How to acclimate a pair?

Here is how I do it. Furthur research has many other different methods but this works for me IF I catch it early enough (sometimes I do not as I am raising a toddler).

1cc/5 gallons of water. After 24 hours, move them into a new clean tank with 1cc/5 gallons. Repeat for four days. That usually will kill it off completely.
 
well I haven't lost one yet but the small one is still struggling.

large one: very active last evening, attempted to eat for the first time, took a two or three selcon soaked cyclopeeze and formula 1 frozen chunks. Color looks good and has stopped breathing rapidly. Swimming freely and all around looks a lot better than the previous two days.

small one: I can't believe he made it through last night. He is still breathing rapidly and labored. Ate again last night and swam around for 30-40 minutes and then returned to the bottom and began his hard breathing. I'm pretty sure the end is near for this one but am surprised he's made it this long. From all I've heard the rapid breathing and being tipped over leads to a pretty quick death. I still don't see any outward signs of disease except stringy white poop but this seems to have cleared in both as each had regular feces after eating last night.
 
Congrats on more than likely pulling the larger one through. I do hope the poor lil fella gets to feeling better. I am pretty shocked as well that it is still alive.
 
yeah, it makes me wonder what's going on with him. I feel like him holding on this long means that maybe its not a disease but more likely a parasite (internal, if its external its super small) or being really stressed from the shipping. If I didn't have to ship his body back for my refund I would take him to work and do a full autopsy just out of curiosity.
 
Also, I think when I go home for lunch I'm going to take out the smaller one and place him in the freezer if I see no improvement, I'm scared he'll pass when I'm not around and that a 10g qt is going to foul very fast if he decomposes for any amount of time.
 
I wouldn't freeze him yet. He may surprise you and pull through. I do not think that he will foul the water very quickly at all. I had a mass dieoff about a year ago in a quarantine tank and to my surprise everyone else lived (large tank, lots of talbot damsels and mollies).
 
Metronidazole 250 mg/10 gallons

Seachem AquaZole can be used as a substitute to Metronidazole as well.

Just trying to help the best I can :)
 
I'm going to see what's available at the pet stores today although I'm sure nothing good. Otherwise the two aquatic vets here were out of town collecting in the gulf but should be back today so that would be awesome if I could get a conclusive diagnosis and treatment schedule.
 
now that I have a minute a little update.

large: still swimming around a bit, hangs out in one corner mostly, no gill flashing. Was interested in food for the first time but never actually took any, just chased it around for a while.

small: this morning I thought he would be gone by noon but I got home and he was swimming off of the bottom (only .5-1") and ate a lot of food. breathing is still rapid but not as labored.

both generally look to have improved over yesterday but both still look to be in the woods, obviously especially the little one.

I'm going to be out of town for the evening, returning late tonight so I hope nothing drastic happens while I'm gone. I'm picking up an rbta from a fellow reefer (at a great price!). I'm pretty certain that I have all of my parameters under control but this will be a big test. I hate to do it this way but it is very rare that a specimen I am looking for is available in the area, and especially for a good price. I have a fellow reefer (well respected by experts such as melev) who can keep the nem if things start out bad, but I hope I don't have to go down this road.
 
Well they may still be in the woods, but they are finding the way out finally. Congrats on the RBTA find. I love all of my anemones :)

Let's just hope that they will keep fighting and all will be well in a week or so.
 
Weekend update:

the large clown has taken to roaming the tank. she's finally explored all corners and her coloration is back. She looks very good and only worry that I may have to move her if she messes to much with the little one. I didn't think she'd been eating but I stayed up late on friday and caught her cruising the bottom for some leftovers so that is a good sign.

the small guy is doing a lot better, but is still going to warrant a lot of attention in the next week. His breathing has slowed to normal and it isn't labored. His appetite has grown and he eats anything I put in. His color has come back, but he still hangs out toward the bottom and his dorsal fin is clamped. At night I'll catch him falling over to his side and then picking himself up, it happens pretty fast and he doesn't look like he's struggling. I caught him doing it once and threw a few flakes in and he jumped up and swam around to eat it all. Cruised the tank for 15 minutes finding every piece and then and went and swam next to the other fish. So this has me confused exactly what he's doing tipping over. I've seen him do the lay down and shake to the larger fish but this is different and he does it when he's by himself.
 
The clown that I have in quarantine tips over on her side to sleep at night. My B&W pair also sleeps on their sides in the BTA's. It is probably just sleeping as normal. Glad they are OK now! How about a new photo?
 
I'll get pics this afternoon when the lights come on. My rose is hiding right now but wow is she a good looking specimen! full inflated tentacles, a tight mouth and dark red coloring. The guy had 4 clones in the tank for a few years and had to get rid of it, hopefully it will do well. Also excited my reefer mentor said I was ready to take his frogspawn frags, super cool with both purple and green tips, even some bicolor tips, haven't seen any like it to buy.

The clowns continue to improve so I think I will start the 30 day countdown tomorrow for them to be put into the DT.
 
Awesome! I can not wait to see everything. Congrats and beginning to get corals and such. That is a big step. I will be on later, I am in a rush to get out the door if I seem distant.
 
so wow, lots happening this weekend and never got around to taking pics, but had to do some interesting things.

After testing the params in my QT tank 5 times/day I noticed my pH, NH3, and NO3 levels were fluctuating very heavily. At times when the fish would sink and begin breathing heavily as expected the NH3 would be very high. In lieu of this problem I knew it was best to get these guys into a stable environment.

So I took out the two gobies I had (only other fish) and placed them in a 20G tub with all proper equipment, they will be here for a few weeks to a month.

I then took the clownfish and began acclimating them to the DT. I had the chance to really check them out before adding them to document any abnormalities on their bodies. I also took samples of some gill sluff, feces, and a slime coat scraping. I fixed these samples under TEM and SEM (electron microscopes) at work and determined that I wasn't dealing with brook or ich and that there were no internal parasites spotted through the fecal samples.

As soon as they entered the DT tank everything has changed. They have been active and hunting pods all day. Both fish accepted formula 1 flake and cyclopeeze flake. There are no breathing fluctuations now and they have again begun their fight for dominance.

I know it wasn't the best idea to do this but I'm pretty sure that he fluctuating conditions and water quality were what was affecting the fish the most. Of course I may have to take these guys out to treat if i can get a definitive diagnosis but it seems that all problems have been alleviated with this transfer. And i know the gobies are hoping this doesn't last long cause they've been kicked out of their 6 bedroom mansion and into a hotel, but I'm sure the pistol shrimp will have another wing to the burrow opened by the time they're back.

This afternoon I'll get some pics, now my question is whether there are any tips to getting a clown to try and host in the nem. I've heard the picture thing works so I may try it, but I'm sure patience and time will work this out.
 
Awesome that they pulled threw! I think the wc in the beging was a part of the stress, when i bought my pair os picasso they went straight to the display but they were form a lfs that kept just ora picasso in the tanks, with no other fish. When i think that my clowns are looking sick i use Ich Attack it 100% organic and ok to use in reefs. It kills ick, fungis,protozoans.and dinoflagellates. It has taken care of any problem w/ in a few days.
Also want to see pics of them in the main display!
 
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