Clown mouth breathing laying on sand.

[santanzchild]

Have a 3" clown that has been living with me for a couple of months. Started mouthing alot in the last few days so keeping an eye on it but never saw any other issues.

Today I come in to do my feeding before work and its laying on the sand with the smaller male nudging it every once in a while. Mouth breathing has become constant and gills are going crazy. I fed the tank as usual with a mixture of flake and carnivore feast everyone else ate and the larger clown swam up but couldnt swim fast enough or well enough to catch any food. Transferred it to the QT tank and added some prazi a few minutes ago.

so
Laying on its side
Trouble swimming
Mouth breathing
Lots of gill activity
only moving when molested

There are no noticeable spots
Gills dont look frayed
No stringy poop
Eating fine when it can catch it

Under side of the gills are looking red and a little inflamed but that may be normal never really gotten a look at the underside of her gills before. Everyone else in the tank looks fine and is acting normal. The smaller clown is starting that mouth breathing crap now too but not sure that isnt just stress over having me in there with a net a half hour ago.

Any ideas advice?

 

[Newsmyrna80]

How old is your tank? Is there any ammonia? When was the last time anything was added to the tank?

 

[Hzuiel]

If it is only clowns being affected it could be brook. http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/ichparasiticdiseases/a/aabrooklynella.htm Though you could check for ammonia just incase.

 

[santanzchild]

Ammonia is 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
With the red sea tests
Tank is 5-6 months old.

Last fish added where the clowns added a couple of months ago. Have added some zoas 3-4 weeks ago.

Never dealt with brook before but my understanding is if that's it I am more or less screwed?

OK leaving for work I will read your link once I get there.

 

[Hzuiel]

Ammonia is 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
With the red sea tests
Tank is 5-6 months old.

Last fish added where the clowns added a couple of months ago. Have added some zoas 3-4 weeks ago.

Never dealt with brook before but my understanding is if that's it I am more or less screwed?

OK leaving for work I will read your link once I get there.

Uhhhh, no if you take swift action I think it can be recovered from, may be too late at this point though. Any time a fish is found to be sick it generally should be put in quarantine, diagnosed, and treated immediately.

 

[Newsmyrna80]

Ammonia is 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
With the red sea tests
Tank is 5-6 months old.

Last fish added where the clowns added a couple of months ago. Have added some zoas 3-4 weeks ago.

Never dealt with brook before but my understanding is if that's it I am more or less screwed?

OK leaving for work I will read your link once I get there.

The zoas could be the culprit. Did you quarantine them prior to introducing them to the main? Can you post a pic of the fish? Do you have experience doing FW dips? If so I would get one ready and dip one of the clowns. If this is brook the dip will give him some relief. Do you have any formalin or Quick Cure on hand? Dips in either one of these meds is a standard treatment. If you start these now you may be able to save the fish. You can read the stickie on fish parasites at the top of the forum.

 

[santanzchild]

I didnt quarantine them just dipped and put in the tank. The thought that they could be carrying parasites never even occurred to me.

Only meds I have at the moment are Metro Prozi and Ich X. The clown died while I was at word last night so a little late to worry about it now. Will keep an eye on the other clown and the chromis and see if they start to show the same symptoms since it is a Damsel parasite. Its only been a couple of months so I dont think they where fully bonded yet. Hopefully the little clown will take to a new one. Shame I really liked her.