Won this "platinum" clown fish pair today at a conference raffle. The one has a really bad under bite and the other can't seem to swim. What could be this issue, and is it something that's permanent??? The poor guy couldn't make it in the reef tank cause of the flow, so we moved him up to the bio cube but the clowns in that tank are not happy with that at all. Watch "Platinum clowns???" http://youtu.be/Tpymif5hL90
What's up with these clowns??
- Thread starter toddmau5
- Start date
CoralsAddiction
Active member
They don't look 100% healthy. The underbite thing could be a result of sting (coral or anemone) or it could be trauma either from rock falling on the fish or from net. On the one that can't swim I would guess he is very badly infected with parasite(s) or suffered a trauma. It's very hard to tell from the video.
Putting them with other clowns especially established ones is not a good idea. That will stress all of the clowns...and kill the new ones.
Putting them with other clowns especially established ones is not a good idea. That will stress all of the clowns...and kill the new ones.
CoralsAddiction
Active member
The only advice is to put platinum clowns in quarantine, observe for symptoms, feed them and treat them with appropriate medication.
ocellaris123
Active member
The underbite is probably the result of bad breeding techniques, meaning lack of culling.
Not so much worried about the underbite as I am with getting the little guy swimming again. I have a slew of medications on hand but I'm not really sure what to start with since I'm not exactly sure what's going on. They're both eating brine like it's going out of style. My only guess is something swim bladder related since he sinks like a rock and swims like the Dickens to try and stay upright
SaltwaterNoob17
Wrasse Whisperer
Were the clowns already like this when you won them at the raffle, or is this something that they developed once you brought them home?
SaltwaterNoob17
Wrasse Whisperer
My thoughts are that the clowns aren't sick and don't have any form of parasite or disease that you can actually treat.
I think both the underbite and weird swimming are aquacultured deformities. Like, ocellaris123 said, typically these fish are culled, but I think you won a bad batch. I work at an aquaculture facility and have seen both of these deformities before. The weird swimming is a swim bladder issue. Fish with this issue don't inflate their swim bladder (as they should) when they are larvae. It's thought to be linked to poor water quality or malnutrition.
If this is the case, I don't think there is anything you can do about it. As far as I know, both are permanent conditions.
I think both the underbite and weird swimming are aquacultured deformities. Like, ocellaris123 said, typically these fish are culled, but I think you won a bad batch. I work at an aquaculture facility and have seen both of these deformities before. The weird swimming is a swim bladder issue. Fish with this issue don't inflate their swim bladder (as they should) when they are larvae. It's thought to be linked to poor water quality or malnutrition.
If this is the case, I don't think there is anything you can do about it. As far as I know, both are permanent conditions.
Yeah the underbite I know there is no changing that, just points to the direction of bad batch/birth defect. The swimming one is my biggest concern. If there's no treatment I really don't think there's any way he's going to make it through the week. He tries to swim but gets to worn out and just lays on the bottom on his side panting.
SaltwaterNoob17
Wrasse Whisperer
I'd keep him in a tank with very little flow. My experience with fish like this is that they can survive fine as long as flow isn't too intense and they are able to eat.
Postal
Active member
+1
The fish with the swimming issue is obviously misshapen as well as potentially malnourished.
At which conference/raffle did you win the pair?
SaltwaterNoob17
Wrasse Whisperer
Sorry to hear it.
