Clownfish Sick, Please Help!

[mpb5717]

My clownfish has had this crater looking thing on his face the past week. I’ve been treating it was a medication for bacteria infections but I’ve had no success. I’ve piggybacked this with several 25% water changes, no luck. Since this has started, my poor guy has gotten popping eye as well as minor fin rot. Anyone have an idea what this is or any suggestions? Hoping he makes it long enough to try something new out.

 

[fishguy242]

@Jay Hemdal @vetteguy53081 #reefsquad ,best wishes,welcome to the reef,help is on the way

 

[Reef.]

Sorry can’t help, but whilst you wait for some help, it would be useful to put as much info about your tank as possible and maybe a picture, volume, parameters, when you set the tank up, how long you have had the fish, what other fish are in the tank.

 

[vetteguy53081]

This is very accelarated and should have been treated Day One. We are past that so lets attack this-
Is this fish eating? if so - Good. We are going to boost its' immune system by adding garlic extract and selcon vitamins to its food,
IF NOT, , , , , , begin with a freshwater dip for 4-5 mins ( this will sort of cleanse the flesh and rid of any flukes IF present. This bacteria which has attacked tissue is likely associated with water quality.
Any ammonia/nitrate readings you can provide?? Last time you did a water change?
Salinity should be 1.024-1.025 and Temperature at 78-79.
This is very similar to Vibriosis which is a type of internal infection caused by a genus of gram-negative bacteria called Vibrio. This disease is commonly contracted through contact with open sores or dead fish and, once a fish is infected, the disease tends to progress quickly. Because it is largely an internal infection, many fish suffering from the disease do not show any external symptoms until the final stages of the disease.
Some external symptoms associated with this disease include red streaks on the body (an indication of internal hemorrhaging), red spots, dark swollen lesions and sometimes cloudy eyes. Behavioral changes may also recur as a result of this disease which might include lethargy, loss of appetite and difficulty breathing. The most effective treatment for this disease is oral antibiotics such as kanamycin – this type of treatment is best administered in a quarantine environment because anti-bacterial meds could damage the biological filter in your tank.
if you dont have Kanamyacin, you can use melafix but this is temporary, not the required med.

 

[mpb5717]

Sorry can’t help, but whilst you wait for some help, it would be useful to put as much info about your tank as possible and maybe a picture, volume, parameters, when you set the tank up, how long you have had the fish, what other fish are in the tank.

my tank is a 10gallon biocube. I’ve had it set up for the past year. I got the clowns from a friend, he’s had them for several years and I’ve had them for about10 months. They’ve been doing great uo until recently when the one got sick. I also have 1 watchman goby in the tank as well as 2 blue chromis.

 

[mpb5717]

This is very accelarated and should have been treated Day One. We are past that so lets attack this-
Is this fish eating? if so - Good. We are going to boost its' immune system by adding garlic extract and selcon vitamins to its food,
IF NOT, , , , , , begin with a freshwater dip for 4-5 mins ( this will sort of cleanse the flesh and rid of any flukes IF present. This bacteria which has attacked tissue is likely associated with water quality.
Any ammonia/nitrate readings you can provide?? Last time you did a water change?
Salinity should be 1.024-1.025 and Temperature at 78-79.
This is very similar to Vibriosis which is a type of internal infection caused by a genus of gram-negative bacteria called Vibrio. This disease is commonly contracted through contact with open sores or dead fish and, once a fish is infected, the disease tends to progress quickly. Because it is largely an internal infection, many fish suffering from the disease do not show any external symptoms until the final stages of the disease.
Some external symptoms associated with this disease include red streaks on the body (an indication of internal hemorrhaging), red spots, dark swollen lesions and sometimes cloudy eyes. Behavioral changes may also recur as a result of this disease which might include lethargy, loss of appetite and difficulty breathing. The most effective treatment for this disease is oral antibiotics such as kanamycin – this type of treatment is best administered in a quarantine environment because anti-bacterial meds could damage the biological filter in your tank.
if you dont have Kanamyacin, you can use melafix but this is temporary, not the required med.

Fish has still been eating although it’s starting to lose some steam. I’ve been feeding him garlic fish pellets to help boost his immunity. He’s still acting himself but visibly less energy. Most recently I noticed him starting to lye down in the sand as if his time is up. His breathing looks pretty fast and labored as well. As of this morning he was looking a lot worse, I’m hoping for the best but ready for the worst.

 

[Reef.]

What’s your parameters? Ammonia, nitrate etc

Can’t say if the number of fish in the tank has contributed to this issue but 5 fish in a 10g is too many imo and will cause other issues if it hasn’t already caused this one.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Boosting a fish' immunity is helpful prior to an infection, but once it has become severe like that, it won't help.
What medication did you use at the start of this? I can't tell for certain, but it looks like the infection has gone through the fish's operculum. That is unlikely repairable, sorry!

Jay