Worms? Ich? PLEASE HELP :(

[ericab]

So I'm new to the hobby and so far everything has been going amazing. But As i went to check my tank im starting to think my luck has run out.

I'm seeing little white specks that seem to be moving on the glass surfaces within my tank, and one (of three) clowns has these little white spots covering his body. he seems to be sitting at the bottom of the tank kind of sideways.. The other two look ok, but they are a lot more active than he is so I cant really get a good look to see if they have spots as well.

Got some live rock from this shop in santa monica and these snails started coming out of the pieces when i put them in and at night, looking at pictures i think they are Stomatella snails... should these be kept?

Really worried about the white spots though... please dont tell me i'm doomed.

(20 gal tank been running for about 2 months. Orange Linckia Starfish, 3 ocellaris clowns, 1 coral banded shrimp)

 

[MrTuskfish]

You can't see ich on the glass, probably pods and a good thing. Does the clown have any peeling/sloughing skin? Look like he's been sprinkled with salt? Have a velvety coating? Without a or a good description or a pic; ich (and other parasites) are impossible to really diagnose. check the appropriate stickies at the top of this forum and Google (include images) "marine ich", "brooklynella', and "marine velvet" and see if you can tell what it is. You're only doomed if you ignore it. You need a HT/QT to treat ALL of your fish while the DT remains fishless. When you get through this, use the QT with all new fish and you won't have to do this again. BTW, you should never keep more than 2 clowns together, except as juvis. When they mature and two form a pair---the 3rd one won't be tolerated.

 

[ericab]

Attached is a photo of my fish and one of the mystery snail (sorry for the poor quality, best i could get at night time.) I don't see any peeling skin or a velvet coating.. the white dots kind of look like salt, yes. Is setting up a quarantine tank setting up a whole new fish tank? Whats the best way to go about doing that? Should I get another clown so that the third will have a pair also? or remove him completely?
Thanks for you help by the way!

 

[aleonn]

The clownfish could have ich, but the spots seem larger than I'd expect for ich. Maybe someone can chime in on that.

The second photo is a picture of a stomatella snail, which is a beneficial hitch hiker.

 

[MrTuskfish]

I'm almost sure this ich. Its a good pic of a small fish. A QT is just a bare tank(s), heater, something for shelter, etc. The stickies above will help or search the forum. Some research is important; it will help make sense of the procedure. All fish need to be treated and the DT left fishless for 10-12 weeks.

 

[ericab]

With ich, do the white spots come and go? now that its daytime the spots have gone away and the fish are a lot more active.

 

[MrTuskfish]

With ich, do the white spots come and go? now that its daytime the spots have gone away and the fish are a lot more active.

Very common, spots will come and go until conditions are right and the parasite is all over your fishX100. Please read the stickies on ich & ich treatment.