Dead clownfish HELP!

[Pulsing Xenia]

Last Thursday two clown fish were found dead under a rock. I thought it was my 2 new white clownfish that attacked them so, I put the white ones into a quarantine box on Friday because they seemed snippy. Sometime between last night and 6pm today, 5 more clownfish were found dead under rocks including a very big one (7 years old). The 2 white clownfish are still alive inside the quarantine box, as well as 1 Diamond goby, 1 emerald crab, blue legged hermit crabs and turbo snails. All the corals seem to be fine as well. My guess would be it's the goby or the emerald crab, and if there was something wrong with the water chemistry my corals and Anemone would show signs of stress. I've had the goby and emerald crab living with clownfish for 5 months with no problems, now they're all being eaten. HELP! Any one know what's causing this?

 

[tdileo]

My guess is a disease brought in with the new clowns. Also, clowns are not peaceful. That many clownfish in one tank is asking for trouble unless you’re very lucky.

 

[Pulsing Xenia]

My guess is a disease brought in with the new clowns. Also, clowns are not peaceful. That many clownfish in one tank is asking for trouble unless you’re very lucky.

We started with 6 clowns living together perfectly fine for 5 months, then introduced 4 more (2 spot, and 2 whites) a little over a month ago. This only started to happen a few days ago. If it was a disease wouldn't all the other living things be affected?

 

[hdsoftail1065]

Brooklynella, velvet and ich will not affect your corals and invertebrates. I have to agree with tdileo on this one. Did you qt your new clowns?

 

[Pulsing Xenia]

Brooklynella, velvet and ich will not affect your corals and invertebrates. I have to agree with tdileo on this one. Did you qt your new clowns?

Unfortunately we did not, we did acclimate them. They were together for over month and the disease, would it just randomly come out a month later? Why wouldn't it affect the two white ones? They're in the same water? I have them in a qt box separated from the rest. I thought it was them that caused my first two deaths from chasing and snipping at them so we decided to see how they did in the sump for a night, then got a small qt box to hang on the side to see how they react, so we added them to the qt box. Then the 5 other deaths occurred over night, the day before they were fine, eating good, swimming good.

So, you really think it's one of the diseases you mentioned? And not an attack from my goby or emerald?

 

[hdsoftail1065]

I'm not a fish disease expert but it took a bit to wipe out ours (couple of weeks) added more fish without knowing any better, those lasted about a week. I will try to get someone to help.

#reefsquad

 

[Pulsing Xenia]

I'm not a fish disease expert but it took a bit to wipe out ours (couple of weeks) added more fish without knowing any better, those lasted about a week. I will try to get someone to help.

#reefsquad

Thank you, I'm actually on vacation in Jamaica at the moment. My brother in law is home baby sitting. So, I'm kind of freaking out at the moment.

 

[GoVols]

We started with 6 clowns living together perfectly fine for 5 months, then introduced 4 more (2 spot, and 2 whites) a little over a month ago. This only started to happen a few days ago. If it was a disease wouldn't all the other living things be affected?

Too many clowns in one tank is my... quick thought.

 

[Pulsing Xenia]

Too many clowns in one tank is my... quick thought.

Even though they all died off without leaving one clown in the tank? Other then the two in qt box?

 

[GoVols]

Even though they all died off without leaving one clown in the tank? Other then the two in qt box?

Highly unlikely, unless they bullied each other to an disease state.
Has any other fish died?

 

[Pulsing Xenia]

Highly unlikely, unless they bullied each other to an disease state.
Has any other fish died?

All we had were several clown fish species together. Out 9, we have our two white ones left which are right now in a qt box hanging inside my DT they are not affected yet, they seem normal and active.

 

[GoVols]

All we had were several clown fish species together. Out 9, we have our two white ones left which are right now in a qt box hanging inside my DT they are not affected yet, they seem normal and active.

Does your displays water flow thru the qt box inside your display?

 

[Pulsing Xenia]

Does your displays water flow thru the qt box?

Yes, it has several holes for flow to pass through

 

[hdsoftail1065]

That's alot of clowns, I get nervous just thinking about a pair.

 

[Pulsing Xenia]

That's alot of clowns, I get nervous just thinking about a pair.

I had no problem what's so ever with all 7 other then the two white ones being a little snippy and occasionally chasing some of the smaller ones. So, I doubt it's because of being bullied?

 

[GoVols]

I had no problem what's so ever with all 7 other then the two white ones being a little snippy and occasionally chasing some of the smaller ones. So, I doubt it's because of being bullied?

Well,
You got away with all those clowns together for an while, and I'd take it as an lesson learned.

I may be wrong, but your other two (in qt) with the same water are doing fine.

 

[Flippers4pups]

I would think there's something else at work here. Having multiple clowns in one tank can be done, but up to a point. Once they start to mature, they will start changing sexes. Aggression starts and deaths may occur. Smaller tanks this can happen quickly.

What I think is at work here is two things, one they have become aggressive with each other and possible disease has finally kicked in.

Velvet acts quickly. Brooklynella can take longer or it's ich.

What do the remaining fish look like?

 

[BestMomEver]

I'm suffering through a huge bought of velvet. The last fish that was brought in was a black ocellaris. He is still alive. In the meantime, my Zoster Butterfly, Kole Tang, Orange-back Fairy Wrasse, Yellow Clown Goby, and Pygmy Yellow-tale Angelfish have all died. He was in the tank for over two weeks before I lost the first fish. He's just showing signs of illness and thankfully managed to catch him and move him to a hospital tank. Velvet makes them sensitive to light so that might explain finding all your fish under a rock. Also, watch for fish trying to swim into your wave makers. Velvet makes them do that too. A secondary problem that can happen with ich, velvet, etc is swim bladder disease. That's terrible too. If it's not a disease like Velvet, then I agree with everyone else..... tooooo many clowns in one place! Good luck. I hope the rest are OK.

 

[Pulsing Xenia]

I'm suffering through a huge bought of velvet. The last fish that was brought in was a black ocellaris. He is still alive. In the meantime, my Zoster Butterfly, Kole Tang, Orange-back Fairy Wrasse, Yellow Clown Goby, and Pygmy Yellow-tale Angelfish have all died. He was in the tank for over two weeks before I lost the first fish. He's just showing signs of illness and thankfully managed to catch him and move him to a hospital tank. Velvet makes them sensitive to light so that might explain finding all your fish under a rock. Also, watch for fish trying to swim into your wave makers. Velvet makes them do that too. A secondary problem that can happen with ich, velvet, etc is swim bladder disease. That's terrible too. If it's not a disease like Velvet, then I agree with everyone else..... tooooo many clowns in one place! Good luck. I hope the rest are OK.

Wow, sorry for the lose as well. There was no signs of the diseases that I could have seen. I did my regular water change of 15%, double checked the tank prior to going to Jamaica, now I'm in Jamaica with 5 fish dead and my brother in law is watching the tank and came home to 5 dead clowns and they're buried under the rocks where he can't get them and my CUC is going crazy for them and my brother in law can't get to them.. My skimmer is taking a big load now and I want to remove them but I'm in Jamaica.. So the next day or two is going to be a spike in ammonia and I can't be home to do anything. I'm freaking out

 

[BestMomEver]

I'm so sorry. Your story scares me a little. Hubby and I are headed to Costa Rica soon and leaving my 19 year old in charge. I'm a freaked out and I haven't even left yet! Tell your BIL to keep doing water changes and let your CUC do their job.