Help my clownfish.

Khoi_La · Feb 2, 2019

I woke up this morning and found out my clownfish is at the sand bed breathing heavily and one of his side fin seems damaged, and his color is a bit lighter. I was confused because he seems to be doing well last night. The tank has 1 clownfish and 1 cleaner shrimp with 2 snails. The rest looks healthy except the clownfish.
Thank you in advance

Ph:8.4
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0.25ppm
Nitrate: approximately 5ppm

Khoi_La · Feb 2, 2019

Here are some picture of the clownfish

Shahzad Baig · Feb 2, 2019

Khoi_La said:
I woke up this morning and found out my clownfish is at the sand bed breathing heavily and one of his side fin seems damaged, and his color is a bit lighter. I was confused because he seems to be doing well last night. The tank has 1 clownfish and 1 cleaner shrimp with 2 snails. The rest looks healthy except the clownfish.
Thank you in advance

Ph:8.4
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0.25ppm
Nitrate: approximately 5ppm

Shahzad Baig · Feb 2, 2019

Me black and white clowns do the same thing now then. They are back to their own selves after a few hours.

reef lover · Feb 2, 2019

Will need better pics...could be brook..
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/brooklynella.247938/
Without better pics to confirm..i would suggest water change and a bacterial additive to help combat the nitrite.

Saltyreef · Feb 2, 2019

New tank?

Khoi_La · Feb 2, 2019

Saltyreef said:
New tank?

The tank has been up and running for over 3 months now.

Saltyreef · Feb 3, 2019

Any more info on water parameters?
Salinity? Temp? Mag alk and cal?
Phosphate test?
Size of tank? Source of rock and sand?
It looks by the diatoms on your sandbed and your slightly elevated nitrite that your tank is still completing its cycle and to add a clownfish before that happens probably wasnt the best thing.

What were your actions in the last 3 months after setting up? How did you cycle tank?

Khoi_La · Feb 3, 2019

The salinity I checked was 1.021 and I didnt have the test kit for phosphate and mag alo. The live sand and rocks I got it at a local fish store, if I remember correctly it was caribsea live sand. For the past 3 weeks I do water change and clean out the sponge every week (is it too much?) Beside that not too much beside checking the water with the testing kit I have.

Khoi_La · Feb 3, 2019

Oh, and the tank temperature I keep it constantly at 73 degrees fahrenheit

MSB123 · Feb 3, 2019

Khoi_La said:
Oh, and the tank temperature I keep it constantly at 73 degrees fahrenheit

Ok. The salinity needs to be 1.025 and the temp should be 77-78 degrees. 73 is bad.

Khoi_La · Feb 3, 2019

MSB123 said:
Ok. The salinity needs to be 1.025 and the temp should be 77-78 degrees. 73 is bad.

Oh, maybe that's the problem, I think I read somewhere that I says as long as the temperature is above 70 to 77 it should be good. And should I do a large water change in order to get the salinity to 1.025?

MSB123 · Feb 3, 2019

Khoi_La said:
Oh, maybe that's the problem, I think I read somewhere that I says as long as the temperature is above 70 to 77 it should be good. And should I do a large water change in order to get the salinity to 1.025?

Nooo. Temp needs to be above about 77 for a good tank imo. I keep mine at 78.5. Do multiple smaller water changes over a few days so you don’t shock the fish. But I am not an expert. #reefsquad

Khoi_La · Feb 3, 2019

MSB123 said:
Nooo. Temp needs to be above about 77 for a good tank imo. I keep mine at 78.5. Do multiple smaller water changes over a few days so you don’t shock the fish. But I am not an expert. #reefsquad

Okay, thank you very much

tupes · Feb 3, 2019

Lets start with these things first.

75-78 is acceptable temp range
Although I have heard of some LFS keeping a 1.018sg as a very low range for fish only systems, 1.023-1.026 is a more widespread number people go by.
What test kits are you using?
You absolutely need to bring a sample to your LFS to have it tested if you dont have a kit.
You should have 0 Nitrite in your tank 0.25 is not acceptable.
Your tank is still cycling and this probably is having ill effect on your fish.
When making fresh saltwater you mix the salinity slightly higher than what it is in the tank so when you change the water it will gradually bring up the salinity at the in your tank

tupes · Feb 3, 2019

Also, the brown stuff on the sand looks like you are about to start you diatom bloom in your tank. Due to cycling it's about to go through the ugly stages

Crabs McJones · Feb 3, 2019

tupes said:
Lets start with these things first.

75-78 is acceptable temp range

Although I have heard of some LFS keeping a 1.018sg as a very low range for fish only systems, 1.023-1.026 is a more widespread number people go by.

What test kits are you using?

You absolutely need to bring a sample to your LFS to have it tested if you dont have a kit.

You should have 0 Nitrite in your tank 0.25 is not acceptable.

Your tank is still cycling and this probably is having ill effect on your fish.

When making fresh saltwater you mix the salinity slightly higher than what it is in the tank so when you change the water it will gradually bring up the salinity at the in your tank

This!^ heavy breathing is a symptom if gill ammonia burn. I know you said the tanks been up for three months but what did you use to cycle it?

Saltyreef · Feb 3, 2019

Agreed with all of the above. Slowly raise salinity. .001 at a time. With small water changes over the course of a week.
Temp is absolutely too low. Shoot for 77-78.
Tank needs to complete cycle and have correct water parameters before any addition of fish you'd like to keep alive.
Hope your clownfish recovers from this oversight.