What is this on my clown?

[mdbronco]

I have a pair of clowns, 2 anthias, a Kole tang, and a bicolor blenny - all tank residents for about a year. I recently noticed this on the fins of one of my clowns and it has been increasing over the past couple of days. Is this maybe lymphocystis or something else?

 

[ktisdale22]

Maybe flukes? Clowns have the weirdest illnesses, I am sure someone will help you.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Any new additions to the tank? It’s hard to see in the pics what that is. Lympho is typically fluffy in appearance. You could always do a FW dip to see if it’s flukes.

 

[Big G]

+1 ^^^ Consider a freshwater dip to eliminate or confirm flukes. It's a good first step

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/video-how-to-do-a-freshwater-dip.286639/#post-3487082

 

[mdbronco]

Any new additions to the tank? It’s hard to see in the pics what that is. Lympho is typically fluffy in appearance. You could always do a FW dip to see if it’s flukes.

No new fish (last was added about 6 months ago). New corals from time to time and a couple of shrimp in the past few weeks. I will try a fw dip tomorrow then. One more (slightly better) pic.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

No new fish (last was added about 6 months ago). New corals from time to time and a couple of shrimp in the past few weeks. I will try a fw dip tomorrow then. One more (slightly better) pic.

That looks like flukes to me

 

[mdbronco]

That looks like flukes to me

Thanks! So I guess the urgency isn’t that high? Should I still do a dip or wait a few days (or both)?

You’ve been helping me out a bunch lately (Kole with HLLE which is on the mend nicely) and I really appreciate it!

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Thanks! So I guess the urgency isn’t that high? Should I still do a dip or wait a few days (or both)?

You’ve been helping me out a bunch lately (Kole with HLLE which is on the mend nicely) and I really appreciate it!

There is urgency maybe not as much as with Velvet but flukes will get into the gills and can kill. I would FW dip ASAP just to confirm or eliminate the possibility of flukes.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/freshwater-dip.248898/

 

[mdbronco]

Ok - did a FW dip but nothing fell off or changed. Clown it’s acting normal. What else could it be?

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Ok - did a FW dip but nothing fell off or changed. Clown it’s acting normal. What else could it be?

Are the spots raised? Or do they appear to be in the skin?

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

After looking at the pics I see two dark dots on the other clown, are those normally there? Do these guys host an anenome or stinging coral?

 

[mdbronco]

So I came home from work today (I live in Europe) after the FW dip this morning my time. All of the white bumps were basically gone, but to me it looks like it is under the skin although it's very hard to tell. The clowns host a fairly large cespitularia coral and act normally otherwise.

 

[mdbronco]

A little update. Whatever this is has seemed to flared back up again and in different spots and does seem fluffier - like tiny cotton swabs. The other clown seems unaffected. Lympho? Something else?

 

[Mjrenz]

A little update. Whatever this is has seemed to flared back up again and in different spots and does seem fluffier - like tiny cotton swabs. The other clown seems unaffected. Lympho? Something else?

@HotRocks @4FordFamily @ngoodermuth

 

[ngoodermuth]

Could be a little bacterial/viral outbreak? If you have a UV sterilizer that might help, otherwise boost nutrition- soak foods in vitachem or selcon, add some variety, live foods, etc.

If it seems to be getting worse rather than better, a ruby reef rally bath en route to QT would be a good first step.

 

[mdbronco]

Ok thanks. It seems to flare up and then go away for a couple of weeks. I’ll keep monitoring it and see where it heads, but so far the fish acts normal and is active.