Please help my clown has fuzzy white stuff! Pic/video added

[fishfreak0114]

Ok so I'm having concerns about my beloved clownfish. I've had him and his mate for almost two years now. They've been perfectly healthy. I just noticed that he has developed a sort of white "fuzz" on his side and dorsal fin on the back half of one side. No new fish or inverts have been added in months, but I did receive a coral order just over a week ago. All my other fish are healthy. It's in small irregular patches, roughly 1-2mm across each. It looks fuzzy and whitish, but sort of translucent and not super noticable. It doesn't look really raised from the surface of his skin. He is still eating and acting totally normal and breathing fine. One thing to be noted is that this fish rubs against pretty much everything, whether coral rock or macro, he likes to snuggle with it. I was wondering if maybe he scraped himself and it became infected?

Does this sound like a disease, and is it treatable?
Thanks for the help

-Olivia

[RIP Sebastian]

Pics?

[fishfreak0114]

I tried, but he's so fast! The lights are out now, but I'll try again first thing tomorrow morning. Sorry for the lack of pics, I know it's hard to help without them. Honestly I'm not sure if it will show up in a photo, I have to catch it at just the right angle to see it. It doesn't look like brook (and if it was I'm pretty sure my other clown would have issues too) nor lymphocystis. It's definitely not ich either.

[ajmckay]

Yeah I think pics are needed here. Hopefully you can nab one tomorrow?

 

- Do you notice any abundance or lack of slime coat?

- Has the fish always "snuggled" with everything or is this new behavior?

- Look up Lymphocystis. Generally these lesions are prominently raised, however, there could be a variant where it's less noticeable.

 

So earlier this year I noticed that my clown, which I've had for 2 years also, had these odd white spots. They were completely spherical though and it appeared that they occupied the space between the fins so that they didn't pop out particularly but I could see it from both sides. The spots hung around for about a month from what I recall. Usually one at a time, and they appeared randomly. Like there may have been one around April and then there was another in a different spot in July. Not exact dates just my recollection. I never found out what they were but nothing changed in it's behavior so I simply observed. IMO that's the best you can do for now - observe and try to maintain consistently high water quality.

 

Good luck.

[burtbollinger]

take a look here for starters

 

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clnfshdisart.htm

[fishfreak0114]

Yeah I think pics are needed here. Hopefully you can nab one tomorrow?

 

- Do you notice any abundance or lack of slime coat?

- Has the fish always "snuggled" with everything or is this new behavior?

- Look up Lymphocystis. Generally these lesions are prominently raised, however, there could be a variant where it's less noticeable.

 

So earlier this year I noticed that my clown, which I've had for 2 years also, had these odd white spots. They were completely spherical though and it appeared that they occupied the space between the fins so that they didn't pop out particularly but I could see it from both sides. The spots hung around for about a month from what I recall. Usually one at a time, and they appeared randomly. Like there may have been one around April and then there was another in a different spot in July. Not exact dates just my recollection. I never found out what they were but nothing changed in it's behavior so I simply observed. IMO that's the best you can do for now - observe and try to maintain consistently high water quality.

 

Good luck.

I'll try for a pic tomorrow, but I'm really bad at taking photos and I find it so hard to see myself that I doubt it'll be visible in a pic.

 

Slime coat looked normal, it's been snuggling things for months, and I googled lymphocystis right away but it doesn't look like it. It's not really solid white, more of a translucent white film.

 

For now I shall observe, and hope for the best. Maybe I'm just panicking over nothing.

take a look here for starters

 

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clnfshdisart.htm

Thanks for the link. I looked through it and the closest thing looks like fuzzy bacteria growing on him. Which is kind of what I think it may be, like he could have scraped himself when he snuggle up to the rock near his favorite mushroom.

[fishfreak0114]

I managed to get a pic and a video. Pic will go up in a minute.

 

Here's the video. His twitching in the 2nd clip is normal (he's near the mushroom he spends a lot of time in).

 

I finally caught it at the angle where the whiteness is visible. Looking at it head on it barely looks like anything

 

[ReefWeeds]

Looks like fin rot actualy to me. How are the water paramteters?

[fishfreak0114]

Looks like fin rot actualy to me. How are the water paramteters?

I'll check what I can in a minute, unfortunately the only test kits I have are for phosphate calcium and alk. I'm guessing alk and calcium wouldn't cause this? Can fin rot be on their body?

 

I'm going to be doing a water change today, so hopefully that will lower my unknown nitrates.

[fishfreak0114]

Phosphate is 0.03

 

Temp is 81f

 

Sg 1.025

[ReefWeeds]

Phosphate is 0.03

Temp is 81f

Sg 1.025

Temp seems a bit high - any reason for keeping it so high? Higher temps allow bacteria to breed better which in the case of something like finrot isn't a good thing since as far as I know, it's a bacterial infection. Yeah, nitrates is more what I was thinking in regards to water quality. Alk and calcium wouldn't have that impact.

[fishfreak0114]

Temp seems a bit high - any reason for keeping it so high? Higher temps allow bacteria to breed better which in the case of something like finrot isn't a good thing since as far as I know, it's a bacterial infection. Yeah, nitrates is more what I was thinking in regards to water quality. Alk and calcium wouldn't have that impact.

My tank has run at 80-81 since I set it up, before it was the stock lights keeping it hot, now I don't really know. My heater is set to 71 (the # dial is really inaccurate). Perhaps I'll try to drop it a degree or two, and I'll clean my return pump really good to see if that makes it run a bit cooler. The temp has never affected them before now, but perhaps my nitrates have crept up (I literally have not idea where they are, I've never tested before, I'll pick up a test kit when I can). Hopefully with the water change and a bit lower temp it will go away. Do I need to treat or could improving conditions fix it?

[ReefWeeds]

My tank has run at 80-81 since I set it up, before it was the stock lights keeping it hot, now I don't really know. My heater is set to 71 (the # dial is really inaccurate). Perhaps I'll try to drop it a degree or two, and I'll clean my return pump really good to see if that makes it run a bit cooler. The temp has never affected them before now, but perhaps my nitrates have crept up (I literally have not idea where they are, I've never tested before, I'll pick up a test kit when I can). Hopefully with the water change and a bit lower temp it will go away. Do I need to treat or could improving conditions fix it?

You know, I've never treated for finrot. The only time I have dealt with it is when my dad bought two clowns, brought them home and one had finrot which we didn't notice in the store. Unfortunately the little clown didn't even make it 24 hours so I had been doing some research then stopped. Although I think the fish can recover if conditions get better. But you might want to read up because I'm not 100% certain.

[fishfreak0114]

Guess I'll get reading then! Thanks for all the help

[fishfreak0114]

Earlier today my female clown was nipping at his fuzzy area. I wonder how long this has been going on. If it is fin rot from injury maybe she caused the onset?

[ReefWeeds]

Earlier today my female clown was nipping at his fuzzy area. I wonder how long this has been going on. If it is fin rot from injury maybe she caused the onset?

could be I guess - not sure. It's most dangerous on the tail. Just keep an eye on him.

[fishfreak0114]

My eyes will practically be glued to him from now until it goes away or gets worse, I really don't want to lose him. I'm still not 100% sure that it is if rot due to it not being confined to the fins, but I will watch the tail. If whatever this is spreads/worsens it will be off to a QT tank for him, I have kanaplex and metroplex on hand and I think a combo of those would work for most of the things this could be

[fishfreak0114]

Thought I'd give a quick update:

 

The fuzzy stuff is almost gone!!! there's only like a tenth of it left. I'm glad I didn't have to treat him.