Clownfish with messed up gill.

[ChaseB143]

I just got a midnight clown in today, and it doesn’t look great. It doesn’t look as black as I think it should, it looks kind of faded on the sides. One of its gills are damaged looking. It looks like it is flared out. The inside of it looks very really red. It doesn’t seem to be extremely active either. I haven’t tried feeding yet because I didn’t have time and I’m not home.

 

[bluprntguy]

Assume this guy was shipped to you? Perhaps the gill was damaged in shipping?

You could try a freshwater dip to check for gill flukes. General cure would treat flukes and an infection if he has one. I'd probably add Kanaplex as well.

 

[Mjrenz]

That looks infected to me, a 90 minute arciflavine bath using ruby reef rally or api fungus cure would probably be a good idea also

 

[jsvand5]

The gill flare is probably a defect from when it was growing in the breeders tank. They should refund you whether the fish lives or not. It should have been culled but captive bred clownfish are just a train wreck of deformities now. It’s almost impossible to find one without at least some deformities. Yours is way worse than what is acceptable.

 

[Big G]

NFG powder is used by many in the industry for incoming fish, especially those that have been roughed up a bit or other water issues during shipment.

 

[ChaseB143]

The gill flare is probably a defect from when it was growing in the breeders tank. They should refund you whether the fish lives or not. It should have been culled but captive bred clownfish are just a train wreck of deformities now. It’s almost impossible to find one without at least some deformities. Yours is way worse than what is acceptable.

I don’t think live aquaria will refund unless it dies.

 

[jsvand5]

I don’t think live aquaria will refund unless it dies.

I’d call and send them pics of the deformity. Calling usually accomplishes things much better than emailing them does for me. I would bet if you keep on it they will refund you. Ask to talk to a supervisor. That fish is unacceptable

 

[ChaseB143]

Assume this guy was shipped to you? Perhaps the gill was damaged in shipping?

You could try a freshwater dip to check for gill flukes. General cure would treat flukes and an infection if he has one. I'd probably add Kanaplex as well.

It was from Live Aquaria. I emailed them back and they said that it was ammonia burn, but I don’t know what that looks like, so I don’t know if that is true or not.

 

[bluprntguy]

It was from Live Aquaria. I emailed them back and they said that it was ammonia burn, but I don’t know what that looks like, so I don’t know if that is true or not.

Kinda disappointing. I've tested the water in most of the fish I get shipped and I've never had any arrive with even a blip of ammonia in the bag from overnight shipping.

As has already been suggested, NFG (Nitrofuracin Green) is good for ammonia burns. If you can't get that at your LFS (assuming you don't have it on hand) I'd definitely do kanaplex as an alternative. Hopefully this guy is already in quaratine, if not you'll have to move him to a hospital tank as neither medication is reef safe.

 

[jsvand5]

It was from Live Aquaria. I emailed them back and they said that it was ammonia burn, but I don’t know what that looks like, so I don’t know if that is true or not.

It’s not ammonia burn. It’s a defect. Call them and ask for a supervisor. You should repost this thread in clownfish section to get more responses.