Worried about my clowns

[pamelahaley]

They look pretty normal to me. I have had clowns before and if they didn't have an anemone or something to host, they were stressed until I bought a nem. Sadly, this being a new tank, you can't have a nem until it stabilized for 6 months to a year and you CANNOT use a copper based ich treatment in that tank if you intend to keep inverts and a nem.

You could however, get a cleaner shrimp if you wanted to try a natural ich treatment. It's really cool watching them interact. If you don't have the $ for a cleaner, I have had a freak peppermint do the same task from time to time. DO NOT Buy a cleaner wrasse.

 

[skymastre]

All right, I'll pick up a multimeter from amazon. In the meantime, should I just leave the bigger fish in the tank? I raised the temp slowly through the night last night, is there anything else I can do for her?


I guess I should have driven to ImagineOcean to buy my livestock, rather than the cheap store out here in bumble that I got them at!

 

[skymastre]

Pamelahaley;574554 wrote: They look pretty normal to me. I have had clowns before and if they didn't have an anemone or something to host, they were stressed until I bought a nem. Sadly, this being a new tank, you can't have a nem until it stabilized for 6 months to a year and you CANNOT use a copper based ich treatment in that tank if you intend to keep inverts and a nem.

You could however, get a cleaner shrimp if you wanted to try a natural ich treatment. It's really cool watching them interact. If you don't have the $ for a cleaner, I have had a freak peppermint do the same task from time to time. DO NOT Buy a cleaner wrasse.

I wasn't thinking I'd get a cleaner shrimp or any other sensitive invert until I was sure I could manage 'easy' fish and take care of them when they got sick. At this point I'd like to get the fish I've got settled and happy before buying shrimp.

I'm going to be adding coral to the tank, so would rather avoid CU. I've got a 10 gallon tank set up at 83/1.010 salinity so if the bigger fish starts looking as bad last, not moving off the bottom I'm going to transfer him.

 

[jennm]

You can probably get a multimeter from HD or similar for around $10 or less. I'd lend you mine but it's a heck of a drive. Maybe another local has one to lend?

Jenn

 

[cr500_af]

I think even WalMart has meters... if not, the chain auto parts stores do for sure.

 

[pamelahaley]

I just don't feel clownfish should be without an anemone based on experience. They host other things to make up for it but, it's about as good as picking a hooker up on the side of the street for a night to make up for not having a girlfriend. In the end, it's just a bad idea because it causes more stress than it's worth.

Their symbiosis is an genetic instinct at this point in evolution.

can't have any inverts (ever) if you use a copper treatment with that rock in that tank.

Fresh water dips it is... (consider the stress that causes as well.)

PS... I've never had a clown WITH an anemone with ich. I've had clowns without nems with ich. Supposedly the clown's coating and heartyness helps with ich prevention buuut... I think the nems sting may have some hand at it as well.

If those are false percula, the one acting wierd may not be sick, just dumb.

I had one of those once... it died of stupidity. It spent 3 days in the middle of the tank swimming against the current... lights on and lights off 24/7 it never ate, never slept; it just swam til it died.

skymastre;574557 wrote: I wasn't thinking I'd get a cleaner shrimp or any other sensitive invert until I was sure I could manage 'easy' fish and take care of them when they got sick. At this point I'd like to get the fish I've got settled and happy before buying shrimp.

I'm going to be adding coral to the tank, so would rather avoid CU. I've got a 10 gallon tank set up at 83/1.010 salinity so if the bigger fish starts looking as bad last, not moving off the bottom I'm going to transfer him.

 

[skymastre]

Pamelahaley;574590 wrote: I just don't feel clownfish should be without an anemone based on experience. They host other things to make up for it but, it's about as good as picking a hooker up on the side of the street for a night to make up for not having a girlfriend. In the end, it's just a bad idea because it causes more stress than it's worth.

Their symbiosis is an genetic instinct at this point in evolution.

can't have any inverts (ever) if you use a copper treatment with that rock in that tank.

Fresh water dips it is... (consider the stress that causes as well.)

PS... I've never had a clown WITH an anemone with ich. I've had clowns without nems with ich. Supposedly the clown's coating and heartyness helps with ich prevention buuut... I think the nems sting may have some hand at it as well.

If those are false percula, the one acting wierd may not be sick, just dumb.

I had one of those once... it died of stupidity. It spent 3 days in the middle of the tank swimming against the current... lights on and lights off 24/7 it never ate, never slept; it just swam til it died.

It's a good point with the anemone, though I thought a lot of people had success with clowns w/out one.

I'm pretty convinced the fish were diseased. I just can't tell if it is Brooklynella or ich or some other variation.

I pulled the fish from the display tank and popped her into a 10g tank, 83 w/ salinity at 1.015 (after a few hours of acclimation). She's a bit stressed so will have to see. After she calms down a bit I'll go from there w/ trying to get better photos and treating.

The LFS said they would replace the fish despite it being outside of their 24 hour alive policy.

I've got a voltage meter on the way from Amazon. As noted, I live in the middle of freaking nowhere so getting to a store wasn't the best option.

 

[pamelahaley]

People do have success with them but, like I said, they just host other things. The one I had who was stressed w/o an anemone hosted hammer coral and a brain to name 2 I can remember. He hosted various things through out the months because he couldn't find something that comforted him. It bothered me as he harassed the corals, keeping them closed. Once he got the nem, he never hosted anything else. I think he got most stressed after the first nem b/c I tried GBTAs who never sat still and ended up in the filter. So, he had nems come and go. After 3 tried, the 3rd went back to the store since I caught it pre-filter... I just bought a LTA which lasted until I sold the fish.

What I found funniest with my clown was that stores said it could take weeks for him to find and host the nem... it took about 20 minutes. I did get my clown a mate and they fought for 3 days before my he became a she.

If you have your clowns in a QT for treatment, you can treat the fish however you want. I was concerned you only had 1 tank with LR in it.


False Percs, IMO are the least intelligent and the most disease prone of the clowns. If you want an interesting clown, try another species. I've only tried false perc, GBM and Sabae. I'm considering going back to GBM or trying Onyx. If you want an easy fish to start with, I have some damsels you can have. They are indesctuctable and, great for conditioning new tanks.

 

[skymastre]

Pamelahaley;574714 wrote: People do have success with them but, like I said, they just host other things. The one I had who was stressed w/o an anemone hosted hammer coral and a brain to name 2 I can remember. He hosted various things through out the months because he couldn't find something that comforted him. It bothered me as he harassed the corals, keeping them closed. Once he got the nem, he never hosted anything else. I think he got most stressed after the first nem b/c I tried GBTAs who never sat still and ended up in the filter. So, he had nems come and go. After 3 tried, the 3rd went back to the store since I caught it pre-filter... I just bought a LTA which lasted until I sold the fish.

What I found funniest with my clown was that stores said it could take weeks for him to find and host the nem... it took about 20 minutes. I did get my clown a mate and they fought for 3 days before my he became a she.

If you have your clowns in a QT for treatment, you can treat the fish however you want. I was concerned you only had 1 tank with LR in it.


False Percs, IMO are the least intelligent and the most disease prone of the clowns. If you want an interesting clown, try another species. I've only tried false perc, GBM and Sabae. I'm considering going back to GBM or trying Onyx. If you want an easy fish to start with, I have some damsels you can have. They are indesctuctable and, great for conditioning new tanks.

Another species might be a good idea in the future. At the moment it seems though that the best course of action would to stabilize the display tank, make sure there are no bugs in it, and try and save the last fish that is infected (with whatever it is that it is infected with)?

Would you suggest a different course?

 

[pamelahaley]

"The LFS said they would replace the fish despite it being outside of their 24 hour alive policy. "

Save the fish if you can. If it doesn't make it and you end up getting it replaced, get a little cheapsy damsel of your color preference to condition and stabilize your tank. They are pretty much impossible to kill and you want to stabilize your environment. Anytime I start a tank, I start it with at least one damsel for a month until it's cycled.

Thankfully I haven't had to start a totally fresh tank in a few years. I just upped and downgraded as necessary... of course I'm stuck with 3 damsels after going through a brokespell and selling/giving away most of my livestock.

 

[mvm]

Pamelahaley;574590 wrote: I just don't feel clownfish should be without an anemone based on experience. They host other things to make up for it but, it's about as good as picking a hooker up on the side of the street for a night to make up for not having a girlfriend. In the end, it's just a bad idea because it causes more stress than it's worth.

Their symbiosis is an genetic instinct at this point in evolution.

can't have any inverts (ever) if you use a copper treatment with that rock in that tank.

Fresh water dips it is... (consider the stress that causes as well.)

PS... I've never had a clown WITH an anemone with ich. I've had clowns without nems with ich. Supposedly the clown's coating and heartyness helps with ich prevention buuut... I think the nems sting may have some hand at it as well.

If those are false percula, the one acting wierd may not be sick, just dumb.

I had one of those once... it died of stupidity. It spent 3 days in the middle of the tank swimming against the current... lights on and lights off 24/7 it never ate, never slept; it just swam til it died.

Not in a mood to debate, but I disagree with almost everything you said.

If you look at the breathing of the smaller clown in the video, it's very labored. Clearly something is bothering the fish. If you do not have any other inverts or coral in the tank, as others said, I would lower the salinity into hypo. This will kill the parasite in all stages and eliminate it from the system. Most studies show that freshwater dips to little to cure ich....
Good luck!

 

[jennm]

And what's he supposed to do with the damsels? They'll just harass anything he puts in after them.

FYI damsels and clownfishes belong to the same family so *if* he's dealing with Brooklynella (which has neither been ruled in or out yet), they'll likely come down with it if he proceeds too soon.

OP plans to quarantine the surviving clown and treat, and leave the display free of fish for 4-6 weeks to allow the pathogen to die out. IMO that's a sound plan.

Just because damsels are cheap and hardy, that doesn't make it OK to use them as guinea pigs, and IMO it's a bad idea to get them "just because", because in the long run they often wreak more havoc against other tank mates, or they necessitate tearing the whole tank apart to remove if one decides they aren't a good choice (which more people than not, decide after the fact.)

Pamela, if you had a clown that "died of stupidity", I respectfully suggest there was something else wrong with it. It's not normal for a fish to behave as you described. It probably had an affliction.

Jenn

 

[stacy22]

+10000

jennm;574955 wrote: and what's he supposed to do with the damsels? They'll just harass anything he puts in after them.

Fyi damsels and clownfishes belong to the same family so *if* he's dealing with brooklynella (which has neither been ruled in or out yet), they'll likely come down with it if he proceeds too soon.

Op plans to quarantine the surviving clown and treat, and leave the display free of fish for 4-6 weeks to allow the pathogen to die out. Imo that's a sound plan.

Just because damsels are cheap and hardy, that doesn't make it ok to use them as guinea pigs, and imo it's a bad idea to get them "just because", because in the long run they often wreak more havoc against other tank mates, or they necessitate tearing the whole tank apart to remove if one decides they aren't a good choice (which more people than not, decide after the fact.)

pamela, if you had a clown that "died of stupidity", i respectfully suggest there was something else wrong with it. It's not normal for a fish to behave as you described. It probably had an affliction.

Jenn

 

[pamelahaley]

I think he said he wanted to get the tank through cycling and stable before adding anything new... damsel was the easy suggestion IF the clowns don't make it.

I usually just find someone else who needs a damsel or an LFS who will take it for something else. For the last 6 months, all I have in my tank is 3 damsels. I've had damsels in tanks with other types of fish too and never had them kill. Clownfish can be just as territorial.

I don't know. Maybe it did have something wrong with it but, it never expressed lethargy, sink or float or showed disease like ich. I've had fish take time to start eating. That's the only one I've had die that quickly.