Clownfish lethargic and not eating, with no visible issues

[Andreas' Reef]

Hey, recently my clownfish has been acting lethargic. About 3 days after I noticed this, the clownfish had stopped eating. I haven’t seen it eat for 2 days. It is kinda sitting in the bottom corner of the tank. It isn’t touching the sand bed though. It actively refuses food right in front of its face. All the other fish are fine, even its clownfish partner. There’s No aggression towards it. It’s the biggest and toughest fish in the tank. Is there something I’m missing? Here’s some pictures.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hey, recently my clownfish has been acting lethargic. About 3 days after I noticed this, the clownfish had stopped eating. I haven’t seen it eat for 2 days. It is kinda sitting in the bottom corner of the tank. It isn’t touching the sand bed though. It actively refuses food right in front of its face. All the other fish are fine, even its clownfish partner. There’s No aggression towards it. It’s the biggest and toughest fish in the tank. Is there something I’m missing? Here’s some pictures.

Is it breathing fast?
How long have you had this fish?
Jay

 

[Andreas' Reef]

Is it breathing fast?
How long have you had this fish?
Jay

It is breathing slightly faster than the other fish. I've had it for a month.

 

[D3DPrintedThingz]

Temp and salinity first two things to double check

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

It is breathing slightly faster than the other fish. I've had it for a month.

Tough to say without it showing more definitive symptoms - flukes can cause rapid breathing and not eating, but both clowns would typically be affected at the same time. Same with typical gill parasites and water quality issues - that would affect all fish more or less equally.
Jay

 

[Andreas' Reef]

Temp and salinity first two things to double check

Just wanted to add: All other fish are doing fine

The temp is 24 celcius or 75 Fahrenheit which is how I always keep it.
Salinity is 1.024

 

[Andreas' Reef]

Tough to say without it showing more definitive symptoms - flukes can cause rapid breathing and not eating, but both clowns would typically be affected at the same time. Same with typical gill parasites and water quality issues - that would affect all fish more or less equally.
Jay

I netted it and held it up to the glass and stared at it for like 5 minutes and I couldn't see anything abnormal.

 

[D3DPrintedThingz]

Can u post video

 

[Andreas' Reef]

Can u post video

Sure one sec

 

[vetteguy53081]

While I think I see signs of brook, pics very hard to work with due to fuzziness

 

[Andreas' Reef]

 

[vetteguy53081]

Sorry- video very short. Fish breathing very heavy and with the presence of heavy live and dead hair algae questions water quality regarding ammonia and nitrates.
Are you using RODI water or tap water from faucet ?
Is tank at or near a window?
What is your nitrate-phospate-ph-ammonia and salinity levels and what test kits are you using ?

 

[Andreas' Reef]

Sorry- video very short. Fish breathing very heavy and with the presence of heavy live and dead hair algae questions water quality regarding ammonia and nitrates.
Are you using RODI water or tap water from faucet ?
Is tank at or near a window?
What is your nitrate-phospate-ph-ammonia and salinity levels and what test kits are you using ?

I'm using Ro/di. The tank is near a window but there are blinds that block light 24/7. I don't know if it is a water quality issue since all the other fish are fine including the other clown. I'll test and get back to you shortly. I use red sea for nitrate and phosphate and salifert for ammonia. Tank has been up 1 year

 

[vetteguy53081]

I'm using Ro/di. The tank is near a window but there are blinds that block light 24/7. I don't know if it is a water quality issue since all the other fish are fine including the other clown. I'll test and get back to you shortly. I use red sea for nitrate and phosphate and salifert for ammonia. Tank has been up 1 year

Great on test kits and do test but you answered why the algae. UV from sun is powerful and will penetrate blinds/shades/curtains why I was able to tell window.
Place a piece of black construction paper from Walmart on the side of tank that faces window, pull all the algae you can by hand, do water change and add snails such as astrea-turbo grazer-cerith-nerite- nassarius and a penil urchin to help with cleanup.
Add air stone for clown to provide oxygen as algae may be absorbing some

 

[Andreas' Reef]

Great on test kits and do test but you answered why the algae. UV from sun is powerful and will penetrate blinds/shades/curtains why I was able to tell window.
Place a piece of black construction paper from Walmart on the side of tank that faces window, pull all the algae you can by hand, do water change and add snails such as astrea-turbo grazer-cerith-nerite- nassarius and a penil urchin to help with cleanup.
Add air stone for clown to provide oxygen as algae may be absorbing some

Actually I just ordered a to of margaritas and astreas and turbos that were on sale.

 

[Andreas' Reef]

Update: The fish has started swimming around the tank now with her mate, albeit a bit wobbly. It's a start though.

 

[Andreas' Reef]

Nitrate: 1ppm

The best colour match I could get

 

[Andreas' Reef]

Great on test kits and do test but you answered why the algae. UV from sun is powerful and will penetrate blinds/shades/curtains why I was able to tell window.
Place a piece of black construction paper from Walmart on the side of tank that faces window, pull all the algae you can by hand, do water change and add snails such as astrea-turbo grazer-cerith-nerite- nassarius and a penil urchin to help with cleanup.
Add air stone for clown to provide oxygen as algae may be absorbing some

Phos 0.02

 

[Andreas' Reef]

Great on test kits and do test but you answered why the algae. UV from sun is powerful and will penetrate blinds/shades/curtains why I was able to tell window.
Place a piece of black construction paper from Walmart on the side of tank that faces window, pull all the algae you can by hand, do water change and add snails such as astrea-turbo grazer-cerith-nerite- nassarius and a penil urchin to help with cleanup.
Add air stone for clown to provide oxygen as algae may be absorbing some

Ammonia is 0

ph 7.8

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I still think that if this was due to a water quality issue, all the fish would be affected to some degree.

Jay