clown with lymphocyctis

[pyro]

I recently (about 2 days ago) purchased 2 tank raised true-percula clowns. They are under an inch long each, and one has lymphocyctis I beleive. The guy at the LFS said it was lymphocyctis, and it looks just like the picture. The guy said he doesn't want it back, but if it dies, he'll give me another.
I'm not quite sure what to do with it though. It isn't that bad, and my water quality is great. 0 trates, trites, and amonia. He told me if they get really bad, I can wet my hands, net the fish, and even brush them off with my fingernail very carefully... I don't really want to have to do this.
I read around and it seems they are supposed to go away with a good diet and good water quailty. I'm feeding flake twice a day on a normal basis and once ever other or every 3 days, I replace the 2nd flake feeding with either a mysis/krill mix, squid, or 2 other mixes (they all came in one pack). I'm willing to wait, but they seem to be forming around the outside of the gills. What should I do?
Thanks!

 

[beth]

I see no reason to worry really. Good quality food and good environment will, at least keep this in check, if not resolve it altogether.
Can you post a picture?

 

[pyro]

I can't really get a good one... A friend barrowed my Home Depot flood-type lights on a stick that I use to get my shutter speed up, and the clowns move constantly.
Heres the best one I could get...

 

[beth]

Can you point out the problem area? It is hard to notice on the picture. However, I can already see that the fish has eroded dorsals.

 

[pyro]

They aren't really "eroded", it more so looks like white puffs ontop of the fin. It doesn't show the spots on the gills, i've taken about 100 pictures and still can't get a good one of them - sony v1 is a little slow on the flash and still don't have those lights.
Yes, there are spots on the dorsal fin, and one or two on the tail, and I beleive a couple on the anal fin.
The spots in question around the gills... I can't tell for sure, they almost look similar to a bone plate or something. The clown moves too fast and is too small to tell for sure. I'll have to ransack my sisters sewing kit to find a magnifying lense and have a look later hopefully tonight.
Just concerned because the LFS guy said if they hit the gills its normally fatal... (at least I'd get a replacement clown, so no 'financial' concerns)

 

[beth]

Do you have a quarantine tank to place this fish in. You may have ich and those dorsals look eroded to me and I have seen many eroded fish. This would be a signal of long term malnutrition or poor environmewnt.
Are you ruling out ich for some reason?

 

[pyro]

I've seen ich, and this just doesn't look like it... could be, not sure though. It isn't spreading quickly at all, almost no new growth in about a week. I do not have a quarantine tank/hospital tank at the time, I do need to set one up however. I asked the LFS, and he said he strongly doubts it's ich, he actually was the original "diagnoser" (sorry for the bad spelling). The fish are very young and tank raised... very healthy too, look like they've been kept pretty well through transportation.
Also, It hasn't gotten to the body at all in the week or spread to any other fish. The fish seems more than healthy, but if you beleive it is ich, I will go purchase a 10g eclipse or something quickly to use as a hospital tank.
... My dad used to keep saltwater for a while, and he had many ich outbreaks... it just doesn't look like ich...
Thanks, lemme know if I need to go setup a tank!

 

[beth]

No, I am not saying it is. I'm guess right now because I can't really see anything from that picture.
Just continue what you are doing. Lymph can only be dealt with by providing the fish with a quality environment and good food. Try adding garlic soaked food to the fish food. [real garlic].

 

[pyro]

ok! Should I just run a part of a clove of garlic through the (...darnit, can't think of what the garlic thingys are called that crush it up), and put it in the water i thaw my food in?
Also, how many times per week do you recommend me feeding frozen foods?
Thanks for all the help!

 

[pyro]

finally got a better picture, I hope this helps...

 

[92protruck]

Pyro, I think my clown has resolved the lymph. It got worse before it got better. It took 4 to 5 weeks for it to disappear. I attribute the outbreak to stress and not eating for 7 days when I brought her home from the LFS. She seems happy and eating well now. Hope you have similar success.

 

[pyro]

OK, good to hear! Mine seems to be getting worse actually, so I have my fingers crossed .
Thanks for the help!