Sick Clownfish

c147258 · Aug 22, 2018

My clownfish has not been eating for the last 3 days. It stays in the same spot for the first 3 days heavily breathing but it started swimming near the surface tonight against a powerhead.

I see no visible signs on the fish that suggest ich, velvet or brooklynella. Is it likely fluke?

Crabs McJones · Aug 22, 2018

Are you able to get a picture with the white lights on at all? Best way to test for flukes is to do a freshwater dip and see if any flukes fall off. Here is a guide on how to do it if you're unfamiliar

EmdeReef · Aug 22, 2018

+1 pic with white lights would help

Swimming against a powerhead can be a symptom of velvet. Spots can sometimes be tough to see on a clown due to their thicker slime coat.

c147258 · Aug 22, 2018

Crabs McJones · Aug 22, 2018

I agree that it doesn't appear to be ich, velvet, or brook. I would freshwater dip for flukes and go from there

HotRocks · Aug 22, 2018

It almost looks bacterial right above the pectoral fin on left side.

I agree do the 5min FW dip as suggested above.

Are there any corals in your tank?

c147258 · Aug 22, 2018

The redness is due to lighting. It's now 5am in Asia and I've been checking on it the whole night.

There are no corals in my tank. Just inverts and fish.

I will definitely try a freshwater dip.

Thank you.

HotRocks · Aug 22, 2018

c147258 said:
The redness is due to lighting. It's now 5am in Asia and I've been checking on it the whole night.

There are no corals in my tank. Just inverts and fish.

I will definitely try a freshwater dip.

Thank you.

Ok let us know the result.

I'm talking about the spot above the fin and just behind the white stripe.

It could be a secondary infection from flukes affliction or what not.

c147258 · Aug 22, 2018

I will definitely keep an eye on that too.

drstardust · Aug 22, 2018

HotRocks said:
It almost looks bacterial right above the pectoral fin on left side.

Very well could be, and I absolutely wouldn't rule out uronema. I've had clowns afflicted by it and looked just like this rather than the typical look that afflicted chromis get.