Sick clowns QT help

[BCreefmaker]

I have 2 sick clowns I need treatment advice for again. I have two clowns that were sick about 2 months ago from a big mistake I made adding too much dry rock to my system. The cycle caused them to catch something, I posted their symptoms here and a formalin dip was suggested. I cannot find formalin in Canada. But soon after my CUC died, I tested the water, and found out there was a spike +40 No3 in the tank. After I did a few water change the clowns were already looking much better. But they have fallen ill again. This time it seems different. Not as much lethargy or scratching. I am not sure if I caught it earlier or if this is a completely different beast. It looks like ich spots, and some kind of scale rash almost. The black perc female has white is bumps all over her front half, but they seem super uniform. It is unlike any pictures of illness i have seen. I put them into QT last night and added herbtana. My main questions are:

1. What should I follow up with after the 10 day herbtana treatment? hypo, or just a few weeks of observation if they look better after herbtana?

2. My clowns are acting kind of weird this morning in the QT, the female is at the top, not gasping for air, but almost like she is hosting the surface of the water. And the male is on the bottom, but he normally sleeps there. The only difference is the water is 26 instead of 25. Seems like the HOB is giving a good amount of air circulation. Is this normal behavior? I do not normally consider their behavior in the morning.

3. Can photo period interruptions(darkness tuning to light and then back, i.e. light going on in my laundry room at night) or a sg swing of 1.025 to 1.023 cause enough stress to bring back a illness?

 

[MrTuskfish]

Herbtana will do nothing, IMO & IME. Reef-safe parasites meds are a fantasy. No3 at 40ppm is harmless to fish. What you're describing sounds like brooklynella (clownfish disease). Formalin is the only cure I'm aware of and I know its not available everywhere. there are a couple of products that contain formalin that you may be able to find; I think rid-ich is one of them. Get as much water flow as you can, gasping for air is common with brooklynella; this parasite is very fast and very deadly and you don't have much time----if this is brooklynella. You'll have to treat all the fish that were in the same tank with them. Google "marine brooklynella" and include images---see if this is what your fish have. Did you use a QT before putting these fish in your DT? I doubt the small swing in SG did anything, the parasite is there waiting; stress is way over-rated as a cause, IMO.

 

[BCreefmaker]

I did not expect the spike, so I was not testing for ammonia. I think the ammonia spike that preceded the nitrate spike harmed their gills possibly?

I was hoping the herbtana would work on the mystery disease. Thankfully the LFS I bought it from said if it does not work for me to just return it.

I googled brooklynella. It looks like the fish has a mold or fungus growing on it.

The clownfish female clown I have looks like she has goose bumps. On her face and lower front fins. Most diseases look to me like there is something attached to the skin. But in this case it looks like the scales themselves are effected. I cannot think of something that can give such a uniform distribution of spots or whatever they are.

Is hypo effective at all against brooklynella?

Is 25 to cold for a reef tank? I bumped my water up to 26 just be be safe.

Rid-ich has 11.5% formalin and malachite green. There was another product that was for ich that listed it as the first ingredient, but no percentage.

The clowns looks better today then yesterday. It seems like their ich spots have fallen off. Should I continue the herbtana then use rid-ich afterwards if needed?

They were not QT'ed but they are the only fish in the system.

Could poor diet be a reason? I have also suspected the mysis I get from my LFS is poor quality. Maybe it is time for a switch. I also feed NLS pellets as 50% of their diet. I have heard good things about them

 

[Triton_Z]

I would discontinue the use of Herbtana (use some carbon to remove it from your QT) and use the Rid-Ich as a dip/bath outside of your QT system for the clowns. See the directions for dosing.

Can you provide any pictures of your clownfish? 25-26 C is fine for your clowns.

 

[BCreefmaker]

They are looking better after the first use less then 24 hours, plus I am not sure if I can get rid-ich locally. I might have to order it. Its a long weekend, that means it is at least 4 days away. If they start eating before then should I continue the 10 day herbtana regiment? Or stop now even if I cannot get anything else?

 

[BCreefmaker]

I can try to get a pic. But most of shots for stuff this small end up a blur.

 

[BCreefmaker]

There is a place with formalin I found, but they do not have it in stock and the soonest it will be in is a week. Should I wait and get formalin or get rid-ich now?

 

[MrTuskfish]

There is a place with formalin I found, but they do not have it in stock and the soonest it will be in is a week. Should I wait and get formalin or get rid-ich now?

If this is brooklynella, you don't have time. Brook is a fast killer and fish are often lost even with prompt treatment. You'll have to do some math to get the product you found up to Formalin levels; assuming you can do this with the products other ingredients. I'd call tech support at the mfg for help.