't look like HLLE but it also doesn't look like black ich. I would just continue with good water quality and feeding what they enjoy. My clowns love pellets, too, in the rare times I feed pellets into my tank. They act like its a special treat. Get some weight on them and monitor it to see if it gets worse imo.

That's what I've been doing. I'm trying to get weight back on them at the moment feeding twice a day light feedings. They definitely getting some plump bellies that's for sure. But they show no signs of being impaired by whatever it may be that's for sure.

 

[Humblefish]

Possibly Hyper-Melanization? http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?threads/black-small-smudges-on-your-anemonefish.44343/

My other guess would be a bacterial infection of some kind: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/tank-terror-bacterial-infections-in-the-reef-tank.22/

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

So update, noticed the mainly orange clown fish is having some kind of spazims or twitching going on today. Noticed it after seeing him try and swim up to get the nori off a clip.

 

[4FordFamily]

So update, noticed the mainly orange clown fish is having some kind of spazims or twitching going on today. Noticed it after seeing him try and swim up to get the nori off a clip.

Try a freshwater dip in a dark bucket. Match tank temp with fresh water. Look for small sesame seed looking things after a 5 minute dip, report back

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Okay. Should I do both fish?

 

[Humblefish]

Okay. Should I do both fish?

Yes, but not at the same time.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Do I need to stick an aerator in it?