Sick? clown?
Hello Crew <Hi Ray, MacL here with you tonight.> Seems that I am only asking you questions when something is wrong lately.  <Sorry to hear there is something wrong.>
I think I may have a sick Percula Clown (Toni).  She (she's the dominant one of my two) has not eaten for 2 days.  the other one is fine.  Usually, Toni practically jumps out of the water into the glass pouring the food into the tank at feeding time.  She even will eat out of my hand. <Mine just bite my hand.> That was the last time I saw her eat actually.  I was feeding my open brain coral some finely chopped, vitamin-soaked squid and I had a spare piece so I fed it to Toni.  It may have been a little large for her, but she ate it anyway (has done same in past).  That was the last time I saw her eat.
For the last 2 days, she has parked herself in a cave below some rocks at one end of the tank (usually swims over the entire tank all day long).  She does not swim very far from the cave and takes little interest in food.  She will swim up to it sometimes, but then goes back to her spot.  She appears to be breathing fast as well.  Her color is as good as it has ever been.  Being the big eater of the tank, she looks as plump as ever too (not larger nor smaller than normal). <Its just a guess but have you looked into the cave under the rock, you might have eggs there.>
Everyone else in the tank (fish, corals, anemone, shrimps, inverts) are doing spectacular.  The only loss lately was a jawfish that I think got stung by my anemone and died after 2 days.  Water parameters are pristine.  Nothing added for 7+ months without QT first (except a coralline algae swap from a trusted friend several months ago).
I am mixing water for my QT/hospital tank just in case.  I have on hand rid Ich, copper, Kanamycin and formalin for any necessary treatments.
I am wondering if a large piece of squid blocked her up somehow and she is just constipated.  Either that or some other disease has somehow come out of hiding (did not QT for my first 3 months.....pre-WWM days). <I really think she's on eggs.  She's acting just like mine do when they lay.>
Do you have any advice on what is going on?  <Take a look and if no eggs let me know. We'll go back to the drawing board.> What should my plan of action be?  PLEASE help as she was my first marine fish....and my favorite.
Thank you in advance for your help.

Sick Clown follow-up 27 Aug 2004
Thank you soooooo much for the quick response MacL<He again Ray>
I was also thinking the same thing but I looked close (the cave is more of a tunnel actually) and nothing that remotely resembles eggs. <K so we go on the assumption that she's hiding cause she's not well>  Also, she is just under 2-1/2 inches long (still a little young I think). <Mine was laying eggs at that size.>
I was able to get her out of the tank pretty easily (chased her with a net into a clear plastic breeding cage) and gave her the least radical treatment I could think of until my hospital tank is ready (RO system cranking out water as fast as it can). <Fantastic!>
She got a 10-minute freshwater dip (temp and pH balanced & aerated of course).  She tolerated it well and is back in the main tank.  Closely observed her for about 10 minutes afterwards.  She appeared to almost cough a
couple of times.  Still breathing fast and mouth opening wide when she does.  Can't really get a good look in her mouth, but it appears all white inside.  I don't know if it is swollen (never looked before) but almost looks like it is. <Sound like she might have some parasites going at her in some way. The breathing hard is usually as sign they are in her gills and usually that means you need to get to her quickly.>  The other clown (sticking right by her side
as always) does not breath nearly as hard or fast and mouth a lot more closed.
Any ideas?  The problem is that I will be gone from 6am tomorrow to 8am Sunday and won't be able to treat then. <When you get back look at her closely, See if the dip provided her with any relief.  I know I had to dip mine several times along the way when she had a parasite of some sort.>
Thank you again for your help.  I may be able to do a dip first thing tomorrow morning, but won't be around to watch her.  I only hope I bought enough time. <Keep getting the hospital tank ready because if she does have some parasites they will go active and shed eventually and attack the other fish.  Keep me up to date we will figure this out.>

Sick Clown Follow up 29 Aug 2004
Greetings Crew! <Hi Ray, MacL again here with you.>
Thank you again for the quick reply and all the help.  You are a true credit to the hobby. <That's kind of you to say>
Anyway, the last 36 hours have been very long for me as I have been on-call and away from my beloved fishies.  Now that I am back, there has been a change. My clown is behaving more like her usual self. <That's very good to hear.>  The rapid, wide mouthed breathing has stopped.  She still is hanging out around the same tunnel area though.  Color still looks good, but she does not look as plump as before. <Possibly an internal parasite. Really sounds like she wants to lay eggs.>  Still nothing that resembles eggs in the tunnel.  Still no noticeable growths or markings. When I fed the tank today, she quickly swam up to food, took it in her mouth, and then spit it out.  Repeated this behavior multiple times.  Looks like she is hungry, but can't eat.  Even tried stealing the tidbits that I hand feed my open brain, only to spit them back out again. <Are you using vitamins on the food, its possible she's getting part of the food.>
Early this morning, my girlfriend saw what she thought was a "stringy-looking" poop coming from her (the clown, not my girlfriend).  <Could be something like a parasite or could be nothing without a good look.> The lights were still off so she did not get a good look.  The clown did sleep in it's usual position with the other one up at the top behind the Whisper return.
I am now perplexed as to what to do.  The hospital tank will be up and running by tonight in case I need it.  I have several differentials so let me know what you think.
1.  Constipated:  really don't know what to do about this. <Id suggest vitamins in the water regardless. Perhaps a more algae based food.> <<RMF considers this the most likely issue here... and would prescribe the use of Epsom Salt in a treatment tank>>
2.  Pregnant:  Will leave alone in main tank and observe. <Sounds lovely.>
3.  Parasitic gill infection:  Will attempt another fresh-water dip this afternoon.  If this is leading diagnosis, move to hospital tank. <I just have this feeling that if she's not laying eggs she's got some type of internal parasite. The question then becomes does she need to be hospitalized and treated or will the dips do the trick.>
4.  Clown just being a weird clown who is growing up.  No need to treat. <You are the one viewing her? Do you feel this is the case?>
5.  Unknown:  Main tank has most stable environment, leave there and observe closely.  Any change for worse in condition, move to QT immediately.  <Well of the five this is the one I would follow, AFTER I freshwater dipped her again. Please keep me up to date on her progress I know how much you care about her. MacL>
Any comments or new ideas would be appreciated.
Sorry for the long email, just want to present all the relevant information so we can get my poor Toni back to her usual self.
-Ray

Sick Clownfish 30 Aug 2004
MacL, <Hi Again Ray!>
Thank you so very much for your replies and attention.  I definitely owe you a beer someday!  :-) <That sounds nice I'll look forward to it!>
Anyway, Toni is still alive and swimming. <Very good to hear.> Behaving more like her normal self.......but still not eating. <Well she has some good weight on her can go a bit without eating.>  She made less of an attempt today at eating than yesterday,
still grabbing the food (yes, always vitamin soaked) and immediately spitting it out. <Are you trying live brine? that might tempt her enough.> She is thinner today than she was yesterday.  She also has abandoned her little cave and is swimming around the
entire tank like she usually did (Rudi (other clown) never far from her at all). <That's very good news indeed.>
I have personally now seen the stringy, white poop coming from her anus.  It seems to stick there and not break off. <I really think its a sign of an internal bacterial infection. I would put her in the hospital tank and use an antibiotic. Most people here recommend Spectrogram.>
Constipation?
Internal infection/parasite?
QT is up and ready if needed.  Giving her a third FW dip tonight.  10 minutes, pH & temp matched and aerated. <I'd go on an move her over for a while. Just to make sure and use the antibiotic.>
If there is no change in her by tomorrow night, it is QT time.  How should I proceed with treatment if it comes to this?  I am thinking trying Epsom salts combined with antibiotics (Kanamycin). <Ray I feel like I've come to know this fish. Please tell me how it goes, MacL>
Thanks again for all your help.
-Ray