Why is my clownfish turning white?

[harlie_baby]

Hi. My clownfish is suddenly turning white on his back and tail. I just had my water tested at the fish store today and it came back great. I have a 75 gallon tank and haven't added any new fish. My tank has been up and running for 6 months

 

[harlie_baby]

 

[Cell]

Can you get a more clear pic? Is the skin sloughing off? Frayed fins?

 

[Cell]

Oh you posted another just as I posted. I thought the tail looked frayed in the blurry pic but now you can definitely see it. Probably brookynella. Let's see...

#fishmedic

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Hard to tell from the picture but it may be brooklynella. See if you can post better pictures and set up a hospital tank. @fishmedic

 

[harlie_baby]

Hard to tell from the picture but it may be brooklynella. See if you can post better pictures and set up a hospital tank. @fishmedic

 

[vetteguy53081]

This is a clear case of brooklynella often referred to as clown disease but can affect other fish , not just clowns.
The most significant sign is the amount of slime on its body. The thick mucus on its body is a second sign which is noticeable on the fish and in the case of yours makes the color appear flushed. This mucus generally starts at the facial area as well as gills and spreads across the body producing lesions as it progresses often confused with ich and can turn into secondary bacteria. Other symptoms will be lethargic behavior, refusing to eat and heavy breathing from the mucus.
Typical treatment is a formalin solution is mixed with in a separate container with either fresh or saltwater. Start with a quick dip in the formalin at a higher concentration then performing treatment in a prolonged bath of formalin base at a lower concentration in a quarantine tank. The longer the fish are exposed to the formalin treatment the more effective it will be at eliminating this issue.
If a formalin solution is not available for immediate use, temporary relief can be achieved by giving the fish a FW bath or dip in water same temperature as display tank. Even though this treatment will not cure the disease, it can help to remove some of the parasites, as well as reduce the amount of mucus in the gills to assist with respiration problems.
Treatment is best done in a QT tank using either quick cure (more effective) or Ruby Rally Pro. Ruby takes a little longer and initial treatment generally takes 2-3 days to really start going to work.

 

[harlie_baby]

Hope this is a little better

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hope this is a little better

+1 on the cause as being Brooklynella.
Other clowns in the same tank would be at risk, but other species, a bit less so.

The odd thing here is the timing - you usually see this on more recently acquired clownfish.

Jay

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hope this is a little better

Yep - Brook

 

[harlie_baby]

I have him quarantined. What treatment options do I have? My fish store is closed until tomorrow at 11

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have him quarantined. What treatment options do I have? My fish store is closed until tomorrow at 11

Typical treatment is a formalin solution is mixed with in a separate container with either fresh or saltwater. Start with a quick dip in the formalin at a higher concentration then performing treatment in a prolonged bath of formalin base at a lower concentration in a quarantine tank. The longer the fish are exposed to the formalin treatment the more effective it will be at eliminating this issue.
If a formalin solution is not available for immediate use, temporary relief can be achieved by giving the fish a FW bath or dip in water same temperature as display tank. Even though this treatment will not cure the disease, it can help to remove some of the parasites, as well as reduce the amount of mucus in the gills to assist with respiration problems.
Treatment is best done in a QT tank using either quick cure (more effective) or Ruby Rally Pro. Ruby takes a little longer and initial treatment generally takes 2-3 days to really start going to work.

 

[harlie_baby]

A quick dip meaning put him in the freshwater and then immediately take him out

 

[harlie_baby]

I unfortunately lost my clownfish. I have my other fish in 5 gallon buckets of clean saltwater. I don't have a qt tank big enough to hold all of them, can I use multiple 5 gallon buckets? And treat with metro?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

A quick dip meaning put him in the freshwater and then immediately take him out

No, a freshwater dip needs to be for five minutes.

Jay

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I unfortunately lost my clownfish. I have my other fish in 5 gallon buckets of clean saltwater. I don't have a qt tank big enough to hold all of them, can I use multiple 5 gallon buckets? And treat with metro?

Sorry to hear....

I do not think you will be able to treat the fish in buckets like that, you won't be able to control the ammonia without huge water changes. Metronidazole does not have a good track record for treating Brooklynella. How many fish do you have and which ones are showing symptoms?

Jay