Maroon clown fish looking a little beat up!

Kelsey Fletcher · Mar 22, 2018

So, I have had a lot of fish die recently because of a oxygen depravation session and now my maroon clown is looking a little stressed. I cleaned the tank out a lot yesterday and noticed he was a bit shy and today he isnt as shy but he wont eat and his top fin is missing a little bit. all of his fins are hugging him but he doesnt appear to be sick. It isnt oxygen depravation. The only other fish that I have with him is a powder blue tang and a rainfords goby. He also won't eat. He looks like he's struggling but I have no idea why. I tested my water and everything is perfect! it makes no sense!! I am scared he might not live another week! My tang looks just as happy as ever and won't STOP eating lol!!

DancingShark · Mar 22, 2018

What do you mean when you say struggling?

Kelsey Fletcher · Mar 22, 2018

like he looks like hes fighting the current when he never does. His body goes verticle every now and then with the butt facing up like hes about to go on his back.

DancingShark · Mar 22, 2018

When did you set this tank up. Did the nitrogen cycle complete before adding fish.
Have you checked parameters. Maybe post those and some pics of the tank and fish to see if they have some type of pathogen or infection.
Am on my way to work but others will take over am sure.

DancingShark · Mar 22, 2018

Clown fish fin could just be malnutrition or some one picking on him. But again more info and pics might help.

Kelsey Fletcher · Mar 22, 2018

this is what he looked like a few minutes ago.

Kelsey Fletcher · Mar 22, 2018

sorry that wouldn't load!

Kelsey Fletcher · Mar 22, 2018

I set this tank up in December and let all of the live rock and sand cycle together since November. I got him towards the end of cycling the tank to see if it was safe for fish and he lived so it was! Now though, after so many of my fish dying, he is looking very upset. He has always been fine with eating and I can never make him stop but now he wont look at his food. Should I pull him out and put him in a smaller tank and see how he does or keep him in and hope for the best!?!?!?!

Kelsey Fletcher · Mar 22, 2018

I just noticed that my powder blue tang also has some of the tips of his fins are getting beat up. not a lot but is it a disease?? my ruby red dragonet died the other day for no reason so I am yet again, losing fish!!

Kelsey Fletcher · Mar 22, 2018

I am thinking it is a fin rot disease so should i treat the tank with melafix?? Need help here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kelsey Fletcher · Mar 22, 2018

you can see that his fins are starting to deteriorate. Please help me here!!!!!!!!!

Kelsey Fletcher · Mar 22, 2018

this one should work

Big G · Mar 22, 2018

Have any of your fish been QT'd and treated prophylactically with copper/CP or praziquantel?

Kelsey Fletcher · Mar 22, 2018

no. But i think that it is fin rot disease

Sarah24! · Mar 22, 2018

Hello Kelsey,

If you have a reef tank it will be hard to catch them and move them. This will also stress them out more and could kill them as well. It’s possible that your powder blue is picking on your other fish, but unlikely because they are not tangs also. If you have just a rock setup I would move some of the rock out to make it easier to catch and maybe put them in qt at your local fish shop. There are still to many unknowns. What’s unique is powder blue tangs are very suspectible to disease and die easy. The fact it’s out lasting them is what’s making me think he is aggressive. Have you tried using garlic when you feed the fish frozen misis etc?

Big G · Mar 22, 2018

Bacterial infections:

Symptoms - Sometimes it's self-describing: Popeye/cloudy eyes, fin & tail rot, dropsy (bloated fish), etc. But some other bacterial infections, such as furunculosis, hemorrhagic septicemia, etc., can have varying visible symptoms. Any redness or open sores/wounds on a fish should be viewed with suspicion. Also, a white film or fungus-looking growth may denote a bacterial infection. It’s important to note that in many cases a bacterial infection is usually secondary in nature to a parasitic infestation such as ich, meaning if a fish has been battling ich for a while then his immune system has been lowered. This makes infection more likely for many opportunistic, harmful bacteria.

Treatment options - Broad spectrum antibiotic medication i.e. one that treats both gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial diseases. Examples of this include Furan-2, Kanamycin aka Seachem Kanaplex, Nitrofuracin Green Powder, Triple Sulfa Powder, or a combination of using both Erythromycin & Minocycline. The latter can be accomplished (albeit expensively) by using freshwater Maracyn 1 & 2 and then doubling the dosage for saltwater use. When battling a particularly nasty bacterial infection, combining Furan-2, Kanaplex and metronidazole (ex. Seachem MetroPlex) can be very effective (and safe). Props to “hedgedrew” for enlightening me of this.

S-t-r-e-t-c-h · Mar 22, 2018

I don't see anything that looks like fin rot in those photos, so I would avoid the melafix. I don't see any direct evidence but I think flukes are more likely. I'd probably try doing a freshwater dip on one or both and seeing if any drop off. Here's more info:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/flukes-–-general-guidelines.224423/

Kelsey Fletcher · Mar 22, 2018

Sarah24! said:
Hello Kelsey,

If you have a reef tank it will be hard to catch them and move them. This will also stress them out more and could kill them as well. It’s possible that your powder blue is picking on your other fish, but unlikely because they are not tangs also. If you have just a rock setup I would move some of the rock out to make it easier to catch and maybe put them in qt at your local fish shop. There are still to many unknowns. What’s unique is powder blue tangs are very suspectible to disease and die easy. The fact it’s out lasting them is what’s making me think he is aggressive. Have you tried using garlic when you feed the fish frozen misis etc?

So I should pull them out? It looks as if the tang has fin rot and the clown has flukes!! I haven't tried garlic before. How do I use garlic??

Kelsey Fletcher · Mar 22, 2018

S-t-r-e-t-c-h said:
I don't see anything that looks like fin rot in those photos, so I would avoid the melafix. I don't see any direct evidence but I think flukes are more likely. I'd probably try doing a freshwater dip on one or both and seeing if any drop off. Here's more info:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/flukes-–-general-guidelines.224423/

Ok so, I tried to dip my clownfish in freshwater, BUT every time it was put in the freshwater it would like "die". i put it in, and in seconds it appears to be dead, so I rapidly put it back in the saltwater and it recovers. I tried it twice, but the second time i left it in for about five seconds and the gills stopped moving so i put it back in and it recovered. I havent even tried the tang!!