Clownfish fin rot

[sturdy]

Hey I tried cycling my new fluval evo 13.5 with a clown and it seems to have fin rot when I came home from work it’s ventral fin was rotted and came off I checked everything and the water in the tank seems to be fine the only thing I couldn’t check was the ammonia my api test kit wouldn’t work I did everything it told me to do I contacted cultivatedreef because I did just get it today maybe the ammonia levels spiked and caused it I don’t know I’m very sad I even named him hopefully it will recover I don’t know if that fin will grow back or not

 

[Doctorgori]

ammonia will sometimes frazzle fins: a possibility for a new tank anyway… that’s my vote ….
you might get a number of suggestions…but I’d start with a large water change as your cheapest/ effective option

 

[DrZoidburg]

Picture?

 

[sturdy]

Picture?

He’s been swimming I’m the same spot and look like he’s heavy breathing

 

[DrZoidburg]

Hard to see maybe have a few things going on. Enough ammonia burn that would rot a fin off would kill the fish first I would think. Starting by water change is not a bad idea if you suspect ammonia. Is not hard to do that test. If done test right said nothing it might be nothing. Have to monitor ammonia closely if using a fish to cycle. With minimal feeding. Make sure everything checks out, salinity, and good flow. Was it shipped or bought at lfs?

 

[sturdy]

Hard to see maybe have a few things going on. Enough ammonia burn that would rot a fin off would kill the fish first I would think. Starting by water change is not a bad idea if you suspect ammonia. Is not hard to do that test. If done test right said nothing it might be nothing. Have to monitor ammonia closely if using a fish to cycle. With minimal feeding. Make sure everything checks out, salinity, and good flow. Was it shipped or bought at lfs?

It was shipped he was kinda gasping for air while I was accumulating him my test kit just won’t work I’ve tried multiple times today and the vail is a clear color I will make ro water now for a water change

 

[DrZoidburg]

Clear, as in water clear? Zero on that test should be a yellow color. Did it look fine without any tank water added?

 

[sturdy]

Clear, as in water clear? Zero on that test should be a yellow color. Did it look fine without any tank water added?

I’m not sure it’s like a grey ish white I made a post about it i just did the water change it seems like it helped a little bit he’s not in theta spot anymore

 

[DrZoidburg]

grey ish white

This is not right color. Add x drops bottle 1, tilt vial to stir, add x drops bottle 2, tilt to stir, and wait 5 mins? This should result in yellow to green color range. If you had a bad test kit, you couldn't rule out ammonia. If you could this seems like more of a disease issue to me. (or both) That is if a fin did rot off like that, with real heavy breathing.

 

[DrZoidburg]

How much of the turbo start did you add?

 

[sturdy]

How much of the turbo start did you add?

The whole 1 oz bottle

 

[DrZoidburg]

The whole 1 oz bottle

Ok that is probably not too much. Too much can maybe lower oxygen levels is what I was thinking. This could make fish breath heavier. Your sure you did test kit right? If so ammonia unknown. Maybe have 2 issues going on. Tag @Jay Hemdal in disease forum.

 

[sturdy]

Ok that is probably not too much. Too much can maybe lower oxygen levels is what I was thinking. This could make fish breath heavier. Your sure you did test kit right? If so ammonia unknown. Maybe have 2 issues going on. Tag @Jay Hemdal in disease forum.

Yea I’m sure I did it right everything thing else works except the ammonia bottles I turned on the power head I have and he looks to be breathing right idk do they always open their mouth? And what do you think the 2 issues are

 

[DrZoidburg]

Yea I’m sure I did it right everything thing else works except the ammonia bottles I turned on the power head I have and he looks to be breathing right idk do they always open their mouth? And what do you think the 2 issues are

1 obvious maybe ammonia, 2 diseases not so obvious. Something that would rot a fin off in just a day or two?

 

[sturdy]

1 obvious maybe ammonia, 2 diseases not so obvious. Something that would rot a fin off in just a day or two?

Yea I contacted cultivatedreef hopefully I can get another one because clearly it’s sick

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Yea I contacted cultivatedreef hopefully I can get another one because clearly it’s sick

Tough to see much in that photo. Is this fish by itself? Fin rot that happens spontaneously, and not a result of being damaged is pretty rare, but it can happen; bacteria can cause that, as can water quality problems. The rapid breathing is either a second issue, or the problem with the fish is systemic - it involves more than just the fin.

Can you post a short video of it?

Jay

 

[sturdy]

Tough to see much in that photo. Is this fish by itself? Fin rot that happens spontaneously, and not a result of being damaged is pretty rare, but it can happen; bacteria can cause that, as can water quality problems. The rapid breathing is either a second issue, or the problem with the fish is systemic - it involves more than just the fin.

Can you post a short video of it?

Jay

Yea it’s all by it self hes look fine now I really don’t know what happened to his other fin was gone now it looks like it’s growing back idk how that happened so fast
Edit: I think he’s breathing heavy because of me Turing the light on but he looks a lot better from yesterday

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Yea it’s all by it self hes look fine now I really don’t know what happened to his other fin was gone now it looks like it’s growing back idk how that happened so fast
Edit: I think he’s breathing heavy because of me Turing the light on but he looks a lot better from yesterday

It still seems to be breathing pretty heavily in the second video. You should increase the aeration in the tank to see if that helps, and then see if that helps.

Jay

 

[Reef.]

The whole 1 oz bottle

That is near twice the recommendation for your size tank but I doubt it is the cause of the issue.
What time frame has this happened in? Sounds the fish could have been Ill before you got it.

 

[sturdy]

That is near twice the recommendation for your size tank but I doubt it is the cause of the issue.
What time frame has this happened in? Sounds the fish could have been Ill before you got it.

I just got it yesterday