Clown going downhill!?

[Kyle954]

Anyone have any suggestions? Clown was perfectly fine yesterday, today noticed him on opposite side of tank swimming at top, looks like he’s struggling. Skin looks strange…
All other fish okay.
Legitimately just noticed so I have no water results..

 

[vetteguy53081]

Clown is sick. It has a disease known as Brooklynella in which the most significant sign is the amount of slime on its body which is noticeable on the fish. This mucus generally starts at the facial area as well as gills and spreads across the body producing lesions as it progresses often confused with ich and can turn into secondary bacteria. Other symptoms will be lethargic behavior, refusing to eat and heavy breathing from the mucus.
Typical treatment is a formalin solution is mixed with in a separate container with either fresh or saltwater. Start with a prolonged 60 minute bath of ruby rally pro then at a lower concentration in a quarantine tank. The longer the fish are exposed to the treatment, the more effective it will be at eliminating this issue.
Since a formalin solution is harder to find, temporary relief can be attained by giving the fish a FW bath or dip in water same temperature as display tank. 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 with Ruby Rally Pro. Ruby takes a little longer and initial treatment generally takes 2-3 days to really start going to work.
With the advanced stage of this- I recommend immediate quarantine of all inhabitants and leaving display without fish for 4-6 weeks.
A quarantine system if you dont have one can be as easy as a second hand tank from a thrift store or as simple as a starter tank kit from Walmart which has most of the essentials

 

[Kyle954]

Clown is sick. It has a disease known as Brooklynella in which the most significant sign is the amount of slime on its body which is noticeable on the fish. This mucus generally starts at the facial area as well as gills and spreads across the body producing lesions as it progresses often confused with ich and can turn into secondary bacteria. Other symptoms will be lethargic behavior, refusing to eat and heavy breathing from the mucus.
Typical treatment is a formalin solution is mixed with in a separate container with either fresh or saltwater. Start with a prolonged 60 minute bath of ruby rally pro then at a lower concentration in a quarantine tank. The longer the fish are exposed to the treatment, the more effective it will be at eliminating this issue.
Since a formalin solution is harder to find, temporary relief can be attained by giving the fish a FW bath or dip in water same temperature as display tank. 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 with Ruby Rally Pro. Ruby takes a little longer and initial treatment generally takes 2-3 days to really start going to work.
With the advanced stage of this- I recommend immediate quarantine of all inhabitants and leaving display without fish for 4-6 weeks.
A quarantine system if you dont have one can be as easy as a second hand tank from a thrift store or as simple as a starter tank kit from Walmart which has most of the essentials

Thank you for your detailed information! The ruby rally instructions say can be used directly in display? Would that be beneficial to treat all fish at same time just incase?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you for your detailed information! The ruby rally instructions say can be used directly in display? Would that be beneficial to treat all fish at same time just incase?

Yes and Yes. It is reef safe

 

[MnFish1]

Vetteguy is absolutely correct - you can use Ruby Rally Pro in the display. If at all possible - I would TRY to do it in a hospital tank - if you can't - all good! Hopefully it will clear up quickly - please update your results

 

[Kyle954]

Dumb question. Could what you see in pictures be trauma induced? I have witnessed my 6 line legitimately trying to murder this clown since I posted this post. Which is not normal these fish have been in same tank for last 4 years give or take

 

[Lavey29]

Thank you for your detailed information! The ruby rally instructions say can be used directly in display? Would that be beneficial to treat all fish at same time just incase?

That stuff ain't gonna stop brook and you will see all your fish die in the upcoming days unless you set up QT tank for them and use formulin to treat. Your tank needs to fallow 45 days minimum.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Dumb question. Could what you see in pictures be trauma induced? I have witnessed my 6 line legitimately trying to murder this clown since I posted this post. Which is not normal these fish have been in same tank for last 4 years give or take

My first thought, in seeing the torn fins and skin damage was trauma. That will cause a fish to hide in corners as well.

That said, I have seen cases where a sick fish is more susceptible to being attacked because it WAS sick to begin with.

Brooklynella is more often a disease of newly acquired wild clownfish.

 

[Kyle954]

Yeah I’ve had all fish in this tank for 4 years give or take. Haven’t added any new fish or corals since then.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Yeah I’ve had all fish in this tank for 4 years give or take. Haven’t added any new fish or corals since then.

I’ve never seen Brooklynella start up in a tank after that period.

There are other chronic diseases that can cause a fish to become weakened and then prone to being attacked by tankmates. One is found in literally all aquariums, fish tuberculosis, Mycobacterium. Most fish are resistant to it, but in older fish, it can make them sick and eventually die. Your fish aren’t “old”, but they are getting there.

Can you isolate this fish with a tank divider?

 

[Kyle954]

Well glad to post the clown is what seems fully recovered. I believe for some reason the issues were trauma induced from my terrorist 6 line. I caught him multiple times attacking the clown so I think that’s what all the skin issues and torn fins were from.
He was eating like a pig the entire time which was a good sign.

Skin is clear and fins are healed.

Thanks everyone for the advice! Hopefully my 6 line minds his business from now on. They’ve been in tank together for last 4 years not sure why out of nowhere he had to become the a$$hole!?