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laurafishgal2
06/19/2009, 03:19 PM
Hi all,
I have a healthy (that I know of) reef tank - 72 gal bowfront. I have various corals, a leopard wrasse, algae blennie, yellow tang, hippo tang, cleaner shrimp, peppermint shrimp, 2 urchins, a few random snails/crabs, and I HAD 2 clowns - I'm not sure of their variety but it looks like the one in the link.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/58/Clown.fish.arp.750pix.jpg

I've had the clowns since I cycled the tank: about 18 months. I think they were starting to be a mating pair. They live in a big bubble tip. Over the last week the bigger clown which I'm assuming is the female, had a bulge in her middle. I thought they might be getting ready to lay eggs or something, then I noticed her breathing kind of funny. They always look like they're saying "YUP" - but this was more exaggerated. I noticed yesterday and today that she wouldn't eat when I fed- the male was darting all over the place stealing food from others in the tank.

Then I noticed that she was hanging out very close to the surface, which in 18 months they NEVER do. I was watching her swim and noticed that her breathing became more labored and I could see her gills - they looked kind of red (not too red though). Big flag that I could see them like that though.

So about 10 min ago, I noticed that she was dead... and I noticed a little blood or something near her rectum (if that's what its called on a fish).

Anyone have anything like this happen? I dont want to be a hypochondriac, however I don't want anything to happen to any other fish in the tank. Everyone seems fine and the corals are doing quite well this week- very FULL mushrooms and anemones.

Should I worry? and if not for sickness, what should I do for the poor other clown - he's now friendless - should I get him another one?

Thank you for your help!

clowns101
06/19/2009, 05:45 PM
I would say that the clown was becomeing bloated and then she just "blew" to put in simpler terms.Or the clownfish could of had a parasite that was causeing the clownfish to become clogged and not able to remove food.But if she had a parasite she would of had white stringy waste.If she did then she more than likely had a parasite.

bues0022
06/19/2009, 06:17 PM
I had a clown do something very similar, but I was lucky and she pulled through. I attributed mine to basically a very bad gut ache after over-gorging herself. I fed the tank more than usual one day, and was constipated, causing bloating, and the symptoms you described. Not sure if it was the same thing, but now I make sure to have nori in my homemade food for some "roughage".

dudley moray
06/19/2009, 06:59 PM
constipation is very serious and a common cause of death in many fish a varied diet is the only way to resolve it