Clown problem

Rhealite · Nov 17, 2020

Can anyone tell me what is on my clown? It started about 10 days ago as a black spot almost like he was stung by something. He seems interested in food but I haven’t seen him eat. I have been adding powder fine food so I think he might be eating by filtering it as he swims. He doesn’t seem to be very strong but he isn’t giving up.

Idoc · Nov 17, 2020

Are you able to catch the clown and take some upclose pics of the growth? It appears to be growing very quickly.

Jay Hemdal · Nov 17, 2020

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

That is an odd looking infection (dark color), and in a bad location (gills). as @Idoc said, if the pictures were taken over time, left to right, it is growing really quickly. If you are not seeing it feed, then it isn't (they don't take small particles out of the water like that).

Are all of the other fish and invertebrates doing well? Do you have a treatment tank you can move it to? If not, there isn't really any treatment that can be dosed in your main tank.

Jay

Rhealite · Nov 17, 2020

The first pic is 10 days ago. The other two are from about an hour ago. Everything else is doing great. He is the only one that isn’t happy. I have no idea how he is surviving then if he isn’t eating something small. At first I thought it was a scab and I have been waiting for it to grow out but it isn’t happening. I am not certain if I can catch him to get a better pic but I can try. Also, no separate tank to put him in Is there anything that can be added to the tank that will not hurt the other inhabitants?

Jay Hemdal · Nov 17, 2020

No - there are a number of “reef safe” medications, but they are more like tonics, not true antibiotics. People use them if they have no other options, but they really don’t work for severe infections like this.

Jay

Rhealite · Nov 17, 2020

Jay Hemdal said:
No - there are a number of “reef safe” medications, but they are more like tonics, not true antibiotics. People use them if they have no other options, but they really don’t work for severe infections like this.

Jay

So I just have to watch him slowly die?

Jay Hemdal · Nov 17, 2020

I know a lot of people set up treatment tanks in plastic totes even buckets. You just need a filter, heater and either “bacteria in a bottle” or better yet, seed gravel or LR from another tank. You can then dose any medication you want to without fear of harming your main tank. Some people opt for antibiotic dips - these are not as effective, but you basically dose an antibiotic in a small container with aeration for two hours twice a day. I usually dose the medication at twice normal to compensate for the shorter treatment (dump the water after each treatment). You would want to go with a broad spectrum, gram negative antibiotic like neoplex or Maracyn 2.
Jay

Rhealite · Nov 18, 2020

Jay Hemdal said:
I know a lot of people set up treatment tanks in plastic totes even buckets. You just need a filter, heater and either “bacteria in a bottle” or better yet, seed gravel or LR from another tank. You can then dose any medication you want to without fear of harming your main tank. Some people opt for antibiotic dips - these are not as effective, but you basically dose an antibiotic in a small container with aeration for two hours twice a day. I usually dose the medication at twice normal to compensate for the shorter treatment (dump the water after each treatment). You would want to go with a broad spectrum, gram negative antibiotic like neoplex or Maracyn 2.
Jay

Well he didn’t make it. Whatever it was ate through his gills. I pulled it back a little with tweezers to see the damage. Not sure if this will give any idea on what happened.

Jay Hemdal · Nov 18, 2020

Sorry to hear, that was a very aggressive infection. I can see where the gill filaments were white, that shows the secondary lamellae were eaten away, causing massive blood loss and inability to get oxygen from the water.
Visually like this, I can't tell if it was bacterial or fungal. External fungal diseases are rare in marine fish, but that dark color to the growth possibly points that way.
Again, very sorry....

Jay

Rhealite · Nov 18, 2020

Jay Hemdal said:
Sorry to hear, that was a very aggressive infection. I can see where the gill filaments were white, that shows the secondary lamellae were eaten away, causing massive blood loss and inability to get oxygen from the water.
Visually like this, I can't tell if it was bacterial or fungal. External fungal diseases are rare in marine fish, but that dark color to the growth possibly points that way.
Again, very sorry....

Jay

Thanks for trying to help. I hate that he struggled but he was just not giving up.