So i need someone to help me identify whats wrong with my clownfish. It stays in the same spot at the bottom of the tank. Every so often it comes to the surface and swims toward my powerhead and then right back down to the bottom. I only have the clown and a damsel and the damsel seems just fine.
Clownfish acting strange
- Thread starter Dunnman39
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melypr1985
totally addicted
^^^ ditto and a picture would be nice
I sat in front of the tank several times and stared at him and I cannot see any spots at all. From what I observe the damsel is usually keeping to himself. It's going on 3 months now.
melypr1985
totally addicted
He's very skinny. Is he eating? It would be a good idea to add vitamin supplements to his food right now. If he's not eating you'll want to add garlic to help entice him to take the food.
I'm seeing a discoloration on the white of the headband. Is this a trick of the camera or do you see it as well? Swimming into the flow of a powerhead is very specific. Is he breathing heavy at all?
I'm seeing a discoloration on the white of the headband. Is this a trick of the camera or do you see it as well? Swimming into the flow of a powerhead is very specific. Is he breathing heavy at all?
What has been going on for 3 months now? The clownfish's odd behavior? Do you have a pic of your entire tank?
melypr1985
totally addicted
My gut is screaming velvet. Has he been doing this long? Longer than a day or two? he's not showing any physical symptoms besides being faded in color. You can do a freshwater dip to give him some relief. If it is velvet, you may have caught it a little bit early. He could also be dead by morning. If he is dead in the AM or during the day I would remove the damsel to a QT and prepare to treat.
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”.
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”.
melypr1985
totally addicted
Distilled water will work just fine. You can use tap as well if you use a product like prime to take care of the chlorine and ammonia.
melypr1985
totally addicted
Do you have any nonstick pots? The kind with the black teflon coating on the inside? You can use that as a dark "bucket".
I advise you do it quickly. If not tonight, then in the morning first thing. IF this is velvet then quick action is required. I hope I'm wrong though.
melypr1985
totally addicted
to be quite honest (and this will sound a bit harsh) if it's velvet there is a high likelihood that he will be dead in the AM... or very soon anyway. He could never show the classic symptoms besides what he's doing now. The fresh water dip should provide some relief to him and maybe a little more time to act. If you see flukes, that's great news and could be the problem - though I doubt it, it is easy to treat. If no flukes are present, but he does show an easier time breathing and the swimming into the powerhead subsides for a time, then we might assume velvet. It's tuff when they only show behavioral symptoms and nothing physical.
Symptoms - Because velvet can be such a fast killer, key behavioral symptoms will often prelude visible ones. A fish with velvet may breathe heavy, seek relief by swimming into the flow of a powerhead and act reclusive (velvet makes them sensitive to light).
If visible symptoms do manifest; velvet appears the same as ich, except the fish will usually be covered in “dust.” This dust may look gold colored if viewed at the right angle and under the right spectrum of light. Velvet is often misdiagnosed as ich and is the main “tank killer” in our hobby. It can wipe out all your fish in less than 72 hours and cannot usually be “managed” as ich sometimes is.
Treatment options - Chloroquine phosphate is the treatment of choice for velvet, but copper also works if symptoms are caught early on. Tank transfer and hypo does notwork with velvet. A freshwater dip or formalin bath is recommended before treatment begins, due to the severity of this disease; however these would only provide temporary relief and will not eradicate velvet.
Also check out the relevant meds on this thread for more detail on them and how to use them
http://reef2reef.com/threads/treatment-options-102.189658/
Symptoms - Because velvet can be such a fast killer, key behavioral symptoms will often prelude visible ones. A fish with velvet may breathe heavy, seek relief by swimming into the flow of a powerhead and act reclusive (velvet makes them sensitive to light).
If visible symptoms do manifest; velvet appears the same as ich, except the fish will usually be covered in “dust.” This dust may look gold colored if viewed at the right angle and under the right spectrum of light. Velvet is often misdiagnosed as ich and is the main “tank killer” in our hobby. It can wipe out all your fish in less than 72 hours and cannot usually be “managed” as ich sometimes is.
Treatment options - Chloroquine phosphate is the treatment of choice for velvet, but copper also works if symptoms are caught early on. Tank transfer and hypo does notwork with velvet. A freshwater dip or formalin bath is recommended before treatment begins, due to the severity of this disease; however these would only provide temporary relief and will not eradicate velvet.
Also check out the relevant meds on this thread for more detail on them and how to use them
http://reef2reef.com/threads/treatment-options-102.189658/
