Possible Brook?

[xitsmike]

I just want an opinion to make sure I'm not overthinking.

I added a pair of clowns last week, I've noticed the male has a slightly discoloured looking patch on him.

This patch is only on one side. He is not lethargic, is not gasping for air nor is he breathing heavy. He is eating as normal. He isn't scratching on rock either.

I got pictures of this today, but I think I might've seen it yesterday too.

I'm unsure if this is just due to the female picking on him and nothing more. (The female has been picking on him slightly on that particular side)

 

[vetteguy53081]

I just want an opinion to make sure I'm not overthinking.

I added a pair of clowns last week, I've noticed the male has a slightly discoloured looking patch on him.

This patch is only on one side. He is not lethargic, is not gasping for air nor is he breathing heavy. He is eating as normal. He isn't scratching on rock either.

I got pictures of this today, but I think I might've seen it yesterday too.

I'm unsure if this is just due to the female picking on him and nothing more. (The female has been picking on him slightly on that particular side)

Yes, this is advanced stage brook and often develops at the facial area and spreads across body. Fish will need to placed in treatment tank and treated with Ruby rally pro as formalin based meds are harder to find. For temporary relief if no medication available, you can give it a 5 minute freshwater dip the same temperature as display tank. Then I recommended a 60 minute ruby bath with air stone prior to treatment.
If any other fish in tank, they too have been exposed and may have to join this clown in quarantine

 

[MnFish1]

I just want an opinion to make sure I'm not overthinking.

I added a pair of clowns last week, I've noticed the male has a slightly discoloured looking patch on him.

This patch is only on one side. He is not lethargic, is not gasping for air nor is he breathing heavy. He is eating as normal. He isn't scratching on rock either.

I got pictures of this today, but I think I might've seen it yesterday too.

I'm unsure if this is just due to the female picking on him and nothing more. (The female has been picking on him slightly on that particular side)

Would you be able to mark on a photo the area you're concerned about? I'm not sure if this is brook or something else - if it's the area I'm looking at. To me it's the area behind the middle stripe. Did you quarantine this fish at all? Do you have parameters from your tank? Are there other symptoms and other fish? I think sometimes owners look at a clown and wonder about brook - instead, I would wonder about other things (or as you said - picking on by the other clown). Curious - did you buy they as a pair?

 

[xitsmike]

Would you be able to mark on a photo the area you're concerned about? I'm not sure if this is brook or something else - if it's the area I'm looking at. To me it's the area behind the middle stripe. Did you quarantine this fish at all? Do you have parameters from your tank? Are there other symptoms and other fish? I think sometimes owners look at a clown and wonder about brook - instead, I would wonder about other things (or as you said - picking on by the other clown). Curious - did you buy they as a pair?

Yes the spot behind the middle white stripe is what I'm concerned about.

Parameters are:

Salinity - 1.024
PH-7.8
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5

I did not QT the fish as unfortunately my fiancé only allowed me to have this one tank.. And these aren't actually a mated pair, they were among at least 20 other clownfish, it just happens that one is significantly larger than the other.

The discolouration is actually quite hard to see. The reason why I wasn't certain about brook is the fact that this area is only visible on one side (the one that the female picks on). He doesn't scratch, gasp for air, isn't lethargic and is overall just acting like normal. Feeding completely fine also.

If this is Brook, I'll have to somehow treat it without setting up another tank as I will be single if I try to bring one more tank in the house.

 

[xitsmike]

Yes, this is advanced stage brook and often develops at the facial area and spreads across body. Fish will need to placed in treatment tank and treated with Ruby rally pro as formalin based meds are harder to find. For temporary relief if no medication available, you can give it a 5 minute freshwater dip the same temperature as display tank. Then I recommended a 60 minute ruby bath with air stone prior to treatment.
If any other fish in tank, they too have been exposed and may have to join this clown in quarantine

Thank you for your speedy response.

For Ruby Rally Pro, since I don't have a QT tank that I could use, could I technically dose it in my display? The tank is currently only stocked with clownfish, but I am planning on adding corals. I had a look on the website and it seems like dosing the whole system is fine, I just want to double check.

 

[MnFish1]

Yes the spot behind the middle white stripe is what I'm concerned about.

Parameters are:

Salinity - 1.024
PH-7.8
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 5

I did not QT the fish as unfortunately my fiancé only allowed me to have this one tank.. And these aren't actually a mated pair, they were among at least 20 other clownfish, it just happens that one is significantly larger than the other.

The discolouration is actually quite hard to see. The reason why I wasn't certain about brook is the fact that this area is only visible on one side (the one that the female picks on). He doesn't scratch, gasp for air, isn't lethargic and is overall just acting like normal. Feeding completely fine also.

If this is Brook, I'll have to somehow treat it without setting up another tank as I will be single if I try to bring one more tank in the house.

It's unclear to me that this is brook - based on the pictures you provided. However, I think it's a good idea to have a tank 'in reserve' in case treatment is needed. additionally, it gives you some options if you need to separate the fish due to aggression.

 

[MnFish1]

Thank you for your speedy response.

For Ruby Rally Pro, since I don't have a QT tank that I could use, could I technically dose it in my display? The tank is currently only stocked with clownfish, but I am planning on adding corals. I had a look on the website and it seems like dosing the whole system is fine, I just want to double check.

You can dose Ruby Rally Pro in your display - though 'technically' its better in a hospital tank.

 

[xitsmike]

Thank you both for your brilliant advice.

Whilst I'll be unable to pick up another tank at this moment, what I will do to stay on the safe side is treat the nano with Ruby Rally Pro.

I'll also refrain from picking up any corals, inverts and any new fish for the next couple of weeks whilst I treat the tank.

In the meantime, I will try and convince the other half that my office is big enough for one more small "hospital tank" to avoid problems in the future.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you for your speedy response.

For Ruby Rally Pro, since I don't have a QT tank that I could use, could I technically dose it in my display? The tank is currently only stocked with clownfish, but I am planning on adding corals. I had a look on the website and it seems like dosing the whole system is fine, I just want to double check.

While you can, I recommended separate tank to give your tank a fallow period without fish and im positive on brook

 

[vetteguy53081]

Would you be able to mark on a photo the area you're concerned about? I'm not sure if this is brook or something else - if it's the area I'm looking at. To me it's the area behind the middle stripe. Did you quarantine this fish at all? Do you have parameters from your tank? Are there other symptoms and other fish? I think sometimes owners look at a clown and wonder about brook - instead, I would wonder about other things (or as you said - picking on by the other clown). Curious - did you buy they as a pair?

Mark area? The whole fish is covered

 

[xitsmike]

Mark area? The whole fish is covered

I think I might need to take a video to show you, the picture is way grainier than it looks The picture actually looks around 90% worse than what it is. Bare with, I will take a video.

 

[Dom]

That guy looks like he was dipped in powdered sugar. I vote Brook.

 

[xitsmike]

Please take a look at this video, I recorded it in the highest quality I could.

It really doesn't look like anything in the picture. What are your thoughts after seeing this?

PS. I'm aware of the damage on the fins, as far as I remember, they were like that when I first got him.

 

[xitsmike]

Mark area? The whole fish is covered

If you had a chance, could you take a look at the video I just posted above to see the fish more clearly? It's in a higher quality. It really does not look like anything in the picture I posted.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Please take a look at this video, I recorded it in the highest quality I could.

It really doesn't look like anything in the picture. What are your thoughts after seeing this?

PS. I'm aware of the damage on the fins, as far as I remember, they were like that when I first got him.

Loss of color, wobbly swimming..... signs also of brook, as well as elevated breathing., loss of appetite, hiding as examples

 

[xitsmike]

Loss of color, wobbly swimming..... signs also of brook, as well as elevated breathing., loss of appetite, hiding as examples

Thanks for your response. I have not noticed any of those signs however. He is eating like no tomorrow (I had to feed twice today because he kept coming up to the top begging for more food), he doesn't hide, he's mainly swimming with the larger clown, and I haven't noticed loss of colour. I picked him out at my LFS because I wanted one of the black clowns to have a bit of orange in them. Wobbly swimming is something I wouldn't know what to look out for.

I will still follow your advice and do the treatment as I mentioned previously, I just wanted to clarify.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thanks for your response. I have not noticed any of those signs however. He is eating like no tomorrow (I had to feed twice today because he kept coming up to the top begging for more food), he doesn't hide, he's mainly swimming with the larger clown, and I haven't noticed loss of colour. I picked him out at my LFS because I wanted one of the black clowns to have a bit of orange in them. Wobbly swimming is something I wouldn't know what to look out for.

I will still follow your advice and do the treatment as I mentioned previously, I just wanted to clarify.

If you have not quarantined this fish, the steps you take will assure it is cleansed of foreign matter

 

[xitsmike]

If you have not quarantined this fish, the steps you take will assure it is cleansed of foreign matter

And I will do exactly as you advised. I have already ordered Ruby Rally Pro, although I won't be able to do it in a separate tank, i will leave this one FOWLR for the next couple of weeks. I do appreciate your help, I just wanted to share the video as the photos I took really do look awful compared to what I can see IRL.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I think I might need to take a video to show you, the picture is way grainier than it looks The picture actually looks around 90% worse than what it is. Bare with, I will take a video.

Brooklynella causes a general mucus clouding of the skin, but with advanced infections, it also causes the fish to swim differently - and that shows up best in a video. I don't see that on this fish - yet. It could be an early point in the infection.

Was it a wild caught clown? (you may not know that. I can sometimes tell because some captive raised clowns have different color patterns, but I can't tell in this case). Brook is most commonly seen in wild clowns, or tank raised clowns that were first housed with wild ones before you bought it. Brook also shows up in newly acquired clown most often,

 

[xitsmike]

Brooklynella causes a general mucus clouding of the skin, but with advanced infections, it also causes the fish to swim differently - and that shows up best in a video. I don't see that on this fish - yet. It could be an early point in the infection.

Was it a wild caught clown? (you may not know that. I can sometimes tell because some captive raised clowns have different color patterns, but I can't tell in this case). Brook is most commonly seen in wild clowns, or tank raised clowns that were first housed with wild ones before you bought it. Brook also shows up in newly acquired clown most often,

Yeah that was what made me hesitant to post photos about it in the first place. The photos I posted are honestly awful looking compared to what I see in real life, which is why I posted the video. And that's why I was torn on a conclusion.

As far as I'm aware, these clowns were all in a tank of around 20-25 other clownfish from my LFS, according to their label, they were all tank bred.

I am being very careful now and keeping an eye whilst waiting for the treatment to be delivered. But apart from the tiny bit of discoloration, I have not noticed a change in behaviour. I posted because I wanted to be absolutely sure, but in hindsight, the photos I posted look awful compared to what the video shows the fish to actually look like!