White cottony growths on my clowns...

[Raibaru]

I've been trying to use the link in the sticky for the past 3 hours with no luck. Always giving server busy message.

My clownfish have white growths that appear from time to time when they are stressed. Usually happens when I have to change water (no sump so I drain display and pour over top) or when sand gets kicked up when I move something.

The one never had it until I got the other from the LFS. I've tried using PrimaFix in both my main display tank and in quarantine. I also used these pills type things that I've long since forgotten the name of.

Is this just something I should ignore and it will be a part of their lives forever? Or should I try something else for them?

Also as a side note, these white growths some times appear on their fins and tails. Eventually they fall of/disappear and leave the area a but torn up. In the case of my black oscellaris clown, he had a gash/lesion looking area once it disappeared. Will this eventually color back over and become black again? Same with the tip of his tail which is slowly growing back.

 

[ludiNano]

what are you water paramiters?

 

[limitdown]

If it's isolated to the edges of the fins, then it's likely lymphocystis.

A very annoying disease caused by a virus. There is no known cure for it as of now. A few of my fish have gotten it before while in QT. I did extra water changes and dipped all food in garlic and selcon. The spots eventually went away.

Since your fish is in the DT, you can consider moving him to a QT so that he doesn't infect others. Although this might help a bit, the spots that have fallen off are on the sandbad, so it's difficult to say if the virus will infect others.

The good news is that lymph doesn't kill. It just annoys.

 

[Raibaru]

Yea, my black clown 'infected' my orange clown but I've never seen this on my other fish ever. And it seems to be mostly stress induced as they only appear really when I do water changes or kick up the sand.

Six Line also picking on everyone doesn't help much either.

It's not on the fins all the time either. On their side (not by gills) regularly too. Usually on their side where their fins would normally touch their body.

Doesn't seem to cause the fish any harm. Just ugly and disappointing.