Help, think clowns have brook

[Xartni]

Hi all,

So my wife has a pair photon clowns and just today I think they developed brook. At first thought it was ich, but it has developed into literally a velvety covering. They are hard to get pictures because they are so dark, but I tried to include a couple here.

I have put them in a hospital tank and will be looking for some formalin or quick cure. I do have cupramine, but I don't think that treats velvet.

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Jason

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[Xartni]

Hi, would also add that I just called an LFS and they said that quick cure is no longer available? Is it still at Wal Mart like I have seen other posts? I looked on walmart.com and it looks like some other company is selling it, but it is in gallon form for over $100, is that the smallest? Sorry, just found the small bottle, will try and go pick it up.

Also, looks like I would have to order, which may be too later for the fish. Trying to figure out where I can get it local in so cal.

Jason

 

[Newsmyrna80]

I've bought mine at the Walmart pet section. But I know formalin is not readily available in California. It's a small bottle that costs about $3. Are you thinking the clowns have brook or velvet?

 

[Xartni]

Seems to be a run on local walmarts for the quick cure. I don't want to treat anything until I am sure what it is.

Looks like the cupramine works for ich and velvet and quick cure for brook...? I've read velvet progresses very quickly, the two clowns are still swimming and interacting and the 'velvet' covering is still relatively faint..

I will try and get some more pics, hopefully some people can weigh in.

Thanks

Jason

 

[Xartni]

More Pics

More Pics



Any help ID'ing is appreciated!

Jason

 

[HumbleFish]

I think that's likely Brook (or possibly Velvet). Either way, a formalin bath should provide immediate relief. If the Brook diagnosis is accurate, the fish should look much better after the bath. But you'll have to keep doing formalin baths, and moving the fish to clean water afterwards... to completely knock it out.

 

[Xartni]

Thanks, I went to one Walmart and tried to call a couple of others. I will look tomorrow. Hopefully it does not get too bad overnight.

Jason

 

[Newsmyrna80]

If you can not immediately get Quick Cure then FW dips will alleviate brook symptoms until you can get some. It won't cure it but it will buy you some time. I recently read a thread where someone used metro for brook. I don't think it cured the fish but it also bought time. Unfortunately it is nearly impossible to diagnose velvet from brook when the disease is in its early stages let alone diagnose from a pic.

 

[enjetek]

Xartni, if you're willing to drive to rainbow pets in the San Fernando valley I know they have the large quick cure bottles. Good luck!!!

 

[Xartni]

Thanks, finally found it at a walmart in Irvine.

Next question is - how many drops do I dose in a 1g bucket for the dip? The instructions say 1 drop per gallon, but I think that is if you are going to dose the QT. Should the dip be higher since it is only a short period?

Thanks,

Jason

 

[HumbleFish]

Next question is - how many drops do I dose in a 1g bucket for the dip? The instructions say 1 drop per gallon, but I think that is if you are going to dose the QT. Should the dip be higher since it is only a short period?

I would dose as per instructions on the bottle. It doesn't take much formalin to get the job done.

You will want to aerate the bucket heavily before & during the dip, as formalin quickly depletes the water of O2. Try for a 45-60 min dip; but if he starts looking bad, move him ASAP. I would not put him back in the same tank/water he came out of to prevent reinfection.

 

[Xartni]

Thanks.

I am currently doing a SW dip at the recommended dosage. You bring up and interesting point about not putting them back in the same water.. How do I do this with the hospital tank setup? Should I use all new water in the HT every time I dip? Currently in the HT I have a filter, air stone, a heater and a bag of live sand from the main tank for bio filtration. Should I take that out or change anything in the HT setup?

Thanks

 

[HumbleFish]

I am currently doing a SW dip at the recommended dosage. You bring up and interesting point about not putting them back in the same water.. How do I do this with the hospital tank setup? Should I use all new water in the HT every time I dip? Currently in the HT I have a filter, air stone, a heater and a bag of live sand from the main tank for bio filtration. Should I take that out or change anything in the HT setup?

Since Brook is a contagious parasite disease, it seems logical that the fish would just keep getting reinfected every time he was put back in the same tank. So, you'd either have to do the equivalent of tank transfer (new tank/water/equipment) every time after a dip, or treat the QT itself. Below is a quote taken from this sticky on Brook:

Chemical Treatments - Formalin

While formalin is toxic, carcinogenic and an irritant, it is, however, one of the best treatments for Brooklynella hostilis and Uronema marinum. It can be purchased readily from your chemist and some off-the-shelf cures contain it or a related chemical (paraformaldehyde or gluteraldehyde) so a read of the labels or data sheets of some products is essential if you want to use it.

The best way to use this chemical for Brooklynella hostilis and Uronema marinum is as a formalin dip followed by a long term formalin bath (see environmental treatments).

To use it as a short dip in seawater, make up a bath in seawater at 200 to 250ppm for 1 hour. The dip component of this treatment regime should be carried out on days 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 & 11 after each dip the fish should be returned to a quarantine tank to which formalin has been added (see below).

For the long term bath component of this treatment, add 25ppm of formalin to your quarantine tank (it's toxic to some invertebrates and algae, including most coralline algae species, so cannot be used in a reef situation)

Remember liquid formalin (which is how you will get it from the chemists) is 37 to 40% formaldehyde and you want 25ppm so you need to add 0.0625ml formalin per liter rather than 0.02ml to get the correct dose.

As this chemical is very toxic it is recommend that appropriate protective clothing is worn such as gloves and safety glasses and use it in a well ventilated place.

 

[Newsmyrna80]

As Humblefish suggested do a tank transfer after each dip. I cured a flame angel using this method...and it was Humblefish that helped me with it

 

[Xartni]

Well, I am going with treating the QT tank. Fish ate like crazy today, like normal. However, I did just notice that one of the clowns now has white stringy poo. Is this a sign of brook or something else?

They primarily eat pellets, if that makes a difference. The clown that has more of the whiteness on her seems to be about the same as yesterday, the male, who doesn't have as much, is the one with the white stringy poo.

Thanks for the help.