Clownfish and anemone video, clownfish goatee

taphil

New member
First time posting. I started SW reef tank a few months ago with the goal of having clownfish hosted by a GBTA, after being inspired by the Apple Mac OS X wallpaper.

Got a pair of ORA Picasso a month ago (just regular, not premium). A month later I added a GBTA to the tank around 10pm, and by 10am the next morning the clownfish were already in the GBTA. Lucky me. The GBTA seems to be doing well, I initially stuffed it in a crevice where I wanted it, and it hasn't moved an inch since, and is eating krill. Mouth appears slightly open at times though.

A few days later though, the female clownfish developed a goatee. Basically looks like spot of tissue hyperplasia on the lower jaw. It started as dot and grew a little but has been steady at the current size. I scooped the fish out and dabbed the goatee with a cotton swab, and it didn't seem to be like any fungal or bacterial growth or parasite; just looked like extra tissue. Did a search and read some posts, still not sure what it is. But since the fish has had no change in activeness, eats well, and is growing pretty fast, I'm just going to do nothing. But anyone have any ideas what it is? A reaction to anemone?

Here's a video, love the pair's behavior. The male is standoffish with the lights on, but at night they both sleep deep in the anemone next to each other.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUHv_sQpsig
 
Just an update for future reference.

The chin goatee/growth got a little big bigger. Reading one of the linked threads, someone said it was a worm, don't know if it's true though. So I thought I could pinch the worm off and kill it. Took the clown out into a net, used tweezers and on one quick pinch squeezed the entire growth flat between the tweezers without yanking on it. Put the fish back int the water, and within 2 days the growth was gone. Fish behavior and eating was always normal, and now appearance is back to normal.
 
Just an update for future reference.

The chin goatee/growth got a little big bigger. Reading one of the linked threads, someone said it was a worm, don't know if it's true though. So I thought I could pinch the worm off and kill it. Took the clown out into a net, used tweezers and on one quick pinch squeezed the entire growth flat between the tweezers without yanking on it. Put the fish back int the water, and within 2 days the growth was gone. Fish behavior and eating was always normal, and now appearance is back to normal.

Good to hear.....

It's funny how in your video it looks like the clown sucks on the BTA... I've never seen them do that before...
 
10 month update...Clowns have doubled in size, gotten and kept their black coloration despite being hosted by BTA the entire time. Tank went from 14G Biocube to 28G Nanocube HQI and lights recently upgraded to Radion. They continue to motorboat and suckle the nem.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_6385.jpg
    IMG_6385.jpg
    91.9 KB · Views: 1
  • IMG_6372.jpg
    IMG_6372.jpg
    90.2 KB · Views: 1
Last edited:
Update, 2 months later with the new anemones under Radion LED. Both nems growing pretty fast. The nem previously on the left stayed put, the one on the right walked to middle of the tank.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_6481.jpg
    IMG_6481.jpg
    98.1 KB · Views: 1
Forgot to mention...the original GBTA in the video in first post grew slowly under MH lighting. It died about a month after switching from MH to Radion LED.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_6486.jpg
    IMG_6486.jpg
    103.7 KB · Views: 1
Back
Top