Is my fish sick?

[DiverGirl82]

Do my clownfish's gills look strange? Those spots on his side have been there since I got him back in October and they haven't changed or spread. I have two fish. Him and a purple firefish. They were both quarantined with prazipro and cupramine together and no new fish have been added since. I'm trying to catch him to do a fresh water dip but I'm not having much success so far.

 

[DiverGirl82]

Helps if I add the picture

 

[Humblefish]

IMO; around the gills and above appears to have a white haze to it. But perhaps that's just part of his coloration?

 

[cu455]

Looks like a white film on the gill cover to me. I also see the film between the first and second bar.

 

[DiverGirl82]

What would that indicate? I also remembered that I dosed peroxide last night because I'm fighting flatworms. Grrr

 

[cu455]

Check out pictures of clown fish with velvet. See if it looks similar.

 

[DiverGirl82]

Oh crap I hope not. I'm not home at the moment but I'll check when I get home.

 

[DiverGirl82]

When I got home last night his gills were looking a bit better. Still ruffled looking but not as pronounced. And I think the whiteness is maybe just a trick of the light. Sometimes I think I see it but most of the time I don't. The lady at my lfs said it could be Clownfish disease brought on by stress. She said she sees it a lot in clowns they just got in because of the stress of shipping. Perhaps the flatworms or the peroxide I used against them stressed him out. She recommended a medicine that she says she uses when she sees it and has had great success with it. It's called Rally. After a quick Google search I was a bit hesitant. Seems people either love it or hate it. So far it seems ok. His gills look even a bit better this morning and everyone else in the tank seems ok. I ordered a trap that should come today. I'm still going to catch him to do a fresh water dip and then keep him in the trap box for a day or two so I can observe him easier and so I can get him out quickly if more drastic measures become necessary. His breathing seems to be normal and he still eats like a little piglet. The lfs lady and I also thought maybe the peroxide might have just irritated his gills.

 

[Humblefish]

Ruby Reef Rally is a very effective treatment for Brooklynella aka clownfish disease. There is no mojo as to why Rally works on brook as it contains acriflavine, a chemical proven to work on that particular disease. Another product called "Acriflavine-MS" works just as well, but it is harder to find than Rally.

However, I would not recommend using acriflavine in a DT with corals/inverts. You can use it in a QT, or just do a 75 min dip and transfer the fish into an observation tank for 6 weeks. 6 weeks because that is how long is required to go fallow (fishless) to starve brook out of your DT. Formalin or metronidazole can also be used to treat brook.