Help my clown!!

alonso24k · May 14, 2016

I have a snowflake clown that had a red scratch or lump on his chin and now it's a white lump. Yesterday he started hanging out about a half inch above the sand and swims in one place for hours. Before he would always be by my other clown. When it's feeding time or cleaning time he springs back to life and acts completely normal and eats fine.. I cannot get a good photo myself but I found a photo online that looks exactly the same. Same sore on jaw. Does anyone know what this is? Should I be worried. I thought maybe he was stung by my new zoas. I added my first frag of zoas to the tank the day before this all started and he was one nosey little fella but now he seems almost depressed.. Any help would be appreciated, I don't want to lose this guy! He and my other clown are my first saltwater fish I've ever bought.

This is the photo, not my fish but same mark on face...

Humblefish · May 14, 2016

Could just be a bump or coral sting. How long have you had him? When was the last fish/coral/invert added to your tank?

alonso24k · May 14, 2016

Humblefish said:
Could just be a bump or coral sting. How long have you had him? When was the last fish/coral/invert added to your tank?

I've had him for almost two months. I added zoas to the tank about 4 days ago and this started 3 days ago. I was also thinking it was a sting from the zoas. Will he heal from a sting on his own?

Humblefish · May 14, 2016

alonso24k said:
I've had him for almost two months. I added zoas to the tank about 4 days ago and this started 3 days ago. I was also thinking it was a sting from the zoas. Will he heal from a sting on his own?

I would start soaking his food in vitamin supplements (exs. Selcon, Zoecon, Vita-chem) to help with the healing process. Let me know if it gets worse or starts spreading to other parts of the body, which would indicate disease. Brooklynella or Uronema marinum.

alonso24k · May 14, 2016

Humblefish said:
I would start soaking his food in vitamin supplements (exs. Selcon, Zoecon, Vita-chem) to help with the healing process. Let me know if it gets worse or starts spreading to other parts of the body, which would indicate disease. Brooklynella or Uronema marinum.

I'll pick some vitamins up today at my lps when I get off work.. Is there any other signs I should be looking for??

jsker · May 14, 2016

This is what I feed all of the kids with there frozen.

melypr1985 · May 14, 2016

jsker said:
This is what I feed all of the kids with there frozen.

Can I ask why you add Focus to their food?

Humblefish · May 14, 2016

alonso24k said:
I'll pick some vitamins up today at my lps when I get off work.. Is there any other signs I should be looking for??

I would Google images of Brooklynella & Uronema marinum, and keep a close eye out for similarities.

jsker · May 15, 2016

melypr1985 said:
Can I ask why you add Focus to their food?

You certainly may ask, so that the vitamins bond to the food and the fish will eat the vitamins instead of dissipating in the water. Seachem says it better though http://www.seachem.com/focus.php.

I mix a batch of frozen for a couple of day in the beaker and keep it in the fridge covered and feed. This also soaks the food with the vitamins along with the focus. Ever once in a while I will also add some metorplex to the mix as a preventive measure.

Humblefish · May 15, 2016

jsker said:
You certainly may ask, so that the vitamins bond to the food and the fish will eat the vitamins instead of dissipating in the water. Seachem says it better though http://www.seachem.com/focus.php. I mix a batch of frozen for a couple of day in the beaker and keep it in the fridge covered and feed. This also soaks the food with the vitamins along with the focus. Ever once in a while I will also add some metorplex to the mix as a preventive measure.

You can certainly use Focus to bind vitamins to food, but I just want to point out there are no consequences for not doing so. Selcon, Zoecon, etc. WILL NOT negatively impact your corals/inverts the same way antibiotics could; if some leached out into the water column. In fact, filter feeders would benefit from vitamins and the fish's skin will absorb it even when its in the water. But using Focus to bind them is a good way to ensure your fish is ingesting as much of the vitamins as possible.

However, I would refrain from feeding metronidazole as a preventive measure. As an actual medication, the possibility exists that your fish could build up immunity if exposed to it too much. Then it doesn't work when the time comes that you actually need it.

jsker · May 15, 2016

Humblefish said:
You can certainly use Focus to bind vitamins to food, but I just want to point out there are no consequences for not doing so. Selcon, Zoecon, etc. WILL NOT negatively impact your corals/inverts the same way antibiotics could; if some leached out into the water column. In fact, filter feeders would benefit from vitamins and the fish's skin will absorb it even when its in the water. But using Focus to bind them is a good way to ensure your fish is ingesting as much of the vitamins as possible.

However, I would refrain from feeding metronidazole as a preventive measure. As an actual medication, the possibility exists that your fish could build up immunity if exposed to it too much. Then it doesn't work when the time comes that you actually need it.

Ahh did not think of the immunity issue, as in humans. Good thought

alonso24k · May 15, 2016

So my clown is t doing so well today . Lump in his jaw has now spread into his mouth and he cannot close it.. He's not eating in my QT. these are photos from today...

alonso24k · May 15, 2016

He's now in my QT and not eating. Lump started on his chin now moved into his mouth and he cannot even close it

alonso24k · May 15, 2016

Here is another you can see white lines on his tail..

alonso24k · May 15, 2016

ZoaCollector · May 15, 2016

It's an infected abrasion. It needs antibiotics or it might turn necrotic.
Id use furan 2 and kanaplex.
Start treatment asap

melypr1985 · May 15, 2016

See I would treat this with antibiotics. I've seen something similar pop up on several clowns in the last couple months and treated with Kanaplex and furan 2 together and got great results.

Humblefish · May 15, 2016

melypr1985 said:
See I would treat this with antibiotics. I've seen something similar pop up on several clowns in the last couple months and treated with Kanaplex and furan 2 together and got great results.

I agree, time to bring out the big guns. The only thing I would tweak is adding Metroplex to the mix just in case this is Brook or Uronema related.