Is this uronema on my Clownfish?

[nate_b30]

Hi everyone

I’d appreciate some assistance identifying this. Noticed my Spotcinctus clown had these red marks on its head when the lights went out. Very active still, just ate. It’s in a pair with another Spotcinctus so maybe it’s some pairing injury that got infected. Also I have a large torch that it may have been stung by. They seem like wounds of some sort or some form of urenoma. If that’s the case why should I do because I’m not in a good position to quarantine but I’ll do what’s necessary if it is 100% an illness. Tank is about 2.5 years old. I’ve had some issues with illness (marine velvet and or ich, no survivors unfortunately...this seems nothing like any of that however).

Parameters:

Salinity: 1.024
Ammonia: 0.00 ppm
Alkalinity: 10.7 dKH
Nitrate: 0.2-0.5 ppm
Phosphate: around 0.03
Temp: 78 degrees Fahrenheit
pH: Pending, I lent the kit to a friend and will be getting it back soon but it shouldn’t be anything crazy.

Tank inhabitants:

2 Spotcinctus clowns (including the one in question, had them for a year now)

2 peppermint shrimp (they seem very opportunistic and I would even believe they might be causing this while the fish “sleep” at the bottom at night)

7 margarita cardinals (just added hours ago they aren’t really a factor)

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[DaveK]

This is a tough call, because it does look like it could be uronema, but then a lot of other diseases look similar.

A couple of quick questions for you. How long have you had the fish? How large is the tank?

It's always a tough call on what to do, since if you get the treatment wrong, it's going to do more harm than good. I think I'd consider it a bacteria infection and treat for that in a quarantine tank. Then if I didn't see any improvement, I'd treat for uronema. Note that treating for this disease is difficult, and not always successful.

 

[nate_b30]

Thank you very much, I agree that it’s likely a bacterial infection of some sort and hopefully not uronema. The tank is 55 gallons (display) 69 gallons total volume (RS MAX E260). I have had the fish over a year now without issue. What medication do you recommend I use, I am often unsuccessful with treating fish disease because I never know what to use.

 

[DaveK]

One of the things about having a reasonably successful tank, except for it being an "algae farm", is that I seldom need to treat anything for disease. However, @Humblefish recently made an excellent post on the subject. You can read it here - http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?threads/bacterial-infections.101816/ I think that will give you better options than what I would suggest.

 

[Humblefish]

I'm betting that started as a coral sting (Clownfish Hyper-Melanization) which is now getting infected.

Clownfish are tough, but if the torch sweepers just keeping nailing him he's not gonna last.

 

[nate_b30]

I'm betting that started as a coral sting (Clownfish Hyper-Melanization) which is now getting infected.

Clownfish are tough, but if the torch sweepers just keeping nailing him he's not gonna last.

Thanks for the help. Would you recommend I quarantine and treat?

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

another good read...

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forum/index.php?threads/black-small-smudges-on-your-anemonefish.44343/

 

[Humblefish]

Thanks for the help. Would you recommend I quarantine and treat?

Yes, he would benefit from a readily absorbable antibiotic such as Kanaplex.

Plus, it would get him away from that Torch coral for awhile. Fish can be stubborn about where they sleep and he might be getting hit by the sweepers at night.