Clown fish not feeling well

[ken123]

One of my clowns is swimming out in the open or at the other end of the tank and she does not look right. They usually hide in a cave, the other one is staying in the cave area. Her fins are not open like they should be and she is swimming erratically, labored swimming. Don't see anything on her. She has not been eating well. Added 5 Mex turbos about 2 weeks ago, that's all that's new to the tank. Any idea's?

Water parameters, using SeaChem test kits. Seems my ammonia dots dried out, they are usually moist in their little container. Can these be rejuvenated? If not I need to get another ammonia test. Have test strips will try those.

temp=80 degrees
salinity=1.024
ammonia=1.7 (dots are dried out)
nitrite=0
nitrate=2.2 about
ph=8.0
alkalinity=3.5 meq/l (7 drops, got his right?)
phospahte=0

I know the nitrates are high, don't have a fuge. Water changes? But this should not be what is wrong with her as the other clown is fine. This morning she is sitting still at the front of the tank with fins collapsed.

 

[ken123]

Help!! Can anything be done, suggestions??

Help!! Can anything be done, suggestions??

Now she is staying in one spot and just turning around every few seconds. Flipping left and right. No visible signs of problems. IMO once a fish starts behaving like this there is usually no good outcome. Should I remove her to a QT tank?

Click on the Gallery for a picture.

 

[Hattie B]

HI Ken,

I am not familiar with the kits you are using, so if you ammonia is high then you need to do a water change.

So looking at the pic its hard to see anything, looking closly do you notice any type of film or any other physical sympotms on the fish?

Brooklynella can be a 'more common' parasite in fish however you can usually see itmes like discoloration of the skin/loss of coloration, excess slim coat esc..

Oxygen levels? you list another healthy clown, so this might not be an issue

I wouls start with a water change as soon as you can.

 

[Hattie B]

THe pH is still 8?

Have you ever worms the clowns? are these WC clowns?

What about her gills, anything looks differnt around that area?

 

[ken123]

I don't see anything abnormal on the fish, slim or dots, gills look ok. The stomach area does not look as 'full' as it should be. Looked at the fish with a magnifying glass. My daughter said the clown does not look as colorful as the other one. The only things that I can see is that the fins are not open like normal and she is not swimming like she should. Just swimming erratically. These are false percs, not sure what you mean by worms?

There are 2 clowns and 1 G Chromis in the tank, a serpent star, pep shrimp, snails and dwarf hermits. My rocks are getting a coating of hair algae even though phosphates are zero.