Help identifying what’s wrong with clownfish?

[djwhite98]

This morning when I checked my tank, there were no dots on this clown, but when I was checking this afternoon he was absolutely covered in them. I’ve moved him into a qt. Wondering if it’s ick or brook? I’m fairly new this tank is a year old and the clown I’ve had for maybe 8-9 months. I really appreciate any help thank you in advance.

 

[Red_Beard]

That looks like velvet! It works quick, i am not the best advice giver for illness and disease though so definitely look up what it is and what to do, or hopefully someone better will come in, but you can use copper or formalin if you pull it from the display, or ruby rally in the display. I took the rally route and lost one of my clowns before it arrived from 2 day shipping. It did heal the rest of the fish showing signs though and i havent seen it come back in the 2 years since. Good luck!

 

[djwhite98]

That looks like velvet! It works quick, i am not the best advice giver for illness and disease though so definitely look up what it is and what to do, or hopefully someone better will come in, but you can use copper or formalin if you pull it from the display, or ruby rally in the display. I took the rally route and lost one of my clowns before it arrived from 2 day shipping. It did heal the rest of the fish showing signs though and i havent seen it come back in the 2 years since. Good luck!

I did move him to QT and treating with copper and polyp med. I didn’t think of velvet. No signs on any of the other fish, but I’ll have todo some research for sure. Thank you for advice

 

[Red_Beard]

Good deal, hope you get it healed up!

 

[Dou g]

My clowns had velvet when I first got them. One was on the sand bed breathing heavy for a day or so before I got a qt tank set up. The advice I got was to freshwater dip to alleviate the symptoms since it was severe and I treated copper power at therapeutic levels for a little over a month. I left the display tank fallow for 3 months and added them back. They were the only fish at the time and they have been great since. I struggled to get them to eat in the qt tank at first but found success with marine pellets with garlic. Hope your treatment is successful!

 

[vetteguy53081]

I did move him to QT and treating with copper and polyp med. I didn’t think of velvet. No signs on any of the other fish, but I’ll have todo some research for sure. Thank you for advice

Appears to be heavy mucus along with ich. Polyp lab is peroxide salts and rarely works except with very mild cases. Spots too large to be velvet and may be in alignment with ich, secondary bacterial lesions often mistaken for ich

 

[djwhite98]

Appears to be heavy mucus along with ich. Polyp lab is peroxide salts and rarely works except with very mild cases. Spots too large to be velvet and may be in alignment with ich, secondary bacterial lesions often mistaken for ich

So treatment for ich would be best? He went from having nothing to covered like that within 10 hours while I was at work.

 

[djwhite98]

These photos seem a bit more clear. The white dots are definitely protruding looking less like a film? He hasn’t been acting lethargic or any weird behavior yet

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

These photos seem a bit more clear. The white dots are definitely protruding looking less like a film? He hasn’t been acting lethargic or any weird behavior yet

Given the lack of other behavior changes, I agree with @vetteguy53081 , this is ich not Brooklynella. It isn’t velvet, the spots are too large and the main symptom with velvet is rapid breathing and not eating.
All fish exposed to this one are going to need to be treated. Neither of the two most effective treatments (coppersafe or hyposalinity) can be used if invertebrates are present.

Jay

 

[djwhite98]

Given the lack of other behavior changes, I agree with @vetteguy53081 , this is ich not Brooklynella. It isn’t velvet, the spots are too large and the main symptom with velvet is rapid breathing and not eating.
All fish exposed to this one are going to need to be treated. Neither of the two most effective treatments (coppersafe or hyposalinity) can be used if invertebrates are present.

Given the lack of other behavior changes, I agree with @vetteguy53081 , this is ich not Brooklynella. It isn’t velvet, the spots are too large and the main symptom with velvet is rapid breathing and not eating.
All fish exposed to this one are going to need to be treated. Neither of the two most effective treatments (coppersafe or hyposalinity) can be used if invertebrates are present.

Jay

Thank you! He’s doing allot better over night in QT doses with copper, about 80-90% of the spots are gone. My QT is only 5g do I cannot fit them all. Would it be effective to qt with copper one at a time or pointless ?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Thank you! He’s doing allot better over night in QT doses with copper, about 80-90% of the spots are gone. My QT is only 5g do I cannot fit them all. Would it be effective to qt with copper one at a time or pointless ?

One at a time might cause the disease to just bounce back and forth between the fish. 5 gallons is small, but if you have good, well established filter media in there to manage ammonia, it might work (just don’t use calcium based media that will react with the copper).