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FAQs about the Brooklynellosis Disease and Clownfishes 3
Related FAQs: Brooklynellosis 1,
Brooklynellosis 2, & FAQs on Brooklynellosis:
Diagnosis/Symptomology,
Etiology/Prevention, Cures That Don't
Work, Cures That Do Work,
Treatment/Products/Manufacturers... &
Clownfish Disease 1, Clownfish
Disease FAQs 3, Clownfish Disease 4,
Clownfish Disease 5, Clownfish
Disease 10, Clownfish Disease 12,
Clownfish Disease 13,
Clownfishes in General,
Clownfish Identification, Clownfish
Selection, Clownfish Compatibility,
Clownfish Behavior, Clownfish Systems,
Clownfish Feeding, Clownfishes and
Anemones, Breeding
Clowns, Parasitic Marine Tanks 1,
Marine Parasitic Disease,
Parasitic Reef Tanks,
Cryptocaryoniasis, Marine Ich,
Marine Velvet Disease,
Biological Cleaners, Treating
Parasitic Disease, Using
Hyposalinity to Treat Parasitic Disease,
Related Articles:
Surviving Brooklynellosis by Mike Maddox,
Clownfish Disease,
Brooklynellosis, Clownfishes, Maroon
Clowns,
Marine Parasitic Disease, | 
|
Fast Stocking; Repeated Mortality - 6/19/08
I'm on
the verge of having a break down! I'm very patient when it comes to
fish tanks, but I keep losing fish, and I don't want to keep getting
fish just for them to perish when they hit my tank. I would rather
them go to a tank that they can thrive.
<An understandable- and
noble- desire.>
Can you please help me get to the point when my
tank is that tank? You are probably getting tired of hearing from
me, but here goes, I'll give you everything, so you know where I am.
I have a 75 gallon tank with a Remora Pro, and an Emperor 400. I
only run the Emperor for about an hour or so a week, with just a
generic filter pad with no charcoal in it. I'm just using it to pull
some debris out of the water.
<I'm curious as to the reasoning
behind this...one hour a week can't be doing any good, and you're
probably cooking strange things in that filter pad during the six
days it doesn't run. I'd just plug it in and let it run...an
aquarium of this size will need filtration, as you are aware.>
And I dump out the Emperor once a week at every water change, and
rinse out the filter pad.
I also have 80 lbs of live rock, which
I have built up against the back wall of the tank, I don't know if
this is advisable, but I did it because I have 2 Hydor stage 4 power
heads and a stage 3 all blowing off the front pane of the tank, and
it seemed to strong of a current for my softies, so now with the
rock against the back, I get the same water movement and it seems
less abrasive to the corals. I have a
Coralife power compact
with two 65 watt 50/50 bulbs which i leave on from about 7 AM to
about 11PM, I work 12 hour days and the tank is next to our bed, and
I like to watch the fish to wind down at night.
<Far too long.
Consider reducing to a 12 or 8 hour photoperiod, from 11 to 11 or
so>
And I have a Stealth heater.
For water changes, I do 12
gallons every Friday morning.
<Good>
I use a python to drain
the water, and then I mix tap water with Oceanic Salt Mix and Prime
water conditioner about 15 minutes before I put it into the tank, or
once the salt is dissolved.
<Search wetwebmedia.com re saltwater
mixing and aging. Many components of synthetic salt remain caustic-
and therefore toxic- for a significant period after they appear to
be dissolved. It is much better to mix the water 1-2 days in
advance.>
For livestock I have 3 Green Chromises, a Chalk Bass, a
Lawnmower Blenny, a Sixline Wrasse, a Serpent Starfish, assorted
hermit and snails, a Sally lightfoot, and 3 Emerald crabs. All of
these I have had for about 6 weeks. I also have a African Pygmy
Angel I added last week. For corals, I have 4 rocks with Mushrooms,
a Toadstool Leather coral, a Xenia, and a Pineapple Polyp. I also
have some Feather dusters, how many, I'm not sure, they're starting
to pop up in different places, which is very cool. I also have some
unidentified corals starting to grow on the live rock.
For food I
use mostly San Francisco brand frozen Emerald Entree, and frozen
Spirulina Brine Shrimp.
<Many of these fish are omnivores or
obligate carnivores. Mysis, squid, krill would all be better
substitutes for the brine shrimp, which have little nutritive
value.>
I like this brand because it seems to have less gelatin.
I put about 3/4 of a cube in a Dixie cup with just enough water to
cover it, and add Garlic Extreme in the morning, and pour all the
contents into the tank. At night I do the same thing without the
Garlic Extreme.
<This is a LOT of food>
The food seems to
break up by itself once it's it the tank, as opposed to the Formula
2 I've tried which seems to stay chunky and get caught in the
pre-filter of the Remora, or in the powerheads.
<Formula 2 is
designed to be gelatinous, cut to size...>
This is what my water
looks like, Ammonia is at 0, nitrates 0, nitrites 0
<I don't
trust these readings- not with as much as you are feeding and the
trouble you're having. Even in the best kept of systems there will
be nitrate. Are your test kits fresh, and from a reputable source
(Salifert, SeaChem make fine tests)? I would consider purchasing new
and carefully retesting nitrogenous wastes>
ph 8.4, SG 1.25,
calcium 380 ppm, 11 dKH, and the temperature is at 76. Now the
alkalinity varies through the week, it will get down to as low as
7dkh, then I will add Kent Marine Superbuffer and it brings it up to
about 13dkh.
<Too quick a change. Regular, smaller additions to
keep alkalinity constant will improve the health of your tank
inhabitants>
Everything else stays consistent, I just started
measuring calcium, it was 420ppm at the last water change and now
it's 380ppm.
Now for the problem, aside for what's in the tank, I
can't keep anything alive in this tank. I really really really want
a Kole Tang. I have tried 3 Kole Tangs, one dies and I buy another
one, I'm not trying to keep more than one in a tank.
<Too small
a tank, and a lot of aggressive tankmates. I'm afraid your dream of
a Kole tang will need to remain such until you have another, larger
system.>
I can't seem to get them to eat, I've tried frozen
Emerald Entree, frozen brine shrimp, romaine lettuce and Spirulina
flakes. The last one I bought was dead this morning, it was the
largest one I bought and it was full colored. The fish store had it
more about two weeks before I bought it. I bought it this past
Friday, on Saturday it lost most of it's color, last night it was
full of ich, and this morning it was dead.
<Read WetWebMedia re
ich, velvet, Brooklynella...you may have a serial killer>
The
other fish I keep trying and losing are Clown fish. The most recent
ones I bought were Tomato clowns, these were the second pair of
Tomato Clowns I've tried. But I have lost many other Clowns before
these guys. I also purchased these fish Friday, they seemed to be
doing
fine, then this morning when I woke up, they were both dead
also.
<Again, you have a heavily stocked tank, and are adding
things fast. Slow down, plan carefully, and know your aquarium's
limits.>
Also, aside from the dead fish, it keep getting micro
bubbles from my Remora Pro.
<Does happen, yes>
I taped a
sponge to where the water enters the tank from the Remora, and this
seems to have helped slightly. I contacted the folks at Aqua C and
they said if I'm using a water conditioner like Prime, it can also
cause the micro bubbles, which seems very likely. My question is,
would you suggest not using a water conditioner at all?
<not if
you have chlorinated water>
I also have a 75 gallon African
cichlid tank that has been established for about two years now, I
don't use the water conditioner with that anymore, it seems to me
that there is enough of a biological filter in the two Emperor 400
filters I have on that tank, and in the lace rock and substrate, to
handle any impurities that might be in the tap water. I'm not sure
bio-filtration has anything to do with chlorine,
<Chlorine is a
biocide, toxic to all life>
but my fish are very bright and
healthy and they get a water change once a week also. I would just
really like to
get rid of as many micro bubbles as possible.
So please, if you can possibly shine some light on what I'm doing
wrong, I would greatly appreciate it. If you can be as critical as
possible, it would be much more helpful for me.
<Gives those
water parameters another test, and we'll see if there is a serious
problem there- as I suspect>
Thanks again.
Marc
<Benjamin>
Re: Fast Stocking; Repeated Mortality - 6/19/08
Thanks so
much for the help.
<Welcome>
I was wondering, if I run the
filter all the time, would you suggest filters with charcoal, or
just the filter pad.
<Just the filter pad. Carbon is something
that is generally used more for removal of accidental toxins (broken
bulbs, spilled chemicals, etc> than a continuous product>
Also,
if I was to add a pair of clownfish, and I still wanted to add one
more colorful fish, what would you suggest.
<Nothing. Your tank
is pretty full>
Now that I'm not going to be adding the Kole
Tang.
Thanks again,
<No problem>
Marc
<Benjamin>
Re: Fast Stocking; Repeated Mortality - 6/19/08
Thanks for
the help.
<No trouble!>
I didn't run the Emperor all the time
because I was under the impression that the filter pads hold on the
materials those create nitrates, so I would put it on for an hour a
week, just to get rid of some debris. I would rather run it all the
time, but do you think if I clean out the pads at each water change,
would I be pretty safe from creating unwanted nitrates?
<Nitrates
will be produced no matter what; they are the product of nitrogenous
waste from fish. Ammonia excreted from the gills and fecal material
is oxidized to less toxic nitrite, which is further oxidized to
nitrate. Without the production of nitrate, life in an aquarium
would be impossible. All this to say, nitrate is simply to be
removed via water changes- you can't avoid making it.>
Now, would
it be a big benefit for me to use charcoal filters in my filter, as
opposed to just fiber pad?
<No>
I was told the Remora Pro
would be all the filtration I need.
<Not
necessarily...significant bacteriological cycling is necessary for
as many fish as you have, as well as something to remove particulate
matter from the aquarium.>
Now the only reason why I didn't make
up my water a couple of days ahead of time, was because I thought
you had to have an extra heater and powerhead.
<Would be best>
I have two 6 gallon buckets, I can make up the water on Tuesday and
then do the water change of Friday. Is it ok to mix it, even though
there wont be a powerhead mixing it up?
<Would be an improvement
over just mixing and dumping in. If you could drop an airstone, it
would be even better>
Also, is there a better water conditioner
you would suggest to use instead of Prime?
<Prime is good, IME.>
I found out my fish were dying because of ich. When my first Kole
Tang got the ich, I was told all tanks have ick, it's just a matter
of the fishes immune system dropping for it to catch it.
<Well,
this is true...augmented by other factors>
I was told it was very
common for Tangs to catch ich, but as long as they were eating, they
would pull through.
<Not true- a parasite with incomplete
symbiosis- like ich- will eventually kill the host once it is
established unless it is treated>
Since the last time I sent an
email, I have been in a store to have my water tested again, to see
if there was something wrong with my test, and they came up with the
same results. 0 nitrates.
<I assume they used dip strips, as per
LFS standard? These just don't work. Never, ever have an LFS do your
water tests for you>
So when I told him about the Kole Tang
catching ich, he advised me to not buy any fish for about 4 weeks,
so the parasite doesn't have a host.
<As long as there are fish
in the tank, it will have a host>
And if I don't have any more
mortalities, then I can add another fish.
And on that subject, I
have decided to no longer try getting a Kole Tang, I was told this
is one of the few Tangs, if not the only one, that can go in a 75
gallon tank, but I still don't think they have enough room to swim
around.
<Very true, good observation>
I was hoping you may
give me a suggestion on another fish, of decent size that I might be
able to put in my tank. I want to put a flame angel, but I don't
know how that would fare with my pygmy angel.
<I think with the
clowns you planned, you will have a well-filled tank>
Also, I was
wondering if you could give me your opinion on stacking the rocks up
against the back wall of the tank, I want to get rock to put up the
side walls also.
If their weight is stacked on the base, this is
fine. If the rock is literally leaning against the back wall you're
risking a panel failure>
I just find this to be the best way to
display the corals, and keep from having an avalanche.
<A time
tested method. Dependable, if not aesthetically thrilling>
I was
just wondering if this was bad for circulation. Again, I have two
stage 4 Hydors, one in each back corner pointing towards each other
off the front pane of glass, and one Stage 3, on the side, all the
way at the bottom, all the way towards the back, blowing behind the
rocks. Just wanted to know if you could think of any down sides to
this setup.
<Sounds good>
Thanks again,
Marc
<No
problem. Benjamin>
Re: Fast Stocking; Repeated Mortality -
6/20/08
One last time.
<Okay!>
After taking your
advice, I went on WetWebMedia and looked up Brooklynella, and that
is definitely what has been killing my clowns. I tried to describe
this to the LFS, and they said it was ich, or possibly velvet. I
looked up velvet, and I've had ich in my freshwater tank, and this
didn't look like either. It looked like my fish were "dusty". I read
the website, and it seems like the only way to get rid of it would
be to strip down the whole tank bleach it, and start over. I really
really really don't want to do this. None of the fish I have seem to
be affected by this. If I were to wait a couple of months before
adding fish, should I be ok?
<I'm afraid not. Brooklynella only
affects clownfish and certain tangs. It will remain in your system
indefinitely, even in a fallow tank. Once a tank is infected, it
just won't be a safe home for clownfish.>
The only fish I want to
add are a pair of clowns, and after reading, I will be purchasing
tank raised clowns. Will waiting it out work? And if so, how long
should I wait before adding the other clown. Again, all the other
fish I have, I've had for about six weeks with out
any problems.
<Your one option would be to wait, try again, and if the fish were
to succumb to the disease again send it to a specialist or vet who
could perform microscopy and identify the pathogen for you. This
would at least tell you for sure if it is in fact Brooklynella.>
And if I must add medication, is there any that would be safe for my
fish and corals?
<Nope. Medication should always be given in a
quarantine, no exceptions>
All softies by the way.
Thanks
again for helping me find my "serial killer".
<No problem. Best
of luck!>
Marc
<Benjamin> |
Brooklynella nightmare...what do I do? Read 05/23/08
First,
let me thank you guys for your hard work. I really appreciated.
Ok,
it’s been 24 hours since I moved my 3 Clownfish out of the reef tank and
into the hospital tank for a copper treatment.
<... this won't cure
Brooklynellosis...>
Unfortunately, the diagnosis I got from the store
last on Sunday was incorrect. I was just told that is not only Ich on my
Tangs but Brooklynella on my Clownfish. I need to know how fast I can
move with this.
<Move?>
I’ve been treating Ich for two weeks
using organic products.
<...?>
I had no money to set up the
hospital tank (I put it off for too long) and I have invertebrates in my
120 gallon reef tank. For weeks the Hippo Tang was covered in sugar
spots (Ich). My Yellow Tang caught it next. Although the Clownfish did
not show the sugar like spots, they were scratching. Then the Clownfish
started to disappear from the tank (5 baby clowns). Apparently the Sebae
or the Snowflake Eel decided to do everyone a favor and ate the sick
fish. I should have known something was wrong when I found a dying
clownfish at the bottom of the tank. I notice his skin looked whitish
(not Ich like). But because my Tangs were covered in Ich I didn’t think
anything of it. On Tuesday night my Hippo Tang died a slow death. I
notice transparent film coming of her skin. Yesterday the big Clownfish
started shedding; breathing rapidly and not
eating (just like the
baby clown and Hippo Tang). I also notice the lost of the transparent
thin border of his top fin. I know I’ll probably loose him due to the
unnecessary copper treatment but, can I help the two small Clownfish
that are in there with him? They look healthy and unharmed but I know
this is not the case. Can I go home and take the clownfish out of the
Copper treatment, rinse out the tank and proceed with Formalin?
<Yes>
I purchase the hospital tank, the heater and filter yesterday after the
loss of my Hippo Tang. Everything is new. I used 90% of the reef tank
water and 10% RO water for a quick set up.
<...? Can we start a bit
further back? Where did this protozoan, these protozoan problems come
from?>
I tried for hours to catch the Yellow Tang and Snowflake eel
but they are fast and my net keeps getting caught in the live rock. The
Tang/Clowns are eating Mycis soaked in Garlic, nori and flakes. The Eel
is eating shrimp like normal (he will not eat anything with garlic). I’m
doing weekly water changes to the big tank. I also crank up the heat to
80 on both tanks as suggested.
<Not a cure...>
The water
parameters were fine until I found that dead Clownfish, the nitrate went
up to 20, ammonia 0.25 (water change was made immediately) Nitrate close
to 0, ammonia 0 Nitrite 0, Phosphates 0, PH 8.2. Salinity 1.022-1.023.
Thank you for your hard work guys
Sharon
<... don't follow you
here, nor know what you're looking for. Input, protocols re treatment
for Cryptocaryon and Brooklynellosis are detailed on WWM... go, read
there. Bob Fenner> Re: Brooklynella
nightmare...what do I do? 5/23/08
Bob, I apologize for the
confusing email earlier. I was writing under a lot of stress and I
didn't go over it before hitting send.
<Am glad it wasn't simply
myself being tired... am out traveling>
In the email, I wanted to
ensure that I could change from the copper treatment to the formalin
treatment quickly and with out affecting (killing) the Clownfish in the
process.
<I see... and would continue, do the change in treatment...
Better to promptly administer a useful medicant than wait here... Bob
Fenner>
Disease Treatment Confusion, SW... parasites 3/15/08
Hi WWM Crew ,
Your site and info is great. I've been reading for
hours!
I introduced 2 small Yellow Tangs and 1 small Kole Tang to
my setup.
<Umm, how large is this tank?>
Unfortunately, the
Kole Tang died about 9 days after I got it (doing fine and one
morning I got up and within an hour or two it was dead).
I'm a
novice - learned the hard way - ALWAYS QT new additions. Also, find
resources you can trust! That was Monday past. I called the LFS and
the owner suggested Melafix
<Worthless...>
in the main tank.
<No....!>
I noticed my 2 Saddleback Clowns (I've had them 4
months and they were super healthy up to now) not looking so good
the night before (slight film, fins looking ragged, rapid breathing,
listlessness, rubbing - but no spots). So I dosed the display with
Melafix
<...>
as per his directives for 3 days (he didn't
mention it would harm my snails - even though I told him everything
in my setup, ugh). However, on the second night of treatment
(Tuesday) I noticed the Tangs had spots on their bodies and fins
(Ich), and a lot of it!
<Stress induced, but present already>
From another LFS, the owner told me to QT all the fish in my tank
using the original display tank water (to reduce the shock) and to
stop using the Melafix.
<Good advice>
I did this Wednesday
evening and have since given 2 doses of ParaGuard in the QT. It is
probably worth mentioning that the closest marine supply stores are
7 hrs. away. I am waiting to receive Cupramine at which point I was
advised to filter out the ParaGuard for a few hours and then start
the Cupramine treatment. But now having read so much on your site I
am worried it may not be wise to administer Cupramine to the Clowns
(due to copper sensitivity and it sounds like they could have
Brooklynellosis which means copper is ineffective anyway?).
<If
it is Brook, correct>
Should I put them in another, separate QT
and
continue with the ParaGuard while using Cupramine on
everyone else in the bigger QT?
<If you have such facilities,
yes>
If so, should I use all new mixed saltwater with the same
pH, temp. and Sp.Gravity or should I use some of the water they're
already in to reduce stress of possibly changing parameters?
<I
would start making, using new water... the old is infested...>
I
plan on letting the main tank lay fallow for 4 weeks, is 6 weeks
preferable?
<Yes>
I apologize for all the questions but I want
to make sure I give them the best chance at survival possible and
the info out there has been conflicting to say the least. On the up
side, they have continued to eat a little and my 2 Yellowtail and 2
Blue Devil Damsels (also in QT with everyone else) do seem alright.
Thank you so much for your time :)
Sincerely,
Tracy
<I do
wish you success... In the meanwhile, do keep studying. Bob Fenner>
Re: Disease Treatment Confusion, SW... parasites... Brooklynellosis.
Y. tang sys. – 03/20/08
Thanks for your reply Bob. I
hope the crew and yourself are keeping well.
<I'm trying, thank
you>
My current marine tank is 38g, but we're in the process of
getting a 90g. Then we'll likely use the 38g for the sump.
I
realize how inadequate a 38g aquarium is for 2 yellow tangs
<Ah,
yes>
but I was told by the LFS guy who sold them to me that it
would be fine to house them in the smaller tank while they are
young.
<Mmm, only very young... This species clusters amongst
finger-like Porites in its range during its "high Sailfin" stage...
but as it gets more than a couple of inches long, starts ranging
out...>
Had I been better informed I would have waited to get
them. Thanks for all the wonderful info on your site. I've learned a
wealth of knowledge over the past week alone.
<Ah, good>
So
quickly, I've moved the 2 saddleback clowns into a 10g hospital and
have been treating Brooklynellosis with ParaGuard. They seem to
be doing very well and have regained their full appetite.
<A good
sign>
The others:
2x 2" yellow tangs
2x 1" blue devil
damsels
2x 1/2"-3/4" yellowtail blue damsels
are in a 20g
hospital tank treated with Cupramine for Ich. Now no visible Ich
spots on their bodies.
<Mmm, if you had/have more room, I might
treat the Yellow Tangs for Brook as well... they can contract, be
carriers>
Would the 90g be adequate to house the 2 yellow tangs
and a yellow eye tang? Or should I wait on the Kole tang until I get
a 125g down the road?
<Would/will likely be okay in both/either
case>
I'll likely be removing all 4 damsel terrors (although they
are lookers).
I've also got an inquiry about a LR hitchhiker but
will send separately.
Thanks again for all the time you and the
WWM crew put into helping out fellow hobbyists.
Tracy
<Welcome
my friend. Bob Fenner> |
Caring for new clownfish with ich... Not likely... reading...
3/6/08
Hi there,
<Shelley>
Help! My husband and I are new
to this - we set up our first reef tank over the past few months. Did it
slowly and meticulously to make sure everything survived. We added two
clownfish (Percs) and a potter angel
<Yikes... this species of
Centropyge is not easily kept... needs large, stable, well-established
quarters...>
this weekend. As soon as we got them in the tank (we did
not quarantine since they were the first fish to ever go in
<...>
- but we know better now) the clownfish exhibited signs of ich.
>Mmmm, maybe<
Long story short,
we gave a freshwater bath to
both, one survived (the larger one), the other didn't. We left the
larger one in the main tank - as we are sure the ich is there now, so we
wouldn't stress the fish. We are treating with No-Ich and keeping the
water as pristine as possible.
<Mmm, doesn't always work:
http://www.fishvet.com/no-ich.htm for browsers. See WWM re.>
While
the white spots are going away, I was wondering how long it takes to get
rid of the ich?
<... may not be Crypt... is likely just cycling...
will be back...>
Why didn't the potter angel get ich?
<A clue...
likely IS Brooklynellosis, another protozoan... Read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/brooklynellosisart.htm
and the linked files
above>
Also, as the surviving clownfish is being treated, he seems to
be fine except he eats all the time. I feed 3x per day, just the tiniest
bit of flakes twice a day and frozen brine shrimp once. Is a big
appetite a sign of stress?
<Mmm, no; not generally with marine life>
We have colt coral and hammer coral and a seabae -
<... these are not
compatible... See WWM re: http://wetwebmedia.com/sebaeSelfaqs.htm>
the clownfish has no interest in hiding in them, it seems.
She swims
up to the glass when I come near and seems very active; but she also
rests at times, just swaying mid-level behind some rock. Is my fish
stressed? I'm trying to make the recovery from ich as stress- free as
possible. Will she make it? Still wondering how this escaped the angel.
Water stats are: ph 8.2, temp 79F, SG 1.020,
<Too low...>
no
ammonia or nitrites,
20ppm nitrates.
Any help would be
appreciated! Shelley
<Please... use the search tool, try to find
what you need to know before writing us... Time is of the essence. Read
where you are referred to, the linked files where you lead yourself...
and soon... Your system is in dire danger, your livestock... Bob Fenner>
my poor lil clown fish... too little reading – 1/26/08
Ok
crew you all are life savers. I chatted with you bout my lionfish a
couple days ago, nothing has changed with my tank, but yesterday I
noticed my black clownfish has a problem going on here.
<I'll
say!>
I have searched your clownfish database, and couldn't
figure out what is wrong with him. I am attaching a pic, if you
could help me out id be very appreciative. I just did a water change
on Sunday, and my test kit says everything is fine. Don't want to
loose the little one. Help me please.
<... it's likely dead by
now... Looks like Brooklynellosis, but could well be another
protozoan, a combination... You need to READ re... Bob Fenner>
Re: my poor lil clown fish 1/27/08
Hey crew thanks for the
answer on that. Krusty was dead when we got home from her grandmas
funeral on Friday. I read what you wanted me to, and I am pretty
sure that it was Brooklynellosis.
<I think so too>
My maroon
clown looks like he is got it also. He's in quarantine right now,
and is kind of shaky. I was told to use KanaPlex,
<... no...
Ridiculous advice>
I have treated the maroon once, and plan on
doing daily water changes as well. How well will that help? My other
question is, can I use
that to treat my main tank, and will the
Brooklynellosis affect my lion and ccs? They both look fine and
don't show no signs of it. Thanks again you are appreciated.
<...
read: http://wetwebmedia.com/brooklynellosisart.htm
and the
linked files above. BobF> |
|
Clarkii Clownfish Acting Strange - Possibly Stung by his Anemone?
Injured Clarkii or Brooklynellosis? – 12/13/07
Hi from Fort
Walton Beach FL!
<Hello Dawn! Brenda here, suffering through the
bitter cold!>
First of all I just want to thank you for such an
awesome web-site!
<You’re Welcome! Thank you for the positive
feedback!>
My SW friend turned me onto it and I have passed it along
to another SW friend.
<Great!>
The site is absolutely invaluable
to any experienced or novice marine aquarist (like myself).
Here's
my stats:
125 gal.
SG: In between 1.023-1.024
Nitrate 10
Nitrite 0
Alkalinity 300
PH 8.0
Phos 0.1
Calcium 400
Iodine .06
Magnesium 1400
<Temperature?>
Setup: Proclear
Aquatic wet/dry, Proclear Aquatic Protein Skimmer, Fluval FX5 w/nitrate
& phosphate sponge, and charcoal, and 2 Maxi-Jet 1200's, VHO lighting.
The 125 is an All Glass Megaflow with 2 overflows.
Stock: Orange
Spotted Goby, A mated pair of Firefish, 1 blue green reef Chromis, 2
Clarkii clowns, 1 Domino damsel, 1 Bi-Color Pseudochromis, 1 Brittle
Starfish, 1 Anemone,
<What species is the anemone?>
1 Mexican
feather duster, 1 Atlantic feather duster, 3 Mexican Turbo Snails, 5
Nassarius Snails, Zoanthids, Xenia, Glove Polyp, Hammer Coral, Torch
Coral, 2 Frogspawn, Candy Cane Coral, Bubble Coral, 110 lbs. of live
rock and several pounds of Tonga branch. Back to the larger of the two
Clarkii clowns. "Clark" took to the anemone right away and has been
really tank mates with it since I bought it (about 4 weeks ago).
<It
is a pleasure to witness!>
Yesterday, I noticed Clark was sucking the
tips of the anemone, sometimes more than one tip at a time; and, acting
out of character. I
understand it is completely normal for clown fish
to suck anemones (through reading articles on your site) however, when
he was doing it he was laying sideways and panting heavily. Now today, I
see some type of lesion (kind of looks like burn marks) on the top of
his head and he is acting even more out of character. He has his mouth
open the entire time with a more labored breathing and now he is hiding
out, which he (she, you get the drift) has never done in the past. Could
it be possible that the anemone stung him?
<It is not likely for this
to happen after 4 weeks. It is hard to say without a picture. I suspect
one of two things, an aggressive Domino Damsel or Brooklynellosis. My
guess is that it is Brooklynellosis. More information on Brooklynellosis
here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brooklynellosisart.htm >
If so, will
they typically recover from such an event? I'm at a loss what to do
here.
<It can recover from injury and Brooklynellosis. However, it
sounds like the Clarkii may be in the final stages of the disease.>
Since I'm new at the hobby (less than a year), I still freak out when I
notice something not right and test everything; but all is fine.
<Did
you quarantine this fish and how?>
I have searched your site the past
couple of hours and can't figure out what to do, if anything. I do have
a QT tank if I need to use it.
<I would remove the clownfish and
place in quarantine. Read up on Brooklynellosis, and know how to treat.
If it is Brooklynellosis, the chance of this fish being alive by
morning, are slim. However, you may have more fish to treat. I would
also keep a close eye on the Damsel’s behavior. This fish can be very
aggressive and harmful. Anemones do best in a higher salinity. I
recommend slowly bringing your salinity up to 1.026 and reducing
nitrates and phosphates to zero. Also, your lighting may not be enough
to support an anemone long term. Can you give me more detailed
information on this? How long has this tank been up and running?>
All
of the other fish seem perfectly content and normal. I appreciate your
assistance in advance.
Dawn
<Good luck to you Dawn! Brenda>
Re: Injured Clarkii or Brooklynellosis? – 12/13/07
Hi Brenda,
<Hello Dawn!>
Thank you for your response.
<You’re welcome!>
Wow, hoping it isn't the latter of the two. I did read the article and
it sounds like what he has.
<Unfortunate, but it is not uncommon for
wild caught clownfish.>
Expect he is gasping for air at the bottom of
the tank, not top. It's hard to tell with the lesions, but in any case,
he looks worse this morning. At this point, he won't make it, I can
tell. It's making me feel so bad.
<I’m sorry!>
Even though we
probably both suspect Brooklynellosis at this point, it was odd that the
Domino (yesterday) was swimming in front of Clark and fanning his tail
at his face. Hmmmm, why would he be doing that behavior?
<Domino
Damsels can be evil! I have witnessed this myself many times. They are
not welcome in my tanks.>
I'm not sure what species my anemone is. If
I had to guess, I would say maybe a carpet.
<It is important to know
which species, so that you can provide the appropriate care.>
It is
at the bottom of the tank and has burrowed his foot into the sand bed.
He has situated himself under a ledge of live rock so only has minimal
lighting and current in that location.
<This is not good. It will not
last long under these conditions.>
I have not moved him because my
experience is that they will just move themselves back where they want
to.
<Correct! It will move looking for a suitable environment. If
there is not one available, it will deteriorate.>
It is a kind of
dirty pink color, around 1" short tentacles that have a green tip on
them. Not the bubble tip shape.
<The Bubble Tip anemone does not
always have bubbles. However in this case, I do not believe that you
have a BTA. It is likely an LTA or a carpet.>
I did not QT Clark
yesterday because I wasn't sure what to do. My QT tank is I'm sure,
minimally acceptable. It is a tank on reserve that we don't use and keep
for emergency purposes. It's a 5 gallon "eclipse type" tank (I can't
remember name brand). It has a built in filter with removable media bag,
no heater (though it would be easy for me to buy one) and just a compact
florescent natural daylight tube. It doesn't have the ability to "cycle"
as it doesn't have any type of biological capabilities.
<If the
clownfish is still alive, I would still remove. Take water from the
existing tank. I also recommend getting in the habit of quarantining all
new species, coral included.>
I will work on raising salinity. Do all
of the other corals/fish do fine at 1.026?
<Yes, and is closer to
their natural environment.>
The lighting are 6' long VHO tubes. One
is white, one is the blue light. We also have moon lights for night
viewing. No halide lighting, etc.
<This is not nearly enough lighting
for this anemone.>
My temperature fluctuates between about 77-80
degrees.
<I would keep closer to 80 degrees.>
How long has the
tank been up and running. That's a loaded question that I'll explain. It
was setup the end up July, 1st of August this year. I didn't have any
inverts at this time. Everything was fine until October 4th middle of
the night. We heard a loud "pop" and then an ensuing waterfall.
<Oh
my!!!>
I knew what it was and I've been heartbroken ever since.
<I
certainly would be too!>
That's right, the bottom of the tank cracked
and all of the water, 125 gallons +, drained out in less than a minute.
<Ouch!!!! Do you know what caused the break? Was the tank not level?>
Our home looked like a beach with water and live sand. It actually
ruined/flooded our entire home. I lost most of my fish. I actually
started thinking once the wave of shock left me and reached into pick
the fish up off of the sand bed and tossed them in the sump. I then over
the next several days found temporary homes in my SW friends.
<Good!>
I tossed all of the live rock into a 55 gallon bucket with SW and a jet.
I eventually got my hands on a borrowed 55 gallon aquarium that I set up
in the garage (while we remodeled our home which we are still doing).
With that being said, everything continued to be fine in the 55 gallon
while we tiled our house and put up baseboards. We finally got the
living area ready and moved back into the big tank, that was roughly a
month ago.
<This is not long enough for an anemone. They need an
established environment, 6 months to a year, with one year being best.>
At that time, we started adding corals, the anemone and the like. We
also got our 2 fish that survived the disaster back; the goby and the
blue-green reef Chromis. Sorry for the long winded explanation. We have
all been through a lot lately.
<I certainly see that!>
This is
another reason I'm hoping it isn't Brooklynellosis, because mentally,
I'm still trying to recover from the above.
<I hate to be the one to
bring you more bad news, but you will have more issues in the near
future with the anemone. It is best to remove soon and find it a
suitable home.>
Thank you in advance. Dawn
<You’re welcome Dawn!
Good luck to you! Brenda>
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