Sick clowns, need help w/pics

[john miller]

I've had these fish in a QT tank for 4 weeks. Tank bred percula. I put them into my DT yesterday evening about 6 p.m. and this is what I found when the lights came on this afternoon.

Looks like ICH but I wanted to make sure before I start treatment.

The larger of the two is in worse shape but the other also has it to a lesser degree. For the entire four weeks they have looked perfect and eaten great. No loss of color, heavy breathing or anything out of the ordinary.

These are the first fish that have been in the tank. I has been set up since January and parameters are good. And since I know you'll ask I just give you the condensed version 78*/1.024/8.0/0/0/0/0+/400/9

 

[PJtree23]

looks like the "clown fish" disease Brooklynella...not sure tho. My clown is sick at home with something similar I will get a pic up later today.

PJ

 

[MrTuskfish]

looks like the "clown fish" disease Brooklynella...not sure tho. My clown is sick at home with something similar I will get a pic up later today.

PJ

+1 This doesn't look anything like ich. Ich looks like the fish was sprinkled with salt. Brooklynella, clownfish disease, is not confined to clownfish. You need to do some quick research and get busy. Brooklynella is deadly, very contagious and (as you've seen) acts quickly. Formalin is the preferred treatment. I'm not an expert at diagnosing fish from pics, but this is defiantly not ich. Velvet would be my 2nd guess; but the speed of this fish's deterioration and the excessive slime (it appears to me) points to brook. This stuff can wipe out a tank of fish in a few days, if conditions allow. Look at online descriptions and decide if its brook or velvet---they require different treatments and both are deadlier, faster than ich.

 

[charleneatkins]

this happened overnite? Scary. Please keep posted. Charlene

 

[Sk8r]

I'm thinking Brooklynosis.
From the treatment sticky: "Brooklynosis: a parasitic infestation more seen in clowns than other species: if a pale body film, likely; other symptoms lethargy, spitting out food, difficulty breathing: formalin dip: Formalin added at a dosage of 1000 ppm for some 15 minutes. "Revive" brand fish medicine added to water: contains acriflavine---for 14 days. DO not treat in main tank."

As fast as this is progressing, if you don't have these things in house go get them now. Use the phone to ascertain which store has them.

 

[jt_milstead]

Very strange. Those are tank raised fish( i think). Most tank raised clowns dont get Brook. I looks more like velvet to me. What else have you recently added to your tank(im not just asking about fish)? Are they eating? I have used Rid Ich + for many fish issues with great success.

 

[john miller]

I have formalin. I just have to go out and get another tank.

How could they have gone through 4 weeks of QT and be perfectly fine to the state they're in overnight?

 

[MrTuskfish]

Very strange. Those are tank raised fish( i think). Most tank raised clowns dont get Brook. I looks more like velvet to me. What else have you recently added to your tank(im not just asking about fish)? Are they eating? I have used Rid Ich + for many fish issues with great success.

As I understand it, most tank raised fish don't CARRY it; just because they should never have been exposed. But I think they can still get it from other fish or careless introduction of wild fish by the breeder. (This is very common to avoid over-inbreeding). Theoretically, tank bred and raised fish shouldn't carry any parasite, they are in a constant state of modified QT; but then they are mixed with other fish and become infected. I believe any fish can become infested with this parasite.

 

[john miller]

Yes, they were bought as tank raised but since I didn't raise them who knows.

There has been a dramatic improvement in it's overall appearance in the last few hours. All the slime is gone from the body and fins and all that's left is a light "haze". But it appears to be having problems breathing now.

The only thing I could find was API Liquid Fungus Cure. Contains 0.4% Acriflavine and 1.0% PVP. Think this will do?

Got another tank so I'm going to set it up now. So is it brook or velvet?

 

[john miller]

double post

 

[steelhead77]

That is DEFINITELY Brooklynella. Formalyn is the ONLY thing that will cure it. If you don't treat within the next 24 hours, there is a 99.99% chance this fish will be dead. Brook is not like ich. They cannot fight it off on their own. They must be treated. Brook is like 3rd degree burns on a person, without treatment, the prognosis is not good.

How it came into your tank is irrelevant at this point, it must be treated immediately. The good news is that once healed, they are immune to it.

-Good Luck. Keep us posted.

 

[MrTuskfish]

That is DEFINITELY Brooklynella. Formalyn is the ONLY thing that will cure it. If you don't treat within the next 24 hours, there is a 99.99% chance this fish will be dead.[/QUOTE


I agree. "Close" doesn't work with meds; on people or fish.

 

[john miller]

That is DEFINITELY Brooklynella. Formalyn is the ONLY thing that will cure it. If you don't treat within the next 24 hours, there is a 99.99% chance this fish will be dead. Brook is not like ich. They cannot fight it off on their own. They must be treated. Brook is like 3rd degree burns on a person, without treatment, the prognosis is not good.

How it came into your tank is irrelevant at this point, it must be treated immediately. The good news is that once healed, they are immune to it.

-Good Luck. Keep us posted.

If you look up a few posts I do have Formalin. The API stuff I was asking about was what Sk8r was saying to treat the water after the dip.

I will be treating them tonight. It took me almost 2 hours to catch them and get them in the HT last night. I figure they would be to stressed to treat last night.

I'll keep everyone updated on how it goes.
Thank you for the replies.

 

[john miller]

The female died last night and the male died this afternoon.

 

[Josh_Canada]

thats a bummer...

 

[MrTuskfish]

Sorry to hear about the clowns
. But, learn from it. Most parasites need to be attacked ASAP. Brooklynella is especially quick. Several posts have made this point, yet you waited to treat them, even after they were caught, because they were stressed from being chased? maybe they were, but how about the stress of the parasite that was killing them? I don't mean to sound harsh, but you just saw what brooklynella can do and how quick it acts. It can wipe out an entire tank in a week-end.

 

[badstraw]

i agree