Completely Random Single Death?

[kayla s]

hi everyone. thanks for looking at this, first of all.
My tank is a 20Long, cycled fishless for 7 weeks until readings were 0. Added a pair of ORA snowflake clownfish, and then 3 weeks later (last week) added a beautiful bubble tip anemone.
One clownfish began hosting (the female), while the male was kicked out.
This morning, he seemed to be hovering in one area, looking at the holes in the live rock. He didn’t have any markings on him at all, I don’t work so I have time to keep a close eye on the tank. Both have been eating perfectly like clowns do, and he was swimming around last night like a regular fish..
He was dead later this morning?!
After water tests, ammonia and nitrite are 0, nitrates are around 7ppm. Salinity is 1.025, and has been exactly 1.025 for the entire time the tank had been set up. Temp stays also extremely stable at 79 degrees. They are solely pellet fed still, this is all they will eat. Mysis in Selcon and Calanus and Rod’s food gets spat out angrily.
The female seems healthy as she can get, in her anemone. The anemone is beautifully healthy. The scooter dragonet in the tank is great, and even the inverts didn’t get whatever this was.
Please help!

 

[Dom]

Can you post pictures of the dead fish? I'd like to see the condition it is in. Also a full tank shot.

 

[kayla s]

Can you post pictures of the dead fish? I'd like to see the condition it is in. Also a full tank shot.

Dead fish is somewhere in the sewage systems of my apartment complex, I know this doesn’t help, I am so sorry. I could have missed something, but when I got him out, there were no white spots, discoloration, or nipped fins.!
The clownfish hung out then died 2 inches from the BTA in the left side of the tank.
Thank you!!!!

 

[Anirban]

They can die of internal parasite too.

 

[Dom]

Well... the other thing to remember is that they are living creatures. And like all living things, they are not immortal. I suppose the death could be from natural causes. Hard to say.

Did you happen to notice any odd behavior... like swimming into the flow of a power head?

Is the other clown still looking okay?

Do you QT?

 

[kayla s]

Well... the other thing to remember is that they are living creatures. And like all living things, they are not immortal. I suppose the death could be from natural causes. Hard to say.

Did you happen to notice any odd behavior... like swimming into the flow of a power head?

Is the other clown still looking okay?

Do you QT?

Could natural cause be stress?
They both have swam in the power heads since day 1, but for 3 hours before he died, he was staying in one small area 1/2 from the sand bed, staring at the holes in my rock as if traumatized/stressed? The other clown is still happily hosting the anemone, seems perfectly healthy..

I didn’t QT :/ I just don’t have the extra tank/pumps/etc. Should I worry for the other clown and scooter?

 

[kayla s]

They can die of internal parasite too.

That’s a good thought! If internal, do you think the other fish will be spared? They aren’t showing any similar symptoms..

 

[Humblefish]

That’s a good thought! If internal, do you think the other fish will be spared? They aren’t showing any similar symptoms..

Look for white stringy poo coming out of the other clown. That is a sign of intestinal worms: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/internal-pathogens.267419/

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Swimming into the powerheads is a typical "new tank" syndrome, but it could have been flukes in the gills that hadn't spread to the outside of the fish which in turn makes it look fine on the outside...

Humblefish is on scene, and that's the best shot you got for an explanation, good luck and sorry for your loss. hope you get it figured out with out suffering anymore.

 

[kayla s]

Swimming into the powerheads is a typical "new tank" syndrome, but it could have been flukes in the gills that hadn't spread to the outside of the fish which in turn makes it look fine on the outside...

Humblefish is on scene, and that's the best shot you got for an explanation, good luck and sorry for your loss. hope you get it figured out with out suffering anymore.

Interesting, learning new things to worry about every day! Thank you for the info!

 

[kayla s]

Look for white stringy poo coming out of the other clown. That is a sign of intestinal worms: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/internal-pathogens.267419/

Thank goodness I’m not seeing the white poo symptom now, but I’ll keep a closer look out now that I have that list! Thank you for the link!

 

[kayla s]

The female, survivor clownfish.
Looks healthy to me, but uploading so y’all might can see something with your more advanced eyes.

 

[RichtheReefer21]

The female, survivor clownfish.
Looks healthy to me, but uploading so y’all might can see something with your more advanced eyes.

Can you turn on white lights and take another pic? I see white spots on the chest and gills

 

[Oldsalt01]

Her fins look a little ragged, especially the tail (1st pic), and I think I see some spots on her ventral area around and below her gill plate (2nd pic). Hard to tell with the blues so high. Can you post another pic with the whites turned up so we can see a little more clearly? ..... yah, i know, try to get a clown to stay still for a pic, lol. I am not saying you have a disease issue. The fins could be from her moving into the BTA, which I've seen before, but I'm a little skeptical about that. While setting up a QT is a pia, it is the best way to ensure you're not introducing a disease in to the main tank. Even then, there's no guarantees.

 

[kayla s]

Can you turn on white lights and take another pic? I see white spots on the chest and gills

All white lights pic!
Both have had a slightly white, more translucent outlining on all their fins. I thought this was part of the “snowflake” design!

 

[kayla s]

Her fins look a little ragged, especially the tail (1st pic), and I think I see some spots on her ventral area around and below her gill plate (2nd pic). Hard to tell with the blues so high. Can you post another pic with the whites turned up so we can see a little more clearly? ..... yah, i know, try to get a clown to stay still for a pic, lol. I am not saying you have a disease issue. The fins could be from her moving into the BTA, which I've seen before, but I'm a little skeptical about that. While setting up a QT is a pia, it is the best way to ensure you're not introducing a disease in to the main tank. Even then, there's no guarantees.

I think I see what you mean, it almost looks like single pieces of sand is sticking to her chest. Could ICK have taken down the other clown in less than a day?
Also, what is PIA?

 

[kayla s]

one more shot, because it’s almost like she posed!

 

[RichtheReefer21]

Wait for a reply from humble, he is the best of the best here. I am only speaking from the many articles he has contributed here when I learned the hard way a few months ago in my own tank. I now QT everything.

 

[Dom]

Look for white stringy poo coming out of the other clown. That is a sign of intestinal worms: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/internal-pathogens.267419/

Can intestinal parasites be fatal?

 

[Dom]

Could natural cause be stress?
They both have swam in the power heads since day 1, but for 3 hours before he died, he was staying in one small area 1/2 from the sand bed, staring at the holes in my rock as if traumatized/stressed? The other clown is still happily hosting the anemone, seems perfectly healthy..

I didn’t QT :/ I just don’t have the extra tank/pumps/etc. Should I worry for the other clown and scooter?

You should always QT.

I have a pair of Ocellaris in QT right now that I purchased about 1 month ago. Just observation; no treatment. They seem fine. But they will not make it to my main display until after the new year. I kept a puffer with ich in QT from October '17. he didn't make it to my DT until May.

Would so rather be safe than sorry.