Clown with Brooklynella

[teddy daniels]

So I am 100% new to this. I have done a lot or research and thought I was going down the right road. I have a 90 gallon tank, live sand,dry rock and I let it complete the cycle for about 2 months. So after that my water had tested good for about a week and I took the kids to get 2 clown fish. After we got home I let the fish get acclimated to my tank and then put them in. One is doing great the other not so much I thought that he was stressed but after a week has gone he is getting worst. After a lot of reading I feel that he had brooklynella I know this is not good. I also think he might have passed it to the other clown I have taken them out and put them in my QT. So here is where my questions start.......

1) LFS said use copper treatment in my QT? YES or NO
2)With both in my QT should I get Formaldehyde and try to treat both in a 1 gallon bucket(I have seen a few people try this)?
3)Do I need to do anything to my DT so when I put them back in I dont have any problems?

I know the one is on the very bad side and has a slim chance but I feel bad and would like to do all I can. Also any chance I messed up or just back luck.

Thanks for the help and I am trying to get pictures just very hard they are still very active.

 

[melypr1985]

Try to get pictures for us for an actual diagnosis, but I'll get the info for treating Brook in the mean time.

It is bad luck, but ideally you would want to QT for a few weeks before adding to the DT. In the future, it would be best to QT any new fish before adding the tank so you can spot and treat for any diseases it may be carrying.

 

[melypr1985]

Brooklynella:

Symptoms – This is most often seen in clownfish, but it can afflict any fish. The fish’s skin will appear to be peeling or sloughing off, oftentimes causing excessive white mucous to form around the affected area(s).

Treatment options - Formalin bath, followed by additional formalin baths (as needed - but give the fish a day to recuperate in-between baths). You can use formalin in a QT (at a much lower concentration than the bath), but great care must be taken to provide plenty of gas exchange as formalin will quickly deplete the water of oxygen. For this reason, doing baths is the safer option as the fish can be pulled from the formalin if showing signs of distress. Formalin-MS is preferred, as that contains 37% formaldehyde. However, in a bind, any medication containing formalin (ex. Quick Cure) is better than nothing. Alternative treatments for brook include metronidazole (ex. Seachem MetroPlex) and acriflavine (ex. Acriflavine-MS). A freshwater dip may provide temporary relief if you are unable to locate any of the aforementioned medications right away.

 

[teddy daniels]

Thanks for the reply and the only reason I put them in the DT was because they are the only two fish. And that is the same info I found on Brooklynella I was just hoping that I missed something. The symptoms are what I have and I also read somewhere that it starts are the head most of the time and that is what I got it on the gills. Thanks again and I am working on getting a good picture.

 

[melypr1985]

Yes, we dont want to get too deep down the brooknella rabbit whole and find out it's actually velvet ya know? So we'll wait for the picture before going into too much depth about it.
I see why you went ahead with them, but remember. You should QT every fish because they bring disease that doesn't always go away when the fish does. You also dont always see symptoms of a disease on the first fish. It could be hiding unseen in the gills of that first fish, then you QT the second batch of fish only to have them get infected with a disease once they hit the DT! It can be maddening lol.

 

[teddy daniels]

So this is the best I can get. The part on his gill is what was the first thing to show. He do not look this bad in real life but over the past two days the tail rot has showed up (I think that is the right term). And thank you so much.

 

[Humblefish]

That's brook. You need to locate any (just 1) of the following products:

• Acriflavine: Acriflavine-MS or Ruby Reef Rally
  
• Formalin: Formalin-MS, Quick Cure, Aquarium Solutions Ich-X or Kordon Rid-Ich Plus
• Metronidazole: Seachem Metroplex or Fishvet's Metro-MS

If you can't find any of those, at least give the fish a FW dip before placing in QT.

Freshwater Dip: Provides temporary relief for Brooklynella, Flukes, Marine Velvet disease (Amyloodinium); possibly even Ich & Uronema marinum (both unproven). Can be used to confirm the presence of Flukes.

How To Treat - Fill a bucket with RODI water, and use a heater to match the temperature to the water the fish is coming from. Aerate the water heavily for at least 30 minutes prior to doing the dip, then discontinue aeration while performing the dip. Fish aren’t overly pH sensitive for short durations like this, but you can squirt a little tank water into the dip just before the fish goes in to help bring it up.

Place the fish in the freshwater (FW) dip and observe closely. It is not unusual for them to freak out a little at first. Also, tangs are notorious for “playing dead” during a FW dip. The important thing is to watch their gills; they should be breathing heavily at all times during the dip. If breathing slows, it’s time to exit the dip. Dip the fish for no longer than 5 minutes. Multiple dips may be done, but it’s important to give your fish a day to recuperate in-between dips.

For flukes, use a dark (preferably black) bucket so you can see if tiny white worms fall out of the fish (especially out of the gills) at around the 3-4 minute mark. The worms will settle to the bottom, so you can use a flashlight to look for them there as well.

Pros - Provides temporary relief for a wide range of diseases in a chemical free environment. Can “buy you more time” until a proper treatment can be done.

Cons/Side Effects - Not a permanent “fix” for any disease, as FW dips are not potent enough to eradicate all of the parasites/worms afflicting the fish. Some fish can have an adverse reaction to a FW dip by appearing unable to maintain their equilibrium once returned to the aquarium. If this happens, hold the fish upright (using latex, nitrile or rubber gloves), and gently glide him through the water (to get saltwater flowing through the gills again). It is also a good idea to place the fish in an acclimation box until he appears “normal”.

 

[teddy daniels]

That is what I was worried about and thank you all for the quick help. I will keep my fingers crossed.

 

[Humblefish]

There's no easy way to say this, but your clownfish don't have much time left to live without prompt action. If you can't find any of the aforementioned meds (I realize it's already Sunday evening), at least give them the FW dip before placing in QT. It may buy you another day or two so you can locate one of the meds.

 

[teddy daniels]

Yea that is what I am thinking I am heating some RO right now. Thanks again.

 

[melypr1985]

Yup. but glad we waited to be sure about it. Fresh water dips can save lives.... just gives ya that one extra day you need to get it all together (Well we hope). Good luck! and keep us updated k? We want to know how it turns out!

 

[teddy daniels]

So Bad news I gave them both a freshwater dip and the one the was very bad did not make it over night. The other one seems to be doing OK for now. I am going to keep an eye on him and dip him in formaldehyde when it comes. The last thing is I know this was bad luck and I should have left them in the QT but do I need to treat the DT with anything. Sounds like brook might only live on the fish.

 

[Humblefish]

If the two clowns were the only fish in the DT, then what you need to do now is go fallow (fishless) for 6 weeks. Without any fish to feed upon, all the parasites will eventually starve to death.

What I recommend for treating the surviving clownfish is to administer a 45 min formalin bath and then immediately move him into an entirely different QT. New water, new tank, new everything. So, you could just move him into a bucket with an airstone & heater now, drain/sterilize his current QT, and then it should be ready to go once the formalin comes in. This will prevent him from continuing to get reinfected.

 

[Humblefish]

Maybe move him into a bucket and then just do the formalin bath (below) in that same bucket ..... Otherwise, you could do the formalin bath in his current QT so long as you have somewhere else for him to go afterwards.

Formalin: Treats Brooklynella and provides temporary relief for Marine Velvet disease (Amyloodinium). Also may be used as temporary relief, or even as an alternative treatment, for worms such as flukes and black ich.

How To Treat - Formalin is very interesting because its potential is not fully known. It is best administered in a bath solution for 30-45 minutes, following the dosage instructions on whatever bottle you use; or at 150 ppm if using "100% formalin" (ex. Formalin-MS). The bath should be done in a large glass bowl or container, and temperature should match the tank the fish is coming from. A bucket is not advised as plastic may absorb some of the medication and then leach it back out during future use. It is imperative that you heavily aerate the bath solution for at least 30 minutes before and also during treatment to compensate for oxygen depletion. The fish should be placed in a premixed bath solution. DO NOT add more formalin after the fish is already in the bath.

For Brooklynella, multiple baths may be required (so long as symptoms persist), but it’s important to give the fish a day to recuperate in-between baths. Formalin has also been used as alternative treatment for external worms such as flukes and black ich. However, at least 2 baths are required (7 days apart) for the same reason described when using Prazipro. For all of the above, post treatment, the fish should not be returned to the same tank/water he came from to prevent reinfection.

You can dose formalin directly in a quarantine tank, but this can be risky due to the harshness of formalin and how quickly it can deplete the water of oxygen. Providing additional gas exchange to the QT is a must! A fish being treated must be monitored closely and should be removed if showing signs of distress - this applies when treating in QT or in the bath solution.

Pros - Treats or provides temporary relief for a wide range of diseases. In some cases, formalin can “buy you more time” until a proper treatment can be done.

Cons/Side Effects - Formalin contains formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. Therefore, precautions must be taken when using it. Preventing your skin from coming in contact with it by wearing water proof gloves and not breathing in any fumes by wearing a face mask is highly recommended. Formalin also can be harsh on the fish and will quickly deplete oxygen from the water. In some areas, the purchase of formalin is prohibited.

 

[teddy daniels]

Great and thanks for all the info I hate to learn like this. You both have been so much help and feel a little better that I did not cause this by rushing things. Thanks again.

 

[melypr1985]

I'm sorry to hear about the one clown passing. I'll keep my fingers crossed for the other one!

 

[teddy daniels]

So a quick update the second fish looks like he has it but it is not getting as bad as the other fish. I have him in a 10 gal QT tank. I know you have said that I should go six weeks with out fish in my DT. Do I need to take the 4 snails out that I have or are they ok to stay for the six weeks?

 

[Humblefish]

Do I need to take the 4 snails out that I have or are they ok to stay for the six weeks?

All corals/inverts can remain in the DT for the fallow period.

 

[xeanliao]

Found this old thread, and I believe some of my clownfishes died before must be due to the Brooklynella, when I only knew white ich and velvet.

The info so great, two questions on the following products (stolen from HF above):

• Acriflavine: Acriflavine-MS or Ruby Reef Rally
  
• Formalin: Formalin-MS, Quick Cure, Aquarium Solutions Ich-X or Kordon Rid-Ich Plus
• Metronidazole: Seachem Metroplex or Fishvet's Metro-MS

I have Prazipro and cupramine already. I would like to stock one (or two) other product just in case for:

1. a specific product for Brooklynella,
2. one can give me better chance for some diseases I am not able to identify exactly (is this a realistic goal?)
(3. or is there one product for both above?)

 

[Humblefish]

1. a specific product for Brooklynella,
2. one can give me better chance for some diseases I am not able to identify exactly (is this a realistic goal?)
(3. or is there one product for both above?)

As much as I dislike using formalin, I feel it is superior for clearing surface parasites such as brook & uronema. However, it is probably unrealistic to except a 45 min formalin bath to achieve 100% eradication. Therefore, followup treatment using metronidazole in a clean/sterile QT for at least 2 weeks is wise.

In lieu of formalin, Ruby Reef Rally also works well for clearing brook and the bath can be extended to 90 minutes. However, I still recommend followup treating using metronidazole afterwards.