what wrong with my picasso clown?

[nly04]

I just recently purchased this pair of Picasso grade A for $100 on April 10. Acclimate just like my other fish. They are in a 37g cube, this 37g cube been up for 3 weeks. water and rock from my other establish tank. There are four RBTA, couple zoa, few hammer and green mini maxi in the tank, there is no other fish. Parameter are: PH7.9, Salinity 1.025, MAG 1480, ALK: 8.5, CAL 480, temp 77, Phospate 4.0, Nitrate 0.12.

After first two day, I notice both of them have darker part from middle of the body to tail, they less active. The part that darker hardly move when they swim, they like to stay in a corner. They eat mysis but one eat more than other.

But the last two day, they are more active and both eat more and swim like normal even the dark part on their body still the same.

What happen? will they make it or will die? How to get them back to normal and how to make them host Anemone?

 

[nly04]

Really, no one ever seen this issue before?

 

[davocean]

No I have never seen that type of discoloration, sorry can't help on that one myself.

 

[Reefer54]

your tank is way young to adding so much so fast....

it looks like brooklynella or just plain ol' ammonia poisoning. the characteristics of their behavior suggest either of those as well.

how did you cycle...

you do not have a value for ammonia or nitrite, those are biggees, especially in a young tank, i suspect you did not cycle your tank properly.
if your Phosphate is 4 (which will kill livestock), you already have a large issue at hand, it is recommended to be no higher than .o3 ideally (mine is at .0478)

 

[sc50964]

what wrong with my picasso clown?

They are stressed, which is reflected by the discoloration. Nitrate is a bit high. Have you checked ammonia? Doing a 25% WC and turning the lights off to see if they will get better.

 

[Rippinfrags]

I don't think your clowns are suffering from poor tank parameters, but they appear to be quite sickly. I would definitely pull them and start medicating them in quarantine.

 

[nly04]

I do 20% WC every two week, the same time with my other tank. I may need to run a GFO reactor for this tank to reduce phosphate or place some Chemi-pure in the back chamber.

I don't have a quarantine tank and Im not planning to set up quarantine tank either cause they are by themselves on that tank.

I think I put them in the tank to fast. my tank is going through brown algae (cyano) bloom right now and hope will be gone in a week or two. Should I continues do WC while the tank finish it cycle?

 

[kiko81]

Well if your not going to set up a QT then yes keep doing water changes. And I agree on your phosphate being really high. And its been established that you placed the fishes in too early. Diatoms are part of the cycling process. Since those are pretty much the only livestock and not setting up a QT, I suggest medicating in your DT. And constant water changes. Hope they get better. They are beautiful clownfish. Keep us updated.

 

[mcfa2403]

I would be careful about medicating with all those nems in there... I'm curious as to how those inverts are doing with those tank parameters. Also brown algae as stated above is typically a diatom bloom. Cyano is actually a form of bacteria and is typically a shade of deep red. As far as water changes go I would say that with the livestock you have in there the water changes will be crucial especially if you start loosing nems.

 

[mcfa2403]

Also be careful with how much mysis you are feeding in that tank since it is still breaking in, some brands carry a considerable amount of waste in them.

 

[snorvich]

Yes, good advice to sloooooow down. Nothing good ever happens quickly in this hobby.,

 

[docdlo]

Definitely slow down even after I cycle I wouldn't put fish like that until I know my tank is right . .. Nice clowns btw. Are you die your not reading .4 on the phosphates that's too high for anything to be alive and your tank doesn't look like it's blooming with algae