Can't tell if my clown is sick

[archangel91]

I have had my 2 clownfish for about 3 weeks now and over the last few days I have noticed a bit of discoloration in the smaller of the 2 near the top of the white stripe closest to his face. most of what I have been able to find has only talked about small white dots as the symptoms which I have not seen thus far. Ammonia and nitrate/nitrite are all looking good and he has been eating great. Is there actually something wrong with him or am I just being paranoid? Any adivice would be greatly appreciated.

Pics.

Other clown for reference:

http://s1103.photobucket.com/user/jstuart91/library/

 

[Deinonych]

Looks like cryptocaryon (marine ich) to me. The reddish spots might be where he has been rubbing. You need to treat this and any other fish in the tank in a dedicated hospital tank (or tanks) and leave the display tank fallow (fishless) for a minimum of 9 weeks. Best treatment options are Cupramine (copper) or chloroquine phosphate.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Looks like early brooklynella. Is the fish still acting normally? If its ich or brooklynella; you've introduced a deadly parasite into your system. This is why a QT is so important.

 

[Deinonych]

Looks like early brooklynella. Is the fish still acting normally? If its ich or brooklynella; you've introduced a deadly parasite into your system. This is why a QT is so important.

I think you are right about it being brooklynella.

Were these wild-caught clownfish?

 

[archangel91]

Unfortunately it looks like it is in fact brooklynella, I sat up starring at them for 2 hours strait last night and he was rubbing his gill area on the rocks and staying up at the surface or in front of the power head...

I ran out first thing this morning to try to find formalin to start treatment but unfortunately the only thing close I could find was a medication at the LFS that's "a proprietary solution of water and formaldehyde (3%)"

By the time I was able to get everything ready, we had lost the first one... The second one was given a 30 min dip and then placed in the QT and so far seems to be doing ok... As long as he's not too stressed for it the plan is to do another dip daily for the next 4 days while keeping a low dose bath in the QT...

With the life cycle off brooklynella being ~4 weeks, I was planning on keeping him in the QT for 5-6 weeks just to be sure it was out of the main tank... The meds say to "continue treatment until 3 days beyond visible signs of the disease" is there a realistic timeframe that is a normal treatment cycle or does it differ greatly from case to case?

 

[Deinonych]

Sorry for your loss. Here's hoping you'll be able to save the second one. I've never dealt with brooklynella, so hopefully others will chime in on treatment methods.

 

[snorvich]

Looks like early brooklynella. Is the fish still acting normally? If its ich or brooklynella; you've introduced a deadly parasite into your system. This is why a QT is so important.

Yes, looks like brook. All fish need to be treated as this spreads and kills quickly.

 

[Newsmyrna80]

I dealt with brook in May on a Flame Angel. My treatment was 5 30 min formalin dips (very well aerated) every other day. He was put into a sterilized tank after each dip. Some may say 5 dips were excessive but I treated him with 3 dips and he was showing symptoms within 5 days so I regrouped and went with 5. This cured him of brook.