HELP clownfish dying

[Galasss]

Added a new clownfish to tank yesterday early afternoon, he was doing good. This morning he was breathing very heavily and is letting himself get sucked by return flow. I have another clown which is doing perfectly fine and is showing no signs of stress. All my parameters are good (0 ammonia and nitrite, ph 8.2 nitrate 10-15 temp 78ish salinity 1.024). I really don’t know what’s wrong or what I should do. I added an air stone in case he wasn’t getting enough oxygen but nothing has really changed in the last 2 hours since I added. He hasn’t really lost coloration though so maybe that’s a good sign. What do I do? Could he have some type of parasite? Flukes maybe?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hi - sorry to see that. The term for this is "moribund". When a fish reaches that stage it is very difficult to rectify the problem in time.

Do I understand that your other clown was already in the tank? If so, the issue points squarely to a problem with the new clown. I would contact your dealer to let them know of the issue. One possibility - do you know the salinity of the water the clownfish was in when you bought it? Some dealers keep their salinity low, and then, when you acclimate them to full salinity, they cannot handle the change and go into osmotic stress and can die. 1.024 isn't particularly high, but if the dealer was holding the clown down around 1.020, this could still be an issue.

Jay

 

[Galasss]

Hi - sorry to see that. The term for this is "moribund". When a fish reaches that stage it is very difficult to rectify the problem in time.

Do I understand that your other clown was already in the tank? If so, the issue points squarely to a problem with the new clown. I would contact your dealer to let them know of the issue. One possibility - do you know the salinity of the water the clownfish was in when you bought it? Some dealers keep their salinity low, and then, when you acclimate them to full salinity, they cannot handle the change and go into osmotic stress and can die. 1.024 isn't particularly high, but if the dealer was holding the clown down around 1.020, this could still be an issue.

Jay

thanks for your response Jay, yes the salinity at the store was around 1.020 but I drip acclimated him for about an hour. Is that still a problem? Do you think the fish will survive? I’m going to contact the store, what should I do?

 

[vetteguy53081]

thanks for your response Jay, yes the salinity at the store was around 1.020 but I drip acclimated him for about an hour. Is that still a problem? Do you think the fish will survive? I’m going to contact the store, what should I do?

Did you check bag salinity to assure it was up to tank specs?
Did you pour bag water and fish into tank after you dripped? That too is a no-no

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Drip acclimation is an issue - many people don't flow the water fast enough. Was the salinity matched by the time you moved the fish? That is a borderline dangerous rise to happen in just an hour - but may not be the entire issue.

Different stores have different policies on dead fish, but a good store will want to hear from you before the fish dies, shows that you are being careful and proactive.

Jay

 

[Galasss]

Did you check bag salinity to assure it was up to tank specs?
Did you pour bag water and fish into tank after you dripped? That too is a no-no

Yes I made sure the salinity of the bag was a the same as tank and the scooped him out without adding the stores water

 

[Clownfish_Boy]

Very likely could be acclimation stress, as there seems to be no other possible cause. Can't see as you did anything wrong here.

 

[Galasss]

Hey everyone thank you for the help, I brought him back to the store after talking to them and replaced him with another since there is nothing wrong with my water quality. I am currently drip acclimating the new clown fish, any advice? I really appreciated everyone’s input! Thanks again

 

[Galasss]

Oh also, the fish’s water salinity is 1.020 while mine is 1.024

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Aerate during the drip acclimation, keep the lights down, cover the container and try to hold proper temperature. Try to adjust the drip so that the salinities match at the end. In the end, follow what your store tells you, but I would take two hours to do this acclimation due to the range.

Jay

 

[Galasss]

Thanks for your advice, I acclimated him for 1.5 hours (saw your message late) but so far so good, we’ll see how he looks in the morning. Thanks again!