Added a pair of black saddle backs to nem....

[FishAreFriends2]

Well after I got my sebea I decided I wanted a pair of clowns. I have owned apair of ocellaris in the pass with no problems. So the clowns I choose were two healthy black saddle backs. the first day I added them they ate and swam right into the sebea. The next day one of them started to act lethargic, it no longer swam in the sebea. And I also noticed some patches of white stuff on both the clowns. The one that acted lethargic stoped eating and the next day it was gone, now the second did the same, it also stopped eating and swam outside of the sebea. And next day gone, it also looked like the white patch got worst. Both cases the white patches were near the belly. I thought this was werid, I thought I got some bad ones, so the next day I went to another lfs to buy one. I picked up a healthy one that ate, and when I brought it home it took to the sebea. The next day, it also developed a white patch on its belly. It was still eating, than the day after that it no longer ate and swam lethargic as well. Than it was gone after that, could the sebea be doing something to them? I had clowns before the sebea and they lived for a long time but these guys keep getting killed by something, after they swim in the nem....

 

[FishAreFriends2]

?

 

[AquaReeferMan]

Most likely Brooklynella. I had a nice pair of black saddlebacks fall to this disease a couple of years ago. Sorry for your loss. Maybe next time you get some your should quarantine them and medicate them.

Here is a helpful link on brook.
http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/ichparasiticdiseases/a/aabrooklynella.htm

 

[JamesJR]

yes reeferman is probably right. I have lost several clowns to Brook. I always take precautions for it now. Black saddle clowns are pretty prone to catching it.

 

[FishAreFriends2]

I didn't know black saddles were that much more susceptible to brook. I thought all clowns could get it equally but I guess not. Kind of like hippo tang vs yellow tang, hippos the ich magnet. Well but the odd thing is I don't understand is the previous 3 saddles I got were healthy added them and they swam directly into the nem and the next day they got the white film. No longer swam in the nem. And recently I bought another 2 but they are sitting in a QT tank and they have been fine for days. And btw the sebea is bleached when I got it, and I am wondering if the sebea is releasing something thats causing it? Since the new pairs I bought are in a QT tank that has the same water is the main tank. And they are not sick but I have a feeling if I added them to the tank now and they might get that stuff because it seems to happen once they swim into the nem... So I'm at a lost.

 

[JamesJR]

Nope. The anemone has nothing to do with it. The only reason the fish get the white film is because of brook. When you get wild clowns it is always prudent to quarantine them and make preventative precautions for brook. I always give them a series of Foramalin dips, nitrofurazone and daily partial water changes. That worked for me with my personal fish collection and when I worked at a large retail saltwater aquarium store.

Also, Saddle clowns are notorious for being hard on anemones and I would probably keep them separated until it gets healthy again.

 

[FishAreFriends2]

So a bleached sebea isn't releasing some sort of stuff thats causing the brook? I thought the bleaching came from some sort of chemical so it might be relaseing it on to the fish? But I went over and read that its from the bagging process that causes them to be white. But still I started to assume that since the last two times the clowns swam and slept in the nem and the next day they got it, that it might be releasing something.

This is the first time this has ever happened to me though, my previous ocellaris were also wild caught and they were healthy for a long period of time until I sold them.

Right now my new saddles are sitting in the QT its been about 4 days and so far healthy no brook. But its odd though why did they get it when it was in my main tank? And now in the QT these guys are healthy and they share the same water.

And is there a specific season where brook rears its ugly head?
I think I recall reading a thread a long time ago that said that there is a season for this.

The saddles I got are pretty small, probably 1-1.5 inches. And the sebea is about 5inches. But I do plan to wait until the sebea turns back to its original color before I put them in.

 

[osprey3883]

Hello,
Bleached anemone = an anemone who is low on zooxanthellae due to lack of proper lighting and or stress.
Here is a good link on anemone physiology-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_anemone

A dyed anemone is a whole different subject.

Matt

 

[JamesJR]

They catch it on the way from distributors and collectors. Nothing you can do to prevent it. All you can do is treat it when it comes in. Some clowns are much sturdier and recover much more easily from it than others.

The anemones don't cause this at all.

 

[FishAreFriends2]

Sorry I don't quite get the part where you mentioned
"some clowns are much sturdier and recover much easily from it than others."

Are you referring that some clowns can fight off brook, and return back to a healthy clown?

And one more question what triggered the saddles to get brook? This happened two times and both times the clowns were added to the main tank and so far the ones in the QT have no signs of it. I'd like to know what triggered it on the first two times.

 

[JamesJR]

Brooklynella is a protozoan parasite. The parasite is specific for fish so that is why the disease does not come from the anemones. They catch it from coming into contact with water that has the parasite in it. so if your tanks are connected it is a pretty safe bet that all of your clowns have been exposed to it.

As a rule you should always keep quarantine tanks and main tanks seperate. They should never share the same water, utensils or anything like that because if the water is transmitted between them than you could be sharing the disease to your maintank. You would also want to keep the main and qt tanks seperate because a lot of medicines will harm invertebrates.

Also, I meant that some species of clownfish are much more resistant to it and recover from it more quickly than others species do.

Sorry to rant, just trying to help.