Fuzzy Clown

[tonyespinoza]

ok - the link in the FAQ for White Fuzz on fish is broken (or rather it returns no results from the search...)

this came up relatively suddenly -- i introduced a bubble tip last week and he took to it after one day. this white stuff showed up this morning. Almost looks like cow webs.

i've had the clown about a month. he ate at the LFS. but then when i brought him home, he wouldn't. after a few days i panicked and tried Cyclopeeze at the suggestion of someone on RC. it worked. now he happily takes PE Mysis (which i soak in Selcon once a week) and some Formula One & Two Pellets. I also have some "Randy's Food" which is a clown breeder's frozen formula. He doesn't eat much of that stuff (the anemone loves it tho).

tank is 3 months old

Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
SG 1.025
pH 8.2
Temp 79 - 80 F
dKH 9
Ca 420
29g (~22g actual)

35lb live rock (mature with coraline)
bare bottom
Tunze 9002 NanoSkimmer
Tunze NanoCleaner Mech Filter
150W Viper HQI

livestock:
- one ocellaris clown
- one yellowtail damsel (they're chummy - no chasing)
- one bubble tip anemone (quadricolor)

 

[Percula9]

You should remove him to quarantine. Try some melafix before trying antibiotics. It could be ich, it's hard to say. Treat for external parasites. Try to post a close up pic of the affected area. Soak the food in garlic for 20 min before feeding.

 

[tonyespinoza]

Doesn't look like ich to the naked eye -- but I could be wrong.

I've got the quarantine ready for him and the biological filter is cycled since I just introduced a cowfish to another tank after 4 weeks in hypo quarantine.

Any other thoughts?

Thanks Perc.

-tE

 

[Percula9]

From the first pic it doesn't look like ich to me either. Maybe a fungal infection possibly. Is it possible the Anemone could be stinging him? What ever it is, quarantine is the best move right now, until it can be sorted out.

 

[Spracklcat]

Absolutely get him into a hospital tank ASAP. Whatever treatment you choose is going to be bad for your main tank, and you want to decrease your risk of transmitting this to your other fish.

Cobwebs sounds like fungus. Malachite green or nitrofurazone might be the ticket here.