Very urgent please help

[carlson]

Hey everyone, my clown fish that I have had for several years is looking awful. I believe he has hexamita do to some stringy white poop I saw several days ago. Now, he is not eating, breathing heavy, and for the most part laying on the sand bed. Because he wouldn't eat I dosed the whole tank with metroplex yesterday and after not seeing improvements 20 min ago I put a scoop of metro in a bowl and let him swim in it for a few minutes. I feel pretty hopeless and I don't want to lose this fish. Is there anything I can do rn with the only medicine I have available to help him? Maybe force feed him or some sort? Any help will be extremely appreciated. I haven't put him in qt because there is also a yellow tang and a coris wrasse in the tank so I treated the whole tank.

 

[carlson]

After I put metro in the tank there is a surge of these withish clear worms that take to the water column, I tried to get some pics of them.

 

[Pmj]

I would have said prazipro with stringy poop.

 

[Maritimer]

I'm not certain how much can be done without QT and with the clown not eating, but let's get the Cavalry in here - @melypr1985, @Brew12, @ngoodermuth. One (or more!) of these folks will know if this guy can be rescued. (Sometimes, they can't . . . . . . )

BTW, generally medications won't work nearly as well in the display - and those white worm-guys are probably trying to escape before they all die ....

~Bruce

 

[Flippers4pups]

#reefsquad

 

[carlson]

I can set up a quarintine quickly! I just didn't know if it would be worth it since the fish has already been in the main display. I believe I got this from two chromis I got (the only fish I didn't quarantine) because before them I had zero problems, and I was never sure why they died a couple weeks ago I thought it was from my yellow tang being aggressive.

 

[carlson]

Theres not much you can see after he crawled into this *hole*

 

[Maritimer]

Metronidazole (found in "Metroplex" and "General Cure"), bound to food with Seachem's "Focus" is the right tool for the job - and if it's internal parasites you've got, Metro can be dosed in the display - when it's bound to food. It just won't work nearly as well if it's dosed in the water. (For a fish who's not eating, you've no choice but to dose it in the water - but it's not as effective, not nearly as reef-safe, and won't likely maintain full strength with sand and rock in the tank.)

QT would undoubtedly be best for the clown - if it can be saved. Metro with Focus in the display for the ones who are eating.

~Bruce

 

[jsker]

I would suggest treating with kanaplex combined with sachem focus with the frozen. I would also mix in some brightwell vitimarn M and C to help with there immune systems and healing.

 

[4FordFamily]

Metronidazole (found in "Metroplex" and "General Cure"), bound to food with Seachem's "Focus" is the right tool for the job - and if it's internal parasites you've got, Metro can be dosed in the display - when it's bound to food. It just won't work nearly as well if it's dosed in the water. (For a fish who's not eating, you've no choice but to dose it in the water - but it's not as effective, not nearly as reef-safe, and won't likely maintain full strength with sand and rock in the tank.)

QT would undoubtedly be best for the clown - if it can be saved. Metro with Focus in the display for the ones who are eating.

~Bruce

Agree 100%. Bruce has you covered!

 

[ngoodermuth]

+1 to metroplex/focus bound to food. You *could* force feed it (I'll find the link humble posted about tube feeding) but other than that, getting him into a QT with the full dose of metro in the water is the best you can do.

ETA link:
How to tube feed a fish

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/How-to-tube-feed-a-fish.250694/

 

[carlson]

Thanks or all of your replies! The fish is swimming a little more now and no longer hiding in the rock. I had to finish an assignment for a class I'm taking real quick but now I am about to set up a ten gallon Qt tank and I'll put two scoops of metro in the tank since it calls for 1-2 scoops for ten gallons!

 

[carlson]

+1 to metroplex/focus bound to food. You *could* force feed it (I'll find the link humble posted about tube feeding) but other than that, getting him into a QT with the full dose of metro in the water is the best you can do.

ETA link:
How to tube feed a fish

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/How-to-tube-feed-a-fish.250694/[/QUO
In your opinion (or everyones), would it be worth it to tube feed it since it (or she) isn't eating? I'm not sure if the clown would actually consume the food (unless it for sure will from the linked method above), I'm sure it will stress the fish more, and I'll probably feel terrible doing it just because I don't have the vet gene. If this is the better idea I will definitely look into it 100% I just want to be sure.

 

[ngoodermuth]

Personally, I've never done it. When I was in your shoes, I dosed my QT and hoped for the best. Mind you, my fish was just a picky eater and not gravely ill. If you think the fish isn't going to last long without it and you are brave enough to give it a try, I'd say go for it. It doesn't *look* that hard, but again coming from someone who's never tried it.

 

[Invader_Moose]

I just went through the same thing a few weeks back! A clown I've had near 3 years now, stopped eating over 2 days, had stringy white poop, was lethargic and breathing heavily. Transferring to a QT and dosing prazipro, next day 90% wc dosing API general cure (metro with prazi), 2 days later wc and medicate if necessary. While adding prazipro to food. She's still in qt but is now eating and swimming normally. I recieved these recommendations from Clownfish Breeding USA and my lfs. Good luck!