Need help asap with clown turning white

courterbobby

courterbobby

Member
Good Morning,
My partner woke me up this morning telling me that our male clown fish is not looking so good. So I got up to try and find out why. I'm not very good with fish disease, so I am hoping you all can help me out. I have noticed for the past week my male clown fish scales have seemed to be turning white. But I did not panic because I have little experience with fish disease and was trying to make it go away by thinking about it really hard. Does not work....
Any ideas what it could be? We have said he is on his last leg a couple times before and always seems to perk back up, but this time we think it might be true. He also seems to be breathing very fast and is hovering just above the bottom of the tank.
Ammonia 0
Nitrate: 5ppm
Nitrite: 0
Phosphate: 0
SG: 1.024
Calcium: 460
Alkalinity: 10dkh
 

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courterbobby

courterbobby

Member
Yes that was my first guess, but after doing some research, it does not seem like ick, there is no white "spots" just a gradual turning of white. I am thinking it is Brooklynella but I dont know for sure
 
caca9786

caca9786

Member
It honestly looks like Brooklynella, a protozoan infection, which is characterized by turning white, being lethargic, and gasping for air. Will he eat?

You will need to quarantine him in a separate tank and treat with formalin. Formalin kills ALL bacteria, so you'll need him in a separate tank to avoid losing your bio filter.
You'll also need to add aeration, like an air stone because it depletes oxygen.

Good luck!
 
courterbobby

courterbobby

Member
caca9786 said:
It honestly looks like Brooklynella, a protozoan infection, which is characterized by turning white, being lethargic, and gasping for air. Will he eat?

You will need to quarantine him in a separate tank and treat with formalin. Formalin kills ALL bacteria, so you'll need him in a separate tank to avoid losing your bio filter.
You'll also need to add aeration, like an air stone because it depletes oxygen.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I do agree with you on this. I have given him a hypo salinity bath. salinity at 1.010 for 3 minuets and now he is going into the QT tank for treatment with Formalin. The QT is a 10 gallon aquarium with an airstone and a mini PC lighting (9w).

How long does it take before I can return him to the DP? Should I be worried about my female clownfish? She shows no signs of having it.

I have read about wild clownfish being susceptible to this disease, and in fact they are a wild pair (I hate that they are wild, but I got them when I first started the hobby and are the only two fish in that tank as of today ... so I did not know better). Since I have got into into the hobby, I now buy all captive bread animals.
 
caca9786

caca9786

Member
Honestly, I would treat her as well, just to be on the safe side. In my experience, if 1 has it, the other does too, even if they're not showing any signs or symptoms. Usually you quarantine and treat with formalin for 4 weeks. Anything less usually results in a relapse.
GOOD LUCK!
 
courterbobby

courterbobby

Member
Thanks for all the help..... Just a quick update. I am waiting on my partner to get home with the formalin. Since the hypo salinity bath at 1.010 his color has come back a lot. Who knew a simple bath could do that? Anyways i will be starting treatment very soon on both clowns.
Again thanks!
 
caca9786

caca9786

Member
The hyposalinity bath usually causes the bad critters to die and fall off the fish-- hence making him feel much better!!

Keep us updated! :)
 
courterbobby

courterbobby

Member
Just another quick update. Clowns are getting their second treatment of formlin today. When I had the male in QT he seemed very sad, then i put the female in and he perked up :). Treatment is going good and I am doing the slow treatment adding 1 teaspoon to 10g every 24 hours through a drip 5g water change.
Thanks for all the help guys! You have helped to save a clown :)
 
courterbobby

courterbobby

Member
Another Update,
So I have been scouring all the links that yall have sent me over the past couple of days. It seems like I have bought formalin that is significantly weaker than all the posts say. The amount of formaldehyde in the formalin I bought says it is less than 3% not the 37% to 40% I am reading about. I bought it because it was the only formalin I could find in the Atlanta area believe it or not. After reading that I decided to start 45 minuets baths and also treated the 10 gallons with a diluted solution also just to be sure I get any free swimming protozoans in the hospital tank. They are showing no signs of stress from the treatments and I have been doing this every 24 hours. The male has finally returned all his color and is eating like a little fat kid! but he still has a couple of little white spots that should clear up in a day or two.
Besides the treatment I am giving them they are both doing quite well now!
Thanks for all the help!
 
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