Clownfish help

chad316

New member
Please help me with this little guy!

1. How old is this aquarium? 1 year and 2 months

3. What is SG of this aquarium? How measured? 1.024 measured with a refractometer

4. When was the last fish added to this aquarium? 2 months ago

5. Was it quarantined? If so, how? And how long? Was it prophylactically treated? How? This little guy was QTed for a month with no prophylactic treatments done

6. If you are using a copper based medication, which one? How often do you measure level? When? N/A

7. If you are using hyposalinity, how did you calibrate your refractometer? Currently the fish is still in the DT, so no hypo. I use a calibration fluid each time I use my refractometer

8. Please describe in detail, the appearance of the fish? If there is one or more pimples, are they lumpy? What color? There looks to be two white lumps on the left side of the mouth (perhaps fungal at first glance, but seems to be quite rare). The same side of its face looks as a human would look after a stroke (sagging and slightly lowered)

9. Please describe the behavior of the fish as best you can. Is it acting reclusive? Is it always up towards the top of the aquarium? Is it avoiding light? How active is the fish? He is acting somewhat reclusive. As as where he is in the tank, he is at the top, but both of my clowns seem to sleep near the top every night near my HoB skimmer box. I have noticed the past two days the two clowns have been somewhat distant from each other.

10. Is the fish eating? What?My fish generally eat a combination of flakes, mysis and brine shrimp soaked in Selcon. Also some emerald entree

This fish has been healthy, until today when I notice his face. I check salinity, nitrates, magnesium, calcium, alk., temp and pH on a regular basis, and all seem to be in check. Last change to the aquarium was my weekly 10% water change yesterday (salinity remains 1.024). Everyone else seems to be happy including a few softies, LPS and RBTA. The only medication I have at the present is API's EM (erythromycin) a broad spectrum control of bacterial infections...lists fin and tail rot, gill disease, mouth fungus, hemorhagic septicemia and red sores as curable. Thanks for any help that you can provide without a picture!
 
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate undetectable (0-2 ppm)

This guy is still quite small so I am having trouble getting a good picture. I will try again when I get back home. He is now in QT...didn't want to risk the other fishes health.
 
Update

Update

Update: my clown is still in QT. Assuming a bacterial infection, I gave him 2 doses of erythromycin at 24 hour intervals...did a 25% water change and two more erythromycin doses at the same interval as the directions say. Yesterday I added carbon to absorb the medication. Today he has a new symptom. He is swimming vertically and seems to be disoriented. My initial guess was ammonia, but after running two different tests and my alert showing no signs I am at a loss. I tried to get a picture he he doesn't like to stay still, I did video him swimming though (click the top picture)...Please help me in trying to save this little one!




photo-1.jpg
 
Ouch. I've only ever had one fish come back from the "vertical top of the tank" swim and that was definitely ammonia poisoning. If your ammonia is good, then I'm not sure what to tell you. You can see the "fungus" in the second shot. It looks like it's on his chin and in his nostrils?
 
I can only imagine that my two clowns locked jaws, which caused an infection. I then placed him in my QT and treated for fungal/bacterial infection right away. Somehow he either had an adverse reaction to the meds, the meds closed his gills up (even with pretty high aeration), or somehow I missed an ammonia spike. He hasn't eaten the past 3 days...not sure of the easiest route for this one is at this point.
 
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