Two True Percula Clownfish

[therealkilo]

Just noticed this today! Help please.

These were the last additions to my tank about 20 days ago. Tank parameters are stable and in normal levels. They are the only fish in the tank. Both are eating great! I feed them omega one brine shrimp spirulina enriched.

Temp = 78
Sal = 1.024

One fish is showing signs on his tail fin. Its white and reddish. Looks gross.

http://www.ioutm.com/img/tailFin1.jpg
http://www.ioutm.com/img/tailFin2.jpg




The other fish has a dark spot on his white area.

http://www.ioutm.com/img/body1.jpg
http://www.ioutm.com/img/body2.jpg

Any help is appreciated!

[ThRoewer]

The first one looks pretty bad even without considering the tail-fin. He has signs of unhealthy weight loss and a skin and fin infection. It's possibly a well advanced Brooklynella infection, but could also be Uronema or bacterial.

[therealkilo]

What do you think about the second guy and his brown blotch?

I have looked at a lot of images of Brooklynella. On the first fish it's only on the tail fin.

[therealkilo]

So after reading up on Brooklynella... the fish still eats (A lot). Doesn't have mucus on him, doesn't rub on things, is breathing normal, but he/she is pale...

Thoughts?

[snorvich]

Looks like brook or uronema to me. ThRoewer's advice is good.

[therealkilo]

Uronema is the worser of the two correct? From the little I have read....

[therealkilo]

Any advice, given that these are the only two fish in the tank? Kind of odd that both are showing completely different signs.

I have been looking here... http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/10/aafeature1 but nothing is really sticking out at this point, as both fish still have a huge appetite, clear eyes, no mucus, no scratching, no breathing distress... also, kind of odd that all of these have nearly the same symptoms. :headwallblue:

UGH! I don't know what to do.

[ThRoewer]

Some fish continue eating to the last moment.
The first one looks like there is more going on with it, given the fallen in back. I'm not sure if that one is still salvageable.
You should definitely be able to save the second one.

After going through my fish disease books it could also be a vibrio infection.

The Uronema, Brook and antibacterial treatment would be this:
Do formalin dips with daily tank transfers/sterilizations. Overnight treat with a broadband antibiotic (nifurpirinol/Furan 2, kanamycin, amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin,...).
The daily dips and transfers need to be kept up for at least a week.

Though formalin isn't recommended with open wounds.

[therealkilo]

So I lost the first one. :( It died.

Got the other one in a hospital tank now. I still don't know what this one has though. It only has the brown/black patch(es). They are not "peppery" though. Eyes and fins look great. No mucus. Eating like a pig.

How long should I leave my display tank fallow? 9 weeks is what I saw somewhere... Is that correct?

[ThRoewer]

Fallow period depends on what it was.
Six weeks usually cover velvet, brook and often also ich. But some (all?) ich strains ich strains may be capable of producing long term cysts that may hold out longer (longest observed period in a lab was 72 days, but there is no certainty that this is the max).

Uronema marinum is an opportunistic parasite that normally feeds on bacteria and detritus and can therefore live just fine without a host, so there is no fallow period that will rid your tank of it. The only way to get that out is to completely sterilize the system.

[therealkilo]

Well I still don't know what it is... Sooo I guess I keep researching.

[therealkilo]

New pictures from last remaining clownfish in hospital tank. Thoughts on what this is?

The black/brown patch now looks like this.

http://ioutm.com/img/c1.jpg
http://ioutm.com/img/c2.jpg
http://ioutm.com/img/c3.jpg

[ThRoewer]

brook or bacterial. Since he lives with it for a while I would say bacterial.

Did you treat him with anything?

I would get a broadband antibiotic and see if that helps.
Thomas Lab's FishMox (Amoxicillin) and FishFlox (Ciprofloxacin) have worked for me.

[therealkilo]

I picked up Triple Sulfa from the LFS two days ago and started with that... Hopefully it helps. If not, I will try what you mentioned. These clowns have been costly. :(

[ThRoewer]

True (wild) percula are always costly.
First they are hard to find - at least the nice ones with lots of black, and then they are usually "sick as a dog" and you have to treat them with formalin, antibiotics and all kinds of dewormers.

[therealkilo]

Did you mean FishFlex? Also, did you mean use them together or try one and then if no results move on. The Triple Sulfa doesn't look like its working. :(

I found a 3 pack on Amazon of Fish Mox Forte, Fish Flex and Fish Pen for $60. Do I need to buy anything else?

[ThRoewer]

Fish Flex is a different antibiotic: Cephalexin

Fish Flox Forte - Ciprofloxacin (http://www.thomaslabs.com/products/358-fish-flox-forte-ciprofloxacin-500mg.aspx)
Fish Flox (without the "forte") is the same but with halve the dosage per pill.

Use only one antibiotic at a time. Fish Mox may be easier to get and so far it worked for me.

Cipro is the preferred medication for sick anemones, but it works for fish as well.