Clownfish Sick? HELP!

[northstar1357]

Oh yeah, i forgot to mention. alot of my corals are encrusted to my live rocks. GPS covered my live rock. will take all my corals apart kill any of them? monti is stuck to my live rocks and so are my zoathids. the only thing that is walking around is my anemone i guess.. also what about my snails and my hermit crabs??????

 

can parasite on my invertebrates?

[NightAtTheOpera]

If the problem was internal parasites then triple sulfa won't have done anything. That's only for gram negative bacterial infections as well as fin rot, cotton mouth, etc. An analysis of the feces would have helped to determine if it was parasites or bacterial infection; fish with parasites usually have white, stringy poop because the parasites are absorbing the nutrients. Keep an eye on the feces of your new fish; if you see stringy poop remove them immediately to a quarantine tank and treat for parasites.

 

If it was a gram negative bacterial infection the triple sulfa might have helped but you won't be sure until you have had the new fish long enough to be sure that the tank is "cured".

 

You said that the problem started with the addition of the 3rd clown. Are you sure that your system can handle 3 fish? If not it's quite possible that the fish became stressed and unable to fight off infection. Like all living things they are constantly surrounded by bacteria and a strong immune system is what enables them to stay healthy. Stress in the environment weakens the immune system and leads to an increased chance of becoming ill.

[northstar1357]

If the problem was internal parasites then triple sulfa won't have done anything. That's only for gram negative bacterial infections as well as fin rot, cotton mouth, etc. An analysis of the feces would have helped to determine if it was parasites or bacterial infection; fish with parasites usually have white, stringy poop because the parasites are absorbing the nutrients. Keep an eye on the feces of your new fish; if you see stringy poop remove them immediately to a quarantine tank and treat for parasites.

 

If it was a gram negative bacterial infection the triple sulfa might have helped but you won't be sure until you have had the new fish long enough to be sure that the tank is "cured".

 

You said that the problem started with the addition of the 3rd clown. Are you sure that your system can handle 3 fish? If not it's quite possible that the fish became stressed and unable to fight off infection. Like all living things they are constantly surrounded by bacteria and a strong immune system is what enables them to stay healthy. Stress in the environment weakens the immune system and leads to an increased chance of becoming ill.

The new clownfish ate mysis shrimp but refused to eat pellets. They poop earlier and it was not stringy tho it was white. probaby from shrimp i fed them. My tank is a 12 gallon nanocube, and i have seen so many people who stock more fish on youtube

[ajmckay]

+1 to nightattheopera.

 

Dosing a medication without having a postitive I.D. first is sort of dangerous. The original symptoms to me did indicate a bacterial infection over a parasitic infestation though.

 

As for the root cause of it, I think that the 3rd fish very well could have caused it if I understand your timing correctly (still not sure when you added the damsel). This is a 12gallon? Clowns are territorial fish, especially with regard to others of their own kind and in smaller tanks. Stress also has a very negative effect on fish. I think that as hobbyists we often forget about making sure our fish live in a stress-free environment. Since stress significantly weakens the fish, they become more susceptible to infection, disease, and even parasites that would normally be harmless to a healthy fish.

 

*edit* Oh, and I would say 2 Ocellaris clowns would definitely be the maximum amount of fish you could support in that tank. Sure you probably see the same tank with more fish, but I doubt their fish live very long. The time and maintenance needed to maintain an overstocked tank isn't worth it. If you miss a water change the tank crashes... A lightly stocked tank will be much safer and allow you to actually enjoy the fish without having to constantly worry or have problems.

[cheryl jordan]

The new clownfish ate mysis shrimp but refused to eat pellets. They poop earlier and it was not stringy tho it was white. probaby from shrimp i fed them. My tank is a 12 gallon nanocube, and i have seen so many people who stock more fish on youtube

Do not use Youtube as any form of valid eduction as to how to keep you tank. Still waiting for the answer what you treated with and what was the problem. Again and I repeat do not use Youtube as a guide as how many fish you can keep in a 12 gal tank. That is it, you do not take suggestion, nor to you acknowledge what mistakes you have made, and I am sure this new setup will end up like the last. Sorry to be harsh, but you only hear what you want and I see you making the same mistakes.

[GiantBen]

If I read this right four clownfish died, you dosed and waited ten days then added 2 more? That is pretty fast. In my opinion. I'd have waited at least a couple months.

[northstar1357]

If I read this right four clownfish died, you dosed and waited ten days then added 2 more? That is pretty fast. In my opinion. I'd have waited at least a couple months.

Yeah 4 clownfish died,

This is my first time encountering a death in my tank so i am confused as to the procedures i ought to take.

Everyone is telling something different. so i take some advise here and there.

[northstar1357]

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ySrA6K1..._clown_wwm3.jpg

 

My clownfish looked like this before it died, i found this picture online

[SPARTAN VI]

http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ySrA6K1..._clown_wwm3.jpg

 

My clownfish looked like this before it died, i found this picture online

 

That's terrible.

[GiantBen]

Everyone is telling something different. so i take some advise here and there.

I don't think anyone said to by more fish asap.

[northstar1357]

The ammonia spiked today, based on the API reading, it is somewhere near 0,25 reading. i am current doing a water change as i am typing this. any suggestions?

Nitrate= 0

nitrite= 0

Temp= 78

13lbs live rocks

calcium 420

[GiantBen]

The ammonia spiked today, based on the API reading, it is somewhere near 0,25 reading. i am current doing a water change as i am typing this. any suggestions?

Nitrate= 0

nitrite= 0

Temp= 78

13lbs live rocks

calcium 420

Take your fish to your LFS and don't put any more in your tank for two months.

[northstar1357]

I just remember something. 3 weeks ago, one of my crabs died. its a red looking crab but i forgot to take it out because by the time i found it, everything had already decayed

[GiantBen]

I just remember something. 3 weeks ago, one of my crabs died. its a red looking crab but i forgot to take it out because by the time i found it, everything had already decayed

I don't think this is relevant. Your tank is unstable and maybe cycling for some reason. Cleaning all the rocks/sand and doing a 100% water change sounds like a good way to start a cycle. For this reason, you should have no live stock that you care to keep alive. The tank isn't suitable for it right now. If you insist on having livestock, maybe look up soft cycling. I'd imagine #5 and #6 are in for trouble, even if you LFS says they are not. Look what the LFS advise got you with #1-#4.

[Jordan_o]

IMO your LFS is just trying to make money off you killing all these poor fish, i would wait it out until you get everything stable.

[northstar1357]

i just bought stress zyme, will it work to reduce the ammonia?

[Seiryoku]

Stop killing so many ####ing fish! Do them a favor and take a ball peen hammer to your tank ;

[GiantBen]

i just bought stress zyme, will it work to reduce the ammonia?

Stop putting chemicals in your tank and looking for fast solutions. The tank needs to stabalize on its own.

[ajmckay]

Stress Zyme/amquel might help to temporarily reduce the ammonia, but they are quick fixes at best and won't help in the bigger picture. You have received a lot of feedback in this thread. While much of it is valid, it seems as though you might be having trouble processing it all in the right order.

 

I assure you that I am genuinely interested in your situation, and I can truly say that If I were you, I would return the fish and remove into quarantine all livestock.

 

Your tank was 8 months old before any fish started dying, right? Remember that you dosed an anti-biotic to your tank in the form of triple sulfa. Are you familiar with the nitrogen cycle? Bacteria are the primary components in converting ammonia into nitrates. Due to the medication your bacteria were reduced significantly, thus resulting in ammonia levels greater than the bacterial capacity to break it down. This initial reading might have gone away quickly, however it came right back once you added the new fish. This is why you have ammonia in your tank, but no nitrite/nitrate.

 

To reclaim your former success in maintaining a saltwater aquarium you need to give the tank time to recover from the medicine and re-establish a strong cycle. To accomplish this you need to leave the tank alone (no chemicals, livestock, or help from you). You want everything to happen naturally. You should maintain a light cycle of some sort, and you can skim if you want to. I would also consider running carbon during this time to absorb any medication that might be lingering in the tank.

 

Trust me you want to be conservative with this re-cycle. Wait as long as you can, preferably 6-9 weeks at minimum before adding anything to the tank. And remember that once you start adding things, go slow. Add a few snails/crabs at first. Give them a few weeks and then add some more. Wait a week or 2 and then add your 2 clownfish again.

 

In the meantime go through the beginners library (if only for a quick refresher as I often do) and then study some of the members aquariums. If you get bored with the tank, put on a simple LED moonlight and watch it after lights are out and you'll see all kinds of stuff!

 

In conclusion, though there are a lot of posts here please re-read the entire thread, create a plan, and make a firm decision to follow it.

 

Best of luck to you.

[northstar1357]

I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to my discussion. i'll return the fish and see if i can get a refund and when my tank is back and running again, i'll be back to N-R.

I'll try to post some pictures of my tank in another month and see what happens.

 

Thanks everyone!

 

Now i can finally concentrate on my GMAT

[GiantBen]

I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to my discussion. i'll return the fish and see if i can get a refund and when my tank is back and running again, i'll be back to N-R.

I'll try to post some pictures of my tank in another month and see what happens.

 

Thanks everyone!

 

Now i can finally concentrate on my GMAT

Very gald to hear this. Good luck with the tank and good luck with the GMAT. PM me when you get a tank thread going and I'll drop in and bump it for you :-)

[northstar1357]

My ammonia, nitrite and nitrate all 0 after 4-25% water changes within 2 days in my DT.

 

Okay, i have QT both my fishes, they look better than before. I freshwater dipped them for 20 seconds then added them to my 3gallon jbj QT tank. with heater set to 80 and K-nano. I also added cupramine to cure any bacterial that might be attached to my fish.

Day 1

 

One of my clownfish tried to eat but keep spitting food out while the other one is wasting away.

How can i try to make them eat? will kent garlic help since it's only been in my tank for one day?

 

Thanks. i'll keep posting my results of my clownfish and my tank.

[GiantBen]

I've heard garlic will help, but never tried it. Of these two don't make it, give your tank at least a month before adding more fish. Don't listen to the LFS if they sell you more. Good luck. I hope these aren't 5 & 6.

[bluefunelement]

Okay, i have QT both my fishes, they look better than before. I freshwater dipped them for 20 seconds then added them to my 3gallon jbj QT tank. with heater set to 80 and K-nano. I also added cupramine to cure any bacterial that might be attached to my fish.

 

Do you have corals in your 3gallon with Cupermine added?

I had a fish die of ick recently and have had to leave the tank with NO fish for 60-90days - it's no fun but could keep you from having multiple attacks.

 

Also a 10+gal QT tank would be better as it's higher volume will be more stable and allow a larger filter. My 5g is barely enough for one newly QT'ing fish

http://www.cmas-md.org/forums/showthread.p...ght=quarrantine

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/1/aafeature2

[Arkayology]

+1 on using garlic juice.

 

The fish is still getting used to things. It should start eating in a day or two. What are you feeding it? Are you trying a couple of different foods?