gurnie Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 So i'll admit, the past month has been very hectic dealing with family stuff, working on Christmas presents, work, and the general holiday season. But last night i was finally able to grab a breather and SAT DOWN next to my tank probably the first time in a week or two and noticed my male clownfish was very skinny and had white cloud over his eyes. i was shocked, i've been feeding them twice a day and he looked like a little waif. (I did a big water change about a week and a half ago and he looked fine, maybe slightly thin but nothing to be concerned about) so i grab my pellets and placed a good bit in the tank, the female rushed in and gobbled every pellet and chased him into a corner so he couldn't get a pellet. I think i discovered my problem. So i went to the freezer and grabbed some "Rod's food" and place some chunks in the tank. This seemed to work as the female would chase a chunk of food, the little male could finally grab a bite to eat So the fish is very thin but he has quite an appetite, and he moved around quite a bit. His fins look a bit nipped from the jerk female fish. But i really need some advice on what i can do to increase this fish's chances of survival. I'm hoping it just a matter of me sitting by the tank and slowly feeding and making sure he gets enough food and his health turns back around. Any advice? scolding isn't going to help, i know what i did wrong (feed and fled) but there is a lot i have been busy with. i need some good constructive thoughts, maybe foods that will fatten him up quicker or are high in vitamin content. Again i'll be feeding "Rod's food" at the moment unless a better suggestion comes around The fish does have quite an appetite. (keeping fingers crossed the food is what brings him around) Thanks for your help I feel so awful Link to comment
LebaneseDlight Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 PE Mysis - not Hikari. They are the most nutritious and largest mysis out there. Link to comment
cheryl jordan Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 So i'll admit, the past month has been very hectic dealing with family stuff, working on Christmas presents, work, and the general holiday season. But last night i was finally able to grab a breather and SAT DOWN next to my tank probably the first time in a week or two and noticed my male clownfish was very skinny and had white cloud over his eyes. i was shocked, i've been feeding them twice a day and he looked like a little waif. (I did a big water change about a week and a half ago and he looked fine, maybe slightly thin but nothing to be concerned about) so i grab my pellets and placed a good bit in the tank, the female rushed in and gobbled every pellet and chased him into a corner so he couldn't get a pellet. I think i discovered my problem. So i went to the freezer and grabbed some "Rod's food" and place some chunks in the tank. This seemed to work as the female would chase a chunk of food, the little male could finally grab a bite to eat So the fish is very thin but he has quite an appetite, and he moved around quite a bit. His fins look a bit nipped from the jerk female fish. But i really need some advice on what i can do to increase this fish's chances of survival. I'm hoping it just a matter of me sitting by the tank and slowly feeding and making sure he gets enough food and his health turns back around. Any advice? scolding isn't going to help, i know what i did wrong (feed and fled) but there is a lot i have been busy with. i need some good constructive thoughts, maybe foods that will fatten him up quicker or are high in vitamin content. Again i'll be feeding "Rod's food" at the moment unless a better suggestion comes around The fish does have quite an appetite. (keeping fingers crossed the food is what brings him around) Thanks for your help I feel so awful What type of clowns? And a picture would really help. Link to comment
gurnie Posted December 16, 2009 Author Share Posted December 16, 2009 sorry they are just black clownfish, false perculas i believe. i'll see if i can take a photo tonight Link to comment
DudE31 Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 why not get a breeder net and place the male clown in there to feed him ? that way the female cant get the food before him and he can take his time eating Link to comment
ajmckay Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 If the fish is being harassed to the point of showing physical harm then physical removal from the tank might be the best chance at survival. Give the fish some time alone to heal up and get healthy enough to defend itself or at least stand up to the abuse. How long have you had these clowns? To feed my clowns (A. ocellaris) I usually come up to the tank and hover my hand above the water (at which point the female, being the more aggressive, follows intently) and I guide her to the opposite side of the tank. I then drop in pellets (1 at a time) until they are both fed. This way the female stays on one side and the male on another. Of course it is possible that your fish is just a huge Biotch and will continue being aggressive, and that would likely require permanent separation. Good luck. Link to comment
cheryl jordan Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 sorry they are just black clownfish, false perculas i believe. i'll see if i can take a photo tonight Are they Black and White? If so B/W are usually very passive, clown fish always have squabbles regarding domince and if they are an established pair it usual ends within a couple of days. What concerns me is the whitish eyes of the male, this is a sign of poor health. Try adding some garlic to his diet and mysis shrimp.I would stop at the LFS on the way home and pickup some differnt foods and some Selcon. Alter his diet from day to day, Selcon with food one day, garlic with food the next. I am assumming your parameters are good. What size is the tank? Link to comment
gurnie Posted December 17, 2009 Author Share Posted December 17, 2009 Yes these are black and white clowns. These two clowns have been together in the same tank for over a year, actually probably close to two years. They started out as juveniles and one grew to be a frumpy b*tch. I have not added any garlic to the diet because as i recall its an apatite stimulate and the sick fish has a really good apatite. I will go to the fish store tomorrow to get some PE mysis (that's a type of mysis, not a brand right?) I didn't go today because i almost collapsed from exhaustion at work and my boss told me to go home and get rest (i slept for almost 4 hours this afternoon). Selcon i assume is a vitamin supplement? they have been kept in a 14gallon biocube. i have been working on a 36g tank and i hope to have it up and running by May. I have to build the canopy, otherwise the tank is running now (but because there is no canopy or plastic top the evaporation rate is really high, so i haven't put any fish or coral into that tank) I can get a breeder's net for the fish if that seems to be the right thing to do. Is that the way i should go? here's some pics thank you all for your help Link to comment
Nanobuds Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 holy crap that does not look good at all... poor clown yes, its probably being bullied too much.he looks all bit up Link to comment
gurnie Posted December 17, 2009 Author Share Posted December 17, 2009 i know b*tch on the other hand looks fine Link to comment
Seiryoku Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 I'd put the male in a QT tank right now, if you're lucky you can nurse it back to health. Wouldn't count on it living though... Link to comment
Deleted User 6 Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 looks like it got the #### kicked out of it. QT now. Link to comment
cheryl jordan Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Yes these are black and white clowns. These two clowns have been together in the same tank for over a year, actually probably close to two years. They started out as juveniles and one grew to be a frumpy b*tch. I have not added any garlic to the diet because as i recall its an apatite stimulate and the sick fish has a really good apatite. I will go to the fish store tomorrow to get some PE mysis (that's a type of mysis, not a brand right?) I didn't go today because i almost collapsed from exhaustion at work and my boss told me to go home and get rest (i slept for almost 4 hours this afternoon). Selcon i assume is a vitamin supplement? they have been kept in a 14gallon biocube. i have been working on a 36g tank and i hope to have it up and running by May. I have to build the canopy, otherwise the tank is running now (but because there is no canopy or plastic top the evaporation rate is really high, so i haven't put any fish or coral into that tank) I can get a breeder's net for the fish if that seems to be the right thing to do. Is that the way i should go? here's some pics thank you all for your help Garlic may help his immune system, that is it's purpose. When they become stressed by being bullied, they became a target for every pathogen bacterial or fungal in the tank. I believe that trying to keep it in a breeder net may cause it more stress, but at this point unfortunately I do not believe that fish will survive. It could also a internal parasites, the point is that when healthy they can fight these things off. When weakend the parasites and other infections take over. All I can say is that I look at my fish and tanks everyday and I am a nurse. Most SW tanks will deteriorate without daily or everyother day maintance. Sorry Link to comment
Scott Riemer Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Holy crap he looks terrible. Link to comment
gurnie Posted December 17, 2009 Author Share Posted December 17, 2009 setting up QT as we speak Link to comment
cheryl jordan Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 setting up QT as we speak It's not the females fault, that is the nature of clownfish. Good luck with the QT. Link to comment
ajmckay Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Clownfish can be surprisingly aggressive. Glad to hear you're setting up a QT. A simple 10g will suffice and they're the cheapest tanks out there... Heck, use a 5g bucket if that's what ya got (harder to observe though). +1 to garlic. It's not just an appetite stimulant, but it helps boost their immune systems (as it does in humans too). I would suggest treating your QT with an antibiotic as well to fight off further "secondary" infections. It looks as though the immune system of this fish has been severely compromised. Good luck. Link to comment
jm82792 Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 holy crap that does not look good at all... poor clown yes, its probably being bullied too much.he looks all bit up I'd put the male in a QT tank right now, if you're lucky you can nurse it back to health. Wouldn't count on it living though... looks like it got the #### kicked out of it. QT now. Holy crap he looks terrible. If you told me you did that with photoshop I would have believed you. Please do what is being suggested. Link to comment
Arkayology Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 OMG! I actually dropped my cup of water when I saw that pick. That is the worst clown I have ever seen. Even dead ones look better then him. Need to get him QT stat. Link to comment
nemmy Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 I cant believe you didnt catch this earlier, i make sure to check on my clowns every day. Although i have no life... Link to comment
gurnie Posted December 17, 2009 Author Share Posted December 17, 2009 he looked chewed before but not that bad. Like i said i've been dealing with some major stuff so scolding won't help what i've been dealing with. He's in the QT but his color has faded, and he hasn't eaten since last night (but he normallg ets his first meal of the day around 5pm when i come home). hopefully he'll eat then Link to comment
nemmy Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 he looked chewed before but not that bad. Like i said i've been dealing with some major stuff so scolding won't help what i've been dealing with. I'm not scolding at all, im just saying in my personal schedule i would have noticed earlier, and i went on to on to say that i have no life (so thats why i would have noticed). I understand how this time of year can be hectic, and i wish you the best of luck with your clown and everything you have going on right now in life! Link to comment
gurnie Posted December 17, 2009 Author Share Posted December 17, 2009 I'm not scolding at all, im just saying in my personal schedule i would have noticed earlier, and i went on to on to say that i have no life (so thats why i would have noticed). I understand how this time of year can be hectic, and i wish you the best of luck with your clown and everything you have going on right now in life! (hugs) thanks i'm hoping my little guy pulls through Link to comment
Deleted User 6 Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 did you try garlic-soaked food? Link to comment
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