Clownfish seizure spasms for 24 hrs and still going

[dsmccain]

Hello, I just recently posted about this problem, but felt it was poorly worded.
I recently added a newer, larger clownfish to my tank. I already had a baby clownfish in there which I've had for about 4 months. The one I added was alot larger(stressing the maturity).
It seemed the little one was very interested in the big one, always paying attention to the big one. There was evidence of a fin nip on his last day before the seizure happens. But its not a nip that would cause him to not be able to swim.
Now the problem, ever since yesterday when I came home from work, he was at the bottom of the tank, having constant spasms, like a seizure. He is still doing it to this very moment. The characteristics are very similar to a seizure. Under further study, its definitely not that he can't swim. Looks like something with the nervous system, like his muscles are constantly flex, and going through constant spasms.
I've checked high and low through the internet, I can't find any information, other than possible mating behavior, but this seems way to extreme for mating behavior. I've even youtubed clownfish spasms but they just seem like mating rituals. Just imagine a constant 24hr(and still going) seizure.
Also, as of yesterday when I noticed the problem, I moved the big one to a quarantine tank so that he may spasm peacefully and not attract the attention of other tankmates.
I refuse to put any medicine in the tank until I know what exactly it is. I was thinking of maybe going to the store to look for some type of anti stress medicine, just drug him up a little.
If anyone has any advice on the matter, let me know. Thank you

 

[adam57]

That is extremely wierd. I would have thought that a spasing fish wouldn't last that long. Why not copper treat the QT unless you quarentine corals in that tank as well or have live rock in there. It's not going to hurt the fish and it may cure whats is wrong.

 

[katsafados]

It can be the fact that the smaller clown is more terotorial, which means hes fighting to show his dominance tro the new commer.
Ive noticed that when my two clowns nip eachother, one will do the siezure type spazms, which means hes telling the other clown hes sumbmissive to it.
Clowns have the ability to change from male to femal, they are all born male I believe then once it comes in contact with another clown the dominate one (through nipping ect.) becomes female, and the male will usuallt spazzim to show the other clown its submissive to it.
Could be that!
Are your water parameters normal? Anything unusual about the clowns appearance based on the look of your other clown? Are the clowns the same specices, because I dont think two different species ends to well..

 

[dsmccain]

water parameters are ok. its only happening to this particular fish, the others in the tank are A ok, they are both false perculas. I was thinking maybe the fish is possibly going through sex change?
Whatever is going through with him(her?) right now, hes just in the little QT tank all by itself to get through this transformation peacefully. I do not want the fish in the display tank(possibly show weakness)

 

[katsafados]

Well if the clown is pretty large, it could already be a female, since in the LFS you never know if it went though the sex change. Usually the larger clown is a female and the smaller one is male. Thats why people say when buying a second clown to buy a smaller one then the one you already have.

 

[dsmccain]

::UPDATE::
Unfortunately, after a hair over two days of seizures, I woke up to find the clown had passed on.
I went to the LFS yesterday, and brought up the topic. He seemed dumbfounded yet, had a very good theory. He asked if there was any type of rockwork or whatnot in my tank(ofcourse!!), he thought it could be that something pinched a nerve or something to that extent(remember, we are not doctors). That he came in contact with something in the tank(perhaps powerhead, rockwork, filter, heater? something to that extent) and sounded like a one in a million type thing.
I knew it wasn't water quality, sickness, low salt level, because there are other fish in the tank and they are fine.