Female clownfish with small raised white spots

[cd459]

My female clownfish is showing white raised spots on her sides. I also noticed white stringy poo so I dosed with prazipro and ordered metroplex and focus. Does anyone know what this could be? I don't think it's ich...

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Skip the Metroplex/Focus, it won't work. The joke is, if the fish eat the mix, your dose is too low. If the fish refuse to eat it (metro is VERY bitter) you have the dose right (5000ppm) but it still won't work!

What makes you think this isn't ich (Cryptocaryon)? Some of the spots look a tad too large and diffuse, but some are on the fins, and that is a good marker for ich. The trick is - map some of the spot's location (like you have in this picture) take another picture in 48 hours or so. If the spots are in different locations, and in different numbers (either more or less spots) then it is probably ich. If the same spots are in the same location, then it isn't ich.

Jay

 

[cd459]

Skip the Metroplex/Focus, it won't work. The joke is, if the fish eat the mix, your dose is too low. If the fish refuse to eat it (metro is VERY bitter) you have the dose right (5000ppm) but it still won't work!

What makes you think this isn't ich (Cryptocaryon)? Some of the spots look a tad too large and diffuse, but some are on the fins, and that is a good marker for ich. The trick is - map some of the spot's location (like you have in this picture) take another picture in 48 hours or so. If the spots are in different locations, and in different numbers (either more or less spots) then it is probably ich. If the same spots are in the same location, then it isn't ich.

Jay

So for the white poop, metro won't help? Should I just stick with praziquantel then? I don't think it's ich because the fish isn't scratching and also none of the other fish are showing spots or scratching. Not sure if that's enough to assume.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

So for the white poop, metro won't help? Should I just stick with praziquantel then? I don't think it's ich because the fish isn't scratching and also none of the other fish are showing spots or scratching. Not sure if that's enough to assume.

Metro in the water might help with the mucus feces, but as I said, it cannot work as a food additive.

Here is an article I wrote that discusses the difficulties in using medicated foods:

Proper Dosing of Medicated Foods

Proper Dosing of Medicated Foods Jay Hemdal c. 2020 Oral medications are an excellent way to target internal diseases of fishes. Marine fish absorb aquarium water, so in certain cases, they “drink” enough medication from the water to effect a cure. However, freshwater fish actively export...

www.reef2reef.com

Here is an article that discusses fish mucus (including in feces). The article is in a pdf along the righthand column:

Mucus - The Slime That Binds

Mucus: The Slime that Binds Jay Hemdal C. 2020 This article examines the various causes of excess mucus coatings on fish, as well as fecal mucus issues. ------------------- The mucus produced by the fish’s epidermal cells gives them their...

www.reef2reef.com

In the end, I'm not as worried about the feces as I am about the spots being possible ich.

Jay