FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Greetings. All my levels, (chemically etc,) are good but one of my clown fish, the female, seems slightly listless, and has small very faint areas that look a little ashy. It looks the same color as cigarette ash. Again, these patches a small and faint in color. It's been like this for about three days....I feel like I might be over-reacting, but I want to catch whatever it is ASAP. Also, if you folks know what it might be, how can I treat it? It's a twenty gallon tank, with a choclate star hermit crabs, and emeral crabs...oh, and a blood-worm eating dragonet. I have no "hospital" tank a the moment.

thanks

Ed

Is it very fine, or is it more like salt? Ick is the first thing that comes to mind.



Dan

Imagine a very translucent, grayish, powdery, discoloration...Only in certain areas. This clown is spending a lot of time near the cleaner shrimp...I've only seen one "helpful" interraction between the two, where the shrimp was able to do some work. It is not the grain like white dots....I've seen photos of those...One photo I saw of brooklynella seemed similar...kinda of a hazy smudging. But I've heard conflicting things...Extra slime, etc....No evidence of excess slimage.

I've not seen photos of Marine Velvet, but it also sounds similar to that...If so, I'm screwed 'cause I have no quar. tank.

Getting nervous...

Ed

Also...she's doing a lot of darting around. Very quick, random movements. Right now she's hanging out at the bottom of the tank, right abouve the substrate. Swimming in one place. Been like that for a couple of hours...

velvet was going to my next guess. You can try upping the temp of the tank 1 degree a day for the next few days, and having the lights on less as well. Then do your best to keep the tank as stress free as possible. This might help the fish deal with it on it's own. If the fish crashes to the bottom of the tank, it may be best to remove it. But this is only if you feel the fish has no chance.



Dan

Tanks for the tips, I'll do just that. All the reading about "velvet" I have done has made me quite paranoid....About all of those things dropping off the host fish and incubating and whatnot. And having to leave the tank fallow for a month.

If it is marine velvet, won't the fish get progressively more ill? And die soon? Today the fish is up and about, hanging out by the shrimp....

It's hard to say. Your best bet is to keep the tank stress free. This will allow the fish to fight it off naturally.



Dan

Stress free....Low lights, little or no mainten. etc?

That's it exactly. Upping the temp a bit will also help.



Dan

Done. Thanks so much.

Ed

Hello again...I've been following all of the low-stress, increased temp. advice, and have been administering ich-attack for four days, (it claims to work with fungus, dinoflagellates, protozoans, etc.), but I see no real results. Both clowns now eat very little, while the mandarin fish is eating like a madman!

I've also noticed the smaller, (male?), is now doing some darting...Like he approaches the down filter tube, gets very close, and makes aquick right turn, (scratching?)

Finally, it seems as if both clowns gills are slightly distended from the body.

They are both crazy active...all over the tank, but it's kind of stressing me out...

Ed

Scratching would be if it's bumping agenst rocks, sand, or other parts of the tank. Keep an eye on them. But remember, watching them could also stress them a bit.



Dan