Please help my clown. I don't know what's wrong.

[fawkes027]

Yesterday I placed my tomato clown in the hospital tank because she has a whitish area on her fin that I thought was odd. I noticed a small hole in the center of this area.

 

This morning I turned the light on and she looked okay. However I just came home from work and she's a total mess. She has popeye in one eye and it's all cloudy and she has these white "growths" on her. They look bigger than grains of salt so I'm leaning away from Ich as I've seen that before. These look hard and not cottony (like a fungal infection). One seems to be going straight through her fin. Also the top portion of her stripe is graying out. She doesn't have labored breathing but is very quiet (mabye because of her eye?).

 

I posted for help on RC hours ago but as usual I've been ignored for meaningful topics ("guess the larvae", etc.).

 

Please. I don't know what's wrong with her and I'd like to help her. I've purchased Melafix as there aren't any other stores open on the Cape where I can find anything else. It says its for bacterial infections.

 

I've attached the best picture I could get. The eye you can't see is the one that is cloudy.

[faust9]

I'm inclined to think the problem is parasitic. Do you feed your fish live foods, or have you introduced a new fish lately?

 

The reason I'm inclined toward a parasitic infection is the combination of heavy breathing along with the formation of white sores.

 

To get rid of the little buggers I'd do the following:

 

A short (5 second) dip in fresh H2O with Methylene Blue (you should be able to get this at Wal-Mart or K-Mart or most pet stores) should help.

 

If you can get Copper Sulfate, use it. Copper Sulfate promotes mucus formation which covers the sores thus suffocating any parasites. Remember, CuSo4 is toxic to algea and inverts, so if you use this in your quarantine tank, don't ever put inverts in that tank.

 

Additionally, keep up an antibiotic regiment to help prevent furter infection.

 

Now, what caused the infection? What are your water parameters? What do you feed your fish? Have you introduced anything new into you aquarium?

 

This is my humble opinion, and I'm sure someone out there will disagree with me. Good luck, and I hope you Clown pulls through.

[fawkes027]

No new additions since before Thanksgiving. This just happened overnight. I don't feed her live foods. Just formula flake with garlic.

 

I'll try and find copper sulfate. Right now I'm just using Melafix as that's all I could find so late at night.

 

If it was parasitic would this happen so fast? And she's in the quarantine tank with clean water. I just don't understand.

 

Parameters:

 

78 degrees

1.024

amm 0

nit 0

nitrate 10

ph 8.4

[fawkes027]

I wouldn't say sores..they're definately growths. They're protruding from her. And she's not breathing heavy at all. Breathing quite normal.

[faust9]

Oh, I'm sorry. I misread your initial post. I missed the word "doesn't" Damned these aging eyes...

 

Your clown might have anemony fish disease aka Brooklynella. Clown fish disease is a parasitic affliction but needs to be treated quickly. Moving to a clean environment is a good start as is the use of antibiotics but the parasite needs to be elliminated as quickly as possible. In addition to my recommendations above, you may have to lower the SG to about 1.015 to 1.020. This will limit the parasites ability to reproduce thus slowing its progress. Also, Malachite Green and Formaline may be preffered to elliminate the parasite; however, Methylene blue is a little less caustic than Formaline.

 

Here's a link to some diseases and treatments:

http://faq.thekrib.com/disease-sw.html

 

and this:

http://www.artnet.com.pl/lkozicki/thekrib/...disease-sw.html

 

Again, good luck.

[fawkes027]

Thank you! I do hope she makes it.