HELP Clownfish developed tiny black spots overnight

[Andy20gallonnewbie]

Hey guys I could use some help. I’ve had my clownfish for 3 weeks now and it’s been doing great and had no black spots. I woke up this morning and I found one small black spot on the front half of the fish and by evening I found two more small black spots.

The fish is acting normal, eating, swimming, and messing up the sand like normal.

I’m new to the reef hobby and I have no idea what the spots are I looked up black ich and it looks nothing like it. Does anyone have any ideas what it might be. I have no stinging corals in my tank.

 

[Uncle99]

Pic?

 

[Andy20gallonnewbie]

Pic?

Here is a pic of the fish I apologize for the quality it is hard to take a picture of a fish when it won’t hold still. There are two three dots and I got two of them in the pic.

 

[Andy20gallonnewbie]

 

[DaveK]

Do you have an anemone or any other livestock that can sting? Such black spots can be caused by stings from them. Note that while clowns do host in anemones, clowns are not always immune to these stings. Also some anemones and corals that do not normally host clowns sometimes can sting a clown. Also check for anything that might have come in as a hitchhiker. Be on the lookout for anything that might sting or things like crabs that might go after the clown.

 

[Andy20gallonnewbie]

Do you have an anemone or any other livestock that can sting? Such black spots can be caused by stings from them. Note that while clowns do host in anemones, clowns are not always immune to these stings. Also some anemones and corals that do not normally host clowns sometimes can sting a clown. Also check for anything that might have come in as a hitchhiker. Be on the lookout for anything that might sting or things like crabs that might go after the clown.

Based on what I know none of my corals sting but to be on the safe side I have 1 green birdsnest, 1 candy cane, 2 blastomussa, 3 zoanthids, and 1 micromussa lordhowensis. I have no anemones. I did have a small black and white stripped brittle starfish come in whith a coral but it stays in a little nook and never comes out and is less than two inches in diameter.

 

[Andy20gallonnewbie]

Upon closer inspection this morning it looks like the biggest of the black spots that is near it’s head has a small tuft of a fluffy translucent white stuff on it. It is only on the black spot.

 

[DaveK]

Check your clown for Brooklynellia also known as clownfish disease. It's not typically associated with black spots, but it often does look like "a fluffy translucent white stuff".

 

[Uncle99]

Sorry, I checked the pic, I see only one small dot which does look like a sting, but that's all I can see.

 

[Andy20gallonnewbie]

Sorry, I checked the pic, I see only one small dot which does look like a sting, but that's all I can see.

Yes I was thinking it was too small for a sting but it’s the translucent fluff that is on the black dot that is really worrying me

 

[Andy20gallonnewbie]

I’m not sure how to tell what it is. How would I know if it was brooklynellia or something else.

 

[Uncle99]

Until you can pinpoint what ( if any) diease your clown has, we cannot treat it effectively. I know it's quite hard to get a clear pic.

Some things to consider:
A) if not already, he should be QT and kept in same temp but lower salinity 1.020. (Keep in mind that you can go down quickly in salinity, but VERY, slow going up....no more than .002 per day.
B) he should be fed well, high protein foods only, remove what is not eaten

It sounds like bacterial infection rather than parasitical.

Yup, Brook, certainly makes sense. If you go that direction I recommend Chloroquine Phosphate, it's very effective on brook when used correctly.

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

Black Small Smudges on your Anemonefish?

 

[Andy20gallonnewbie]

Until you can pinpoint what ( if any) diease your clown has, we cannot treat it effectively. I know it's quite hard to get a clear pic.

Some things to consider:
A) if not already, he should be QT and kept in same temp but lower salinity 1.020. (Keep in mind that you can go down quickly in salinity, but VERY, slow going up....no more than .002 per day.
B) he should be fed well, high protein foods only, remove what is not eaten

It sounds like bacterial infection rather than parasitical.

Yup, Brook, certainly makes sense. If you go that direction I recommend Chloroquine Phosphate, it's very effective on brook when used correctly.

Thanks for the help but I don’t have a QT tank seeing that this is the only fish in my tank. Would it hurt my corals if I lowered the salinity in my main tank.

 

[Andy20gallonnewbie]

Until you can pinpoint what ( if any) diease your clown has, we cannot treat it effectively. I know it's quite hard to get a clear pic.

Some things to consider:
A) if not already, he should be QT and kept in same temp but lower salinity 1.020. (Keep in mind that you can go down quickly in salinity, but VERY, slow going up....no more than .002 per day.
B) he should be fed well, high protein foods only, remove what is not eaten

It sounds like bacterial infection rather than parasitical.

Yup, Brook, certainly makes sense. If you go that direction I recommend Chloroquine Phosphate, it's very effective on brook when used correctly.

I only have the one fish in my tank so I have no QT tank could I lower the salinity without hurting my corals.

 

[Uncle99]

Yep, lower salinity will make corals very unhappy.

 

[Andy20gallonnewbie]

Yep, lower salinity will make corals very unhappy.

So just to clarify I could or could not do that without harming my corals