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FAQs about the Diseases of Clownfishes: Amyloodinium/Velvet 

 Related FAQs: Clownfish Disease 1, Diseases of Clownfishes 2, Diseases of Clownfishes 3, Clownfish Disease 4, Clownfish Disease 5, Clownfish Disease 6, Clownfish Disease 7, Clownfish Disease 8, Clownfish Disease 9, Clownfish Disease 10, Clownfish Disease 11, Clownfish Disease 12, Clownfish Disease 13, Clownfish Disease 14, Clownfish Disease 15, Clownfish Disease 16, Clownfish Disease 17, Clownfish Disease 18, Clownfish Disease 19, Clownfish Disease 20, Clownfish Disease 21, Clownfish Disease 22, Clownfish Disease 24, Clownfish Disease 25, Clownfish Disease 26, Clownfish Disease 27, &
FAQs on Clownfish Disease By: Environmental Stress, Nutrition, Social/Behavioral/Territoriality, Trauma/Mechanical Injury, & Pathogens: Lymphocystis, Infectious Disease (Bacteria, Fungi...), Protozoans: Cryptocaryon/Ich, Brooklynella (see article below), & Mysteries/Anomalous Losses, Cure, Success Stories, &
Clownfishes in General, Clownfish Identification, Clownfish Selection, Clownfish Compatibility, Clownfish Behavior, Clownfish Systems, Clownfish Feeding, Clownfishes and AnemonesBreeding Clowns

Related Articles: Clownfish Disease, BrooklynellosisClownfishes, Maroon Clowns, Marine Disease

Diffuse fine spotting, rapid shallow breathing, disorientation... quick onset, death...

Brook or velvet     10/20/14
Hi, crew
Could you tell me if my clowns have Brooklynella or marine velvet? Pictures attached. Thank you.
<My guess is on Brook and/or Cryptocaryoniasis... def. not Velvet. I would treat w/ quinine per WWM.
Bob Fenner>

True Percula Clownfish possibly infected with Amyloodiniumiasis   2/18/09 Dear WWM Crew, <Chad> I bought a pair of True Percula Clownfish four days ago. I have a large QT setup but couldn't use it. I was medicating another fish with Cupramine (copper) for ich and didn't want to subject my new clowns to the medication. Normally I would've held off on the clowns but I'd been looking for a pair like this for a very long time. I felt the safest place to put them was the refugium. In hindsight I should've set up another QT. They both looked good at the store, the male ate right away, the female was a bit more hesitant but did eventually eat. Over the last few days in the fuge, the female has eaten but the male has not. They've been acting relatively normal save for their breathing. The male's been breathing rapidly the entire time. The female's been breathing rapidly as well but not quite as bad as the male. I also noticed that their gills seem to be puffed out a bit. Like they're swollen. I've noticed no lesions on their bodies, no white spots, no mucus. At first glance they look perfectly normal and healthy. They haven't been hanging out near the surface and have not tried to scratch themselves on anything. After some research I realized however that I may have a case of Oodinium on my hands. <Mmm, doubtful on two counts... these fishes would be dead, and the rest of the fish in the system afflicted> I immediately set up a hospital tank and treated them with the recommended amount of Cupramine. <... won't treat what they likely have> I realize copper is not a very good medication for Oodinium but It's the only medication I had on hand. I'm also not 100% sure they're infected with Oodinium. <I'm almost positive it's not> I've noticed some stringy poop coming from the female. Could this be a sign of an internal parasite? <Mmm, yes> For now my clowns are in a 21 gallon hospital tank with a powerhead and a heater. I don't have a small HOB filter so I'll be doing 50% water changes every few days. My question to you is this. Do you think I'm dealing with Oodinium? <... no> If so, you recommend freshwater dips and formalin correct? <Is one approach> I have three fish in my display tank that are very dear to me. Do you think it's possible that I took the infected fish out before the Oodinium had a chance top jump off and infect the tank? <Over days time? No... t'were this Amyloodinium, your fishes would likely be all dead> I'm guessing time will tell on that one. Should I observe the clowns in copper for a few days? Just wait it out? Should I begin freshwater dips and Formalin? <Mmm, no, no, and something else> I really want to avoid killing my fish with the cure if you know what I mean. Some info regarding my system: 225 gallon reef (about 3 months old) 75 gallon sump/fuge ammonia = 0 Nitrites = 0 Nitrates = 0 PH = 8.2 - 8.3 Phosphates = 0 CA = 410 Mg = 1250 KH = 8 Any help would be greatly appreciated. Regards, Chad <Please start reading here: http://wetwebmedia.com/brooklynfaqs.htm and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

Re: True Percula Clownfish possibly infected with  Amyloodiniumiasis 2/18/09 Interesting, Brook was my first thought but I didn't see the tell tale white mucus coating. Unfortunately both clowns perished last night. The stress of the move to the hospital tank coupled with the copper treatment must've sped up the process. <Agreed> Cupramine recommends half concentration for the first two days, I guess it was still too much. <Yes... Clownfishes and other close invertebrate symbionts are often housed in retail, wholesale and collecting stations apart from other fishes (with invertebrates) to avoid copper exposure period. They are quite sensitive to it> Without proper intervention on my part I feel these clowns were doomed from the start. <Might I ask... were they wild-collected, or likely, at least housed in water, a system confluent with wild-collected Amphiprionines?> I'm relieved that you don't think it's Velvet. I lost sleep worrying about my other fish. This close call has strengthened my resolve to QT EVERY new arrival. <Ah yes> There's nothing like coming close to a loss to make you realize how important something is to you. <Unfortunately so> In this case a 7" Blonde Naso Tang with 3" streamers, a Yellow and a Purple Tang that hang out with each other and do not fight. Thank You Mr. Fenner! Regards, Chad <Welcome Chad. BobF>

Re: True Percula Clownfish possibly infected with Amyloodiniumiasis -- 02/19/09 I believe they were wild caught. <Too likely so> I got caught up in the excitement of my find. Normally I'm much more selective. I'll be leaving wild caught clowns alone from now on. Thanks again, Chad <Welcome Chad. BobF>

Clown Disease & Treatment: Oodinium Hello Anthony! <cheers Thanassis> Summer holidays are over and here I come with my first problem: My mail Ocellaris has Oodinium, while the female shows no signs yet. <this is very dangerous with clowns... fast progressing> The clown does not get close to the cleaner shrimp, so it can not clean him from the parasites. I am thinking of giving a FW dip with Methylene blue to the clown and then move him to my quarantine tank, where I will move the cleaner shrimp as well. Is it a good idea? <yes... very good. You may medicate with formalin too> I am also feeding food soaked in liquid garlic. <very nice> Any other actions I could take? <this is exactly what Id do... no worries. Keep in QT for at least 4 weeks... and do as many small water changes as possible by siphoning (parasites) from the bottom of the bare glass aquarium. DO check out the excellent articles on these parasites by Steven Pro on reefkeeping.com magazine> Thanks as always, Thanassis <by the way my friend... I will be relatively close to you later this year: I'm giving a presentation in Milan Italy in November for GAEM. (also in Germany in December). Perhaps we can take a slow boat to visit each other <G>. Ha! best regards, Anthony>  

Help confirming fish disease. Dear WWM Crew, My wife and I recently received an order from a mail order company containing a few corals and a pair of Percula clowns. We placed them in their own 10 gallon tank to "wait and see". Well our luck would have it (mostly bad) that one of the clowns broke out with something I believe may be marine velvet yesterday and is now totally covered with a white film, it's dorsal fins are clamped down against its body, and it's swimming, although active, appears odd.  <Does look like Velvet, Amyloodiniumiasis> Its Percula partner now also has a small patch of this film on one of its pectoral fins but otherwise appears normal. I'm enclosing a picture in the hopes that you can help identify the disease. I am planning to quarantine these two fish apart from the corals and begin with freshwater dips and lower the SG in their holding vessel as well as upping the temperature a bit to the range of 80 degrees. Please let me know what you think of my plan of action. As always, your opinions are highly regarded and appreciated. Sincerely, Mike Frazer Certified Percula Killer. <This is also very likely a wild-collected specimen... Not nearly as tough as the captive-produced ones... Quite often have real troubles with cumulative stress, epizootic diseases... and really should only be attempted by folks who have a "special need/desire" (e.g. to culture, harden them for aquaculture, set-up biotopic exhibits...). Do read through WetWebMedia.com re marine diseases, treatments... and Clownfishes. Bob Fenner>

Sick Clown, Brooklynella now after further observation, I've concluded that my poor clown's got Brooklynella. in which case what's your preferred treatment - dips, copper, other??? from my reading I understand that the grim reaper could come very fast. <Possibly but doubtful that this is Brooklynella... Please use the search tool on the bottom of our homepage: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ with the genus name... and read about this disease and its hosts, mainly the Clownfishes. Bob Fenner>

Tomato Clown woes Good morning, I purchased a 3-4" Tomato Clown from my LFS about a week ago. My LFS store held her (I assume, based on size) for me 10 days previous to that, and I checked her several times during that period. <That is a good procedure, but not a replacement for a stay in a proper quarantine tank.> She looked healthy and ate voraciously when I took her home. After adding her to my 75 gallon, she seemed healthy, active, and ate well (Omega One flakes and Ocean Nutrition Formula One frozen). However, about 3-4 days ago I noticed a few patches of a white/gray sheen on her skin/scales. It was only noticeable when viewed from certain angles. She continued to eat well and remained active. I watched her carefully for the next day, and the sheen turned into "rough" looking scales, with a white-ish color. Thinking that it might be water quality issues (although all tests looked good: 0 NH4, 0 NO2, 0-2 NO3, pH 8.2, salinity 1.0215, Alk 3.2 meq, Ca 350), I did a 20% water change. It was nearing time for a scheduled change anyway. Unfortunately, things have gotten worse. This morning she seemed interested in food, but just mouthed it and spit it out, and the white/rough patches look larger. She also seems less active and is holding her fins semi-closed. After reading through your FAQs, I was immediately drawn to Brooklynella, but most accounts of that suggest that the fish would have been dead by now. <It is a fast progressing disease.> Are they any good web photos of a Brooklynella infection? <You maybe able to find a picture somewhere, but by that time it maybe too late. Your description definitely seems parasitic in nature, either Brooklynella or Amyloodinium. Both can be effectively treated with Formalin baths and removal to a separate quarantine/hospital tank. Please search through our website, www.WetWebMedia.com for more details on the suggested treatment.> I'd appreciate your diagnoses and treatment advice. Thanks very much, John H. <You are welcome. -Steven Pro>

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