Whats on my clowns gills?!

[Ashley13]

This pair of clowns is one of my breeding pairs. They all of a sudden stopped about a month ago and haven't laid eggs since then. I couldn't figure out what was going wrong for them to stop. Then the female developed these white hair looking things on her gills that I've never noticed before. She is eating and swimming fine and seems happy but want to know what this is and how to treat it and maybe it'll solve the breeding problem as well.

 

[fishguy242]

@Jay Hemdal @vetteguy53081 ? TIA.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Pics a little fuzzy and make be lymphocystis but possibly flukes which I’m doubting
To eliminate chance of it being flukes, give this fish a freshwater dip for 5 minutes in a CLEAN container the same temperature as display tank
Return to tank thereafter. Look in bottom of container. If you see what looks like fish scales- those are flukes that dislodged
If not- assure good water quality and diet. Lymphocystis is viral and will clear up on its own if you maintain the water quality
Flake and pellet is not a complete and healthy diet

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

This pair of clowns is one of my breeding pairs. They all of a sudden stopped about a month ago and haven't laid eggs since then. I couldn't figure out what was going wrong for them to stop. Then the female developed these white hair looking things on her gills that I've never noticed before. She is eating and swimming fine and seems happy but want to know what this is and how to treat it and maybe it'll solve the breeding problem as well.

Those are the opercula spines of the fish. Normally, they are virtually invisible. In dark colored fish, if the mucus coating becomes thickened, they stand out more. Are they apparent on both gills, or just the right side? This can be due to a minor injury (if just one side) or some other wider issue (if on both sides).

jay

 

[Ashley13]

Those are the opercula spines of the fish. Normally, they are virtually invisible. In dark colored fish, if the mucus coating becomes thickened, they stand out more. Are they apparent on both gills, or just the right side? This can be due to a minor injury (if just one side) or some other wider issue (if on both sides).

jay

It's on both sides but the right side is worse. She scratch a small chunk in her head 4 days ago but i did a water change and it has healed up. I may do a freshwater bath like vetteguy recommended just to rule out what he said and since it cant hurt. But since it's on both sides what wider issues could it be? I feed a mixure of omega pellets and frozen brine or frozen marine cosine.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

It's on both sides but the right side is worse. She scratch a small chunk in her head 4 days ago but i did a water change and it has healed up. I may do a freshwater bath like vetteguy recommended just to rule out what he said and since it cant hurt. But since it's on both sides what wider issues could it be? I feed a mixure of omega pellets and frozen brine or frozen marine cosine.

O.K., but if it is from an injury, catching a fish in a net is one very common way for clowns to injure these spines, so a FW dip may make it worse, even if it eventually helps a bit.

jay

 

[Ashley13]

O.K., but if it is from an injury, catching a fish in a net is one very common way for clowns to injure these spines, so a FW dip may make it worse, even if it eventually helps a bit.

jay

Okay, thanks for the help! So you're pretty certain it's spines and nothing to really worry about and nothing i should do to treat it?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Okay, thanks for the help! So you're pretty certain it's spines and nothing to really worry about and nothing i should do to treat it?

Well, I can't say if it is something to worry about or not. The mucus on the spines are a symptom, not a problem in themselves, but I can't tell you the cause. It bears watching, but if they don't get any worse and the fish still eats normally and isn't breathing fast, I don't see any additional treatable symptoms.

Jay