Spots on clownfish face

[konatown]

She’s overall healthy, eating and growing. Blood orange clown. Year or two old. The spots have been there for a while now. I’m wondering what they could be? Any ideas? Let me know if you need any specific info. Thanks!

 

[vetteguy53081]

She’s overall healthy, eating and growing. Blood orange clown. Year or two old. The spots have been there for a while now. I’m wondering what they could be? Any ideas? Let me know if you need any specific info. Thanks!

These appear to be flukes. There are different types but to offer temporary relief, you can give it a 5-minute freshwater dip in a clean container with water the same temperature as display tank. Also if you can provide side pics of fish would be great.
After 5 mins return fish to display, and look at bottom of container for what looks like sesame seeds or fish scales. If can see some - Flukes.
They may also exhibit what looks like yawning from gill irritation develop, cloudy eyes and loss of color .
Treatment of choice is PraziPro and while reef safe I prefer QT tank for treating but not necessary. If in display tank, remove your skimmer cup but leave the skimmer running as prazi-pro will make your skimmer go nuts. It will produce a truly amazing amount of bubbles so still have your skimmer running to keep the oxygen levels high in the water as some medications like prazi-pro can lower the amount of oxygen in the water which is something you want to avoid so I recommend running an air stone in addition to treatment.
Also . . . remove any type of carbon that you have running to allow Prazi to run at full strength which will be 8 day interval, change water and treat again for one more 8 day interval.

 

[MnFish1]

I don't know - it could be scarring-injury - with a new anemone. I have no clue whether its flukes or something else - without more history - assuming I understood - that the fish is a year or so old? New additions? When did the spots occur?

 

[Idoc]

Since they've been there for awhile, I would lean toward stinging marks from the anenome.

 

[konatown]

These appear to be flukes. There are different types but to offer temporary relief, you can give it a 5-minute freshwater dip in a clean container with water the same temperature as display tank. Also if you can provide side pics of fish would be great.
After 5 mins return fish to display, and look at bottom of container for what looks like sesame seeds or fish scales. If can see some - Flukes.
They may also exhibit what looks like yawning from gill irritation develop, cloudy eyes and loss of color .
Treatment of choice is PraziPro and while reef safe I prefer QT tank for treating but not necessary. If in display tank, remove your skimmer cup but leave the skimmer running as prazi-pro will make your skimmer go nuts. It will produce a truly amazing amount of bubbles so still have your skimmer running to keep the oxygen levels high in the water as some medications like prazi-pro can lower the amount of oxygen in the water which is something you want to avoid so I recommend running an air stone in addition to treatment.
Also . . . remove any type of carbon that you have running to allow Prazi to run at full strength which will be 8 day interval, change water and treat again for one more 8 day interval.

Thank you.. I always worry about flukes because I haven’t actually run into that issue yet. I’ve seen behavior in the distant past in some of my fish, dipped, and never got any sesame flakes. So hopefully I don’t have any. My tank has been 100%disease free for probably more than a year, any I buy qt fish, and really don’t ever add anything to my display (no new coral, inverts or rock etc) thanks for the tips on medicating. I’m going to keep an eye on it for sure

One thing I can add, these spots do not move and have been in this location on her face for a while now (2 plus months?). I do think it could be scaring, I did add my two clowns together (I have a few tanks lol) and they fought hard. It was an accident, the one fell out of an isolation basket. I do think that these showed up soon after that fight a couple months ago. Scarring does make sense, could even be from the nem?? , however I have always wondered about it and wanted to get others opinions.

I don't know - it could be scarring-injury - with a new anemone. I have no clue whether its flukes or something else - without more history - assuming I understood - that the fish is a year or so old? New additions? When did the spots occur?

See above. Could be from a clown fight when one got out of an isolation basket a couple months ago. Spots have been there since about that time. I have considered that but wanted to double check. The spots have never moved

Since they've been there for awhile, I would lean toward stinging marks from the anenome.

Thanks. See my replies above. Scaring could be it. Do you think it will ever go away? It’s been a couple of months now.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you.. I always worry about flukes because I haven’t actually run into that issue yet. I’ve seen behavior in the distant past in some of my fish, dipped, and never got any sesame flakes. So hopefully I don’t have any. My tank has been 100%disease free for probably more than a year, any I buy qt fish, and really don’t ever add anything to my display (no new coral, inverts or rock etc) thanks for the tips on medicating. I’m going to keep an eye on it for sure

One thing I can add, these spots do not move and have been in this location on her face for a while now (2 plus months?). I do think it could be scaring, I did add my two clowns together (I have a few tanks lol) and they fought hard. It was an accident, the one fell out of an isolation basket. I do think that these showed up soon after that fight a couple months ago. Scarring does make sense, could even be from the nem?? , however I have always wondered about it and wanted to get others opinions.


See above. Could be from a clown fight when one got out of an isolation basket a couple months ago. Spots have been there since about that time. I have considered that but wanted to double check. The spots have never moved


Thanks. See my replies above. Scaring could be it. Do you think it will ever go away? It’s been a couple of months now.

The trigger I see is the dot(s) on eye generally associated with Neobenedenia flukes which may or may not come off with dips

 

[konatown]

The trigger I see is the dot(s) on eye generally associated with Neobenedenia flukes which may or may not come off with dips

Gotcha. Thanks. Which eye spot are you referring to? Photo with the blues, upper eyelid, or photo whites, spot on the eye? Whites with spot on the eye might be a floating speck or something on the glass. That one isn’t normally there.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Flukes aren’t generally visible when on a fish (except Neobenedenia on eyes). More often, you see just the damage they do - the fish looks generally tattered.
That said, this could be scratch marks from flukes. It could also be from lip locking with another clown (is there another one in the tank?)
Jay

 

[konatown]

Flukes aren’t generally visible when on a fish (except Neobenedenia on eyes). More often, you see just the damage they do - the fish looks generally tattered.
That said, this could be scratch marks from flukes. It could also be from lip locking with another clown (is there another one in the tank?)
Jay

Thanks Jay. There was another clown that accidentally got into the tank (a paired female) and they fought hard a couple months back. I’ve noticed this mainly since then, so I was thinking that could be the cause, others mentioned it could be scarring, that makes sense.. The spots don’t moved ever since I’ve noticed.

 

[Idoc]

Thanks. See my replies above. Scaring could be it. Do you think it will ever go away? It’s been a couple of months now.

Only time will tell probably.

 

[konatown]

Only time will tell probably.

It’s been this way for a long while. Spots haven’t moved. I’m going to go with scarring for now and just monitor. Sucks because she’sa beautiful blood orange, but oh well! Thanks

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

It’s been this way for a long while. Spots haven’t moved. I’m going to go with scarring for now and just monitor. Sucks because she’sa beautiful blood orange, but oh well! Thanks

Sometimes scars are permanent, but most go away in about 6 weeks.

Jay