Emergency Help Needed: Sick Maroon Clown

[budsreef]

I have had a six line wrasse and a maroon clown in a qt tank since Tuesday night. Both looked good this morning, but just now I went to check on the clown and found it struggling to breathe, fighting to stay afloat and it has white stuff on it. I don't know what ick looks like or what the white stuff is. Checked water params with Amm 0, Nitrite, 0 and Nitrate 0. Help! What can I do? The wrasse looks perfectly fine.
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[gordob]

My GS Maroon Clown has the same problem right now! I've had him for over a year now, and he's had no problems. The strange thing is that his color looks just as pretty as normal, but he's got that white film on him. He won't eat, and his two pectoral fins have started to look really rough. I'd love to know what's going on. My other fish are fine.

Thanks,
Brad

 

[simon_kruger]

Research Brooklynella.

 

[gordob]

Thanks Simon!

-Brad

 

[budsreef]

Simon.Kruger;64099 wrote: Research Brooklynella.

Thanks Simon, that sounds like it could be it. Says to treat with Formulin so going to try to find it now.

 

[gordob]

Yeah.....me too.

 

[flyingarmy]

Good luck with the clowns...hate losing any fish to disease but for some reasons the clowns are the toughest!

 

[budsreef]

Ok, Sam at Aquabuys had the Formulin-3 and I'm going to treat the clown now. I'm not sure what to do about the wrasse since it looks just fine at the moment.

 

[budsreef]

I treated the clown for 50 mins in a container, rinsed it in an untreated bath and then put it back into the qt. It doesn't look any better yet, but it doean't look any worse for being in a formaldehyde bath. I didn't treat the wrasse so keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

Yep that is Brook, dang it is looking like it is making the rounds!!! Good thing you QTed!!!

I would like to track down where all the Brook is coming from. Bud, where did you get yor clown from if you do not mind me asking!

Ya, a formalin dip in fresh or salt water is the way to go. About 1 ML of Formalin per gallon of water. Then into a QT tank for 4 weeks and I would run the QT tank at Hypo. You MUST treat all the fish too. All have been exposed so ALL have to go to QT.

Brad, have you introduced a fish recently, if so, what kind and from where?

 

[budsreef]

Brandon

I got mine from liveaquaria.com. I treated the clown but not the wrasse which is not showing any symptoms so far. I'm not going to do anything more tonight since I will not be here all day tomorrow to keep an eye on them. I will treat the wrasse on Sunday and if the clown is still alive should I treat it again then as well? If the problem is already in the qt how do I get it out? Won't they just keep getting infected?

BTW, I put together the qt because of the last time you talked about it on the ARC forum and because of that the problem is not now in my show tank. Thank You!

Bud

 

[theplatypus]

I would like to track down where all the Brook is coming from. Bud, where did you get yor clown from if you do not mind me asking!

For some reason it appears to show up every summer. Maybe it has something to do with the protozoan reproduction and water temp.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

Budsreef;64236 wrote: Brandon

I got mine from liveaquaria.com. I treated the clown but not the wrasse which is not showing any symptoms so far. I'm not going to do anything more tonight since I will not be here all day tomorrow to keep an eye on them. I will treat the wrasse on Sunday and if the clown is still alive should I treat it again then as well? If the problem is already in the qt how do I get it out? Won't they just keep getting infected?

BTW, I put together the qt because of the last time you talked about it on the ARC forum and because of that the problem is not now in my show tank. Thank You!

Bud

Bud, if it were me... I would wait till your next formalin dip (That is how you are treating right?) and move the fish over to a 5 gal bucket. While they are dipping, clean out the QT with bleach and re-set it up with new water. After that dip, I would let them be and check on them to see if they show any signs with in the next 4 weeks...

Glad you had your QT after our last talk. I am even more glad you are using it... Brings a tear to my eye, seriously!

 

[budsreef]

Xyzpdq0121;64298 wrote: Bud, if it were me... I would wait till your next formalin dip (That is how you are treating right?) and move the fish over to a 5 gal bucket. While they are dipping, clean out the QT with bleach and re-set it up with new water. After that dip, I would let them be and check on them to see if they show any signs with in the next 4 weeks...

Glad you had your QT after our last talk. I am even more glad you are using it... Brings a tear to my eye, seriously!

I was gone all day yesterday, but my wife said the clown was looking a little better and actually ate a little cyclopeeze. This morning it has some more mucous on it and is still breathing hard. The Wrasse still looks fine even though I have not treated it yet.

I really feel overwhemed at the moment especially at the thought of treating both fish while trying to empty the QT, clean it with bleach, and get it going again without screwing up something that will do even more damage.

I have two pieces of live rock in the qt and would hate to have to throw them away but it seems pointless to empty and bleach the tank if whatever this parasite is could be in the rock as well. Does this parasite have to have a fish to survive? Could I put the rock in my mantis tank that doesn't have any fish? Could it harm my mantis?

I can change the filter medium, but with a new cartridge and new water will that be too sterile of an environment for the fish? For that matter I have a new HOB filter that I could put on instead, but it probably has a much higher flow than the one that came with it.

Brandon, do you have any time this morning you could call me and help me with the endless stream of questions and misgivings I have?

 

[xyzpdq0121]

You got PM....

 

[jefft]

Brandon I also would like to know the answer to some of those questions. My QT tank is BB with no rocks and I use a HOB filter.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

Jeff, what spacific questions do you have on the subject?

 

[budsreef]

Ok, so after talking to Brandon for a while this afternoon here is the plan.

1. I'm putting the two pieces of live rock that are currently in my QT with the sick clown and the wrasse into my 12G mantis tank. The parasite needs a fish to live so if any exists on/in the rock it should run through its cycle and die off over time. I will do this tomorrow morning.

2. I went out and bought another 10G to use as a second QT and am mixing saltwater in it now and will let it aereate overnight using a mj1200 with the venturi attached. Target SG is 1.010.

3. After taking the rock out of the existing QT I'll treat the wrasse for 30-60 minutes depending on whether it shows any signs of distress. I know I'd be stressed if someone was giving me a formaldehyde bath. After the bath, I will rinse it in untreated saltwater at SG 1.010 and then place it in the new QT for observation. The plan will be to keep it there for 4 weeks. At the end of the third or maybe the fourth week, I'll start raising the SG a little each day until I get it back to 1.025.

4. Once the wrasse is in its new home I'll start the retreatment of the clown for about 30 minutes, again the time will depend on its stress level. While it is in treatment I will empty the QT, clean and rinse it with bleach, fill it with water and use Seachem Prime at 5X the normal to remove any trace of clorine. Then I will empty the tank and refill it with saltwater at SG 1.010. Once the tank is ready I'll put the clown in a rinse of SG 1.010 water and then put it back into the QT. I'll have a 5g bucket of SG 1.010 ready ahead of time in case I don't get the tank done during the treatment and if I need to cut the treatment short. After 4 weeks the plan is the same as for the wrasse.

Brandon, if I've missed anything or should change anything please let me know and if anyone else sees any flaws or prblems with this plan please speak up.

 

[jefft]

I really feel overwhemed at the moment especially at the thought of treating both fish while trying to empty the QT, clean it with bleach, and get it going again without screwing up something that will do even more damage.

Could I put the rock in my mantis tank that doesn't have any fish? Could it harm my mantis?

I can change the filter medium, but with a new cartridge and new water will that be too sterile of an environment for the fish? For that matter I have a new HOB filter that I could put on instead, but it probably has a much higher flow than the one that came with it.

These ones.

 

[budsreef]

jefftullius;64922 wrote: I really feel overwhemed at the moment especially at the thought of treating both fish while trying to empty the QT, clean it with bleach, and get it going again without screwing up something that will do even more damage.

Jeff, after talking with Brandon I feel better about what I need to do. The full plan is a couple entries back. Separating the treatment of the two fish and putting them back into separate QTs makes the task a little less daunting.

jefftullius;64922 wrote: Could I put the rock in my mantis tank that doesn't have any fish? Could it harm my mantis?

According to Brandon and other web resources this parasite needs a fish to survive so the rocks can go into my mantis tank that has no fish and any existing on the rock will run through its life cycle and eventually die off. This is why they also recommend that all fish be removed from an infected reef tank for at least 4 weeks to allow the parasite to perish.

jefftullius;64922 wrote: I can change the filter medium, but with a new cartridge and new water will that be too sterile of an environment for the fish? For that matter I have a new HOB filter that I could put on instead, but it probably has a much higher flow than the one that came with it.

According to the same resources this is exactly what the fish needs at the moment. Probably, and this is just my opinion based on previous readings, the one flaw I think I have is not already having enough saltwater that has aged for a couple of days for both QTs. I'm mixing a new batch now and will have half aged and half new for both tanks.

Hopefully, Brandon and maybe others will chime in here if I've mistated anything. Please speak up if you still have questions since you may come up with something I haven't thought about yet and should have.

Bud