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I can’t keep any clownfish alive!!


canoman

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I decided to post this since I cant figure out why I can’t keep clowns alive. They all start great, eating like pigs and hosting. Then 2-3 months in they don’t eat and look very skinny. The latest one I have now is a blizzard clownfish which has lasted 5 months. Just started rejecting all food and the stomach looks like it’s caving in. My tank is 18months old and I still have my lawnmower blennie, blue sapphir damsel and 6 line wrasse. They all eat like pigs and are pretty much healthy. What am I doing wrong?

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I believe my lfs gets there designer clownfish from ORA. To be honest the clown was more of a bully than the wrasse. As for poop, I never seen anything different than regular. I feed mysis, and spirulina brine shrimp

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Some veggies might help.  I'd like to see you add some better nutrition; maybe like Rod's Food, pellets, or even flake.  I like to feed Ocean Nutrition Formula Two to introduce some algae into their diets.

 

Not really sure why they stopped eating.  It seems intestinal (parasitic or otherwise).  I'd definitely try adding some alternative foods.

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HookedOnAquariums

Try dipping foods in garlic or using some anti parasite meds like prazi. I would put them in a separate qt just in case it’s anything bad.

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I feed my clowns NLS, live BBS and Hikari Marine S. Sometimes I give them frozen roe and mysis as well. You could switch up their food to see if they like it, but I personally think your clowns might have internal parasites. You can QT them and treat with Prazi and see if it helps. Soaking food in garlic also helps entice them to eat. 

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38 minutes ago, CoralStorm said:

sorry i have not had experiance with designer breeds so i am not much help to you

Designer clownfish are still just either Amphiprion ocellaris or Amphiprion percula; their needs should be the same.  Designer clowns are captive raised, so you would hope that they are free from disease (not that they couldn't be exposed to something before you get them).

 

Then there's the possibility that they are getting infected by a parasite in your tank.  As HookedOnAquariums stated, there are food treatments designed to treat for internal parasites.  It would probably be prudent to try treating, even if that's not the problem.

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3 minutes ago, seabass said:

Designer clownfish are still just either Amphiprion ocellaris or Amphiprion percula; their needs should be the same.  Designer clowns are captive raised, so you would hope that they are free from disease (not that they couldn't be exposed to something before you get them).

 

Then there's the possibility that they are getting infected by a parasite in your tank.  As HookedOnAquariums stated, there are food treatments designed to treat for internal parasites.  It would probably be prudent to try treating, even if that's not the problem.

true just crossbreeds heres some advice though try fiffernt foods see what it likes if nothing its probobly stress/disease and then you should see what it is

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2 hours ago, canoman said:

So if my clownfish get some parasite, why have t my other fish get infected?

They could be.  Internal/intestinal parasite a relatively common and fish can often live with them without too much trouble.  However, if the fish is stressed out for some reason (water quality, bullying, nutritional deficiencies, etc.), the parasites can become more problematic.

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3 hours ago, canoman said:

Thanks for the advise guys. I’ll do a food change and go on from there. So if my clownfish get some parasite, why have t my other fish get infected? 

 

Not all fish die from things like flukes/internal parasites, ect. Your other fish could be infected, they get it by eating the poop of other fish (ew). Perhaps the clowns being captive bred and the others wild caught is their downfall since those clowns were not raised in the ocean exposed to a plethora of parasites. 

 

The symptoms do sound like internal parasites to me. TBH I almost never feed pellets or flake, I feed LRS food mostly and sometimes mysis or roe and my clowns have been with me many many years. All fish were treated with prazipro however as a precaution. LRS food is absolutely amazing stuff... I put some selcon on it from time to time as well. 

 

I have had the healthiest clowns come directly from the breeder, skipping the middle man (LFS). 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 1/15/2019 at 12:26 PM, ReefGoat said:

Is your six line possibly bullying them into starvation from stress? I hear that six line wrasse are big time bullies? Keep and eye on that dude. 

ive had 3 clowns (2 darwin misbar and a ningaloo black clarkii) with my sixline and he has never bullied them. occasionally has a shoving contest with my clarkii, but its very minor when it happens. sixlines can be dicks tho, guess i just got lucky.

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On 1/16/2019 at 5:49 AM, Tamberav said:

 

Not all fish die from things like flukes/internal parasites, ect. Your other fish could be infected, they get it by eating the poop of other fish (ew). Perhaps the clowns being captive bred and the others wild caught is their downfall since those clowns were not raised in the ocean exposed to a plethora of parasites. 

 

The symptoms do sound like internal parasites to me. TBH I almost never feed pellets or flake, I feed LRS food mostly and sometimes mysis or roe and my clowns have been with me many many years. All fish were treated with prazipro however as a precaution. LRS food is absolutely amazing stuff... I put some selcon on it from time to time as well. 

 

I have had the healthiest clowns come directly from the breeder, skipping the middle man (LFS). 

regarding diet i would reccomend also feeding good quality frozen as a staple, like krill or mysis and supplement with good quality marine flake or similar pellets.

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