clownfish wont eat, does not act right

[cdarnold]

I have a false percula clown that I purchased on 12/28. I'm not sure how well he's adjusted to my aquarium as he's never eaten like he should and now does not eat at all. I was optimistic until 1/5 when I found him swimming in one place with all fins held in. He'd occassionally jerk like something was bothering him. He's gotten noticeably thinner and exhibits rapid breathing although he's swimming around more normally now. I'll provide some aquarium details below:
20gal.
1 false percula
1 yellow goby
12 or so hermit crabs
3 bumblebee snails
1 bahama star
Ph 7.8
Temp. 78
Ammonia 0
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 10-20ppm
Salinity 1.020-1.021
I do weekly water changes of between 6 and 8 gal. using reverse osmosis water and the Instant Ocean salt mix.
Ive tried feeding Sally's frozen brine shrimp and Spectrum Thera+A by New Life. Everyone but this clown eats everything I put in there.
I apologize for going on and on. Any help anyone can offer will be appreciated. I really don't want to lose this guy.

 

[sepulatian]

Welcome to the boards! Do you see anything on him? Small white dots, a shedding mucas layer, anything unusual?

 

[cdarnold]

Originally Posted by sepulatian
Welcome to the boards! Do you see anything on him? Small white dots, a shedding mucas layer, anything unusual?
If I look very very close I may see some spots on his front white stripe and nowhere else. I can't tell if it is something on him or tiny pits the size of the tip of a pin.

 

[sepulatian]

Try taking a magnifying glass and looking closely. Have you tried soaking his food in fresh garlic to get him to eat? What concerns me is the clamped fins. I am wondering if he has something that you are not aware of. Your water specs look fine with the exception that your salinity is low for the inverts & starfish and your ph is a little low, but these things wouldn't cause your clown to behave that way. The only other fish is a yellow goby?

 

[cdarnold]

Originally Posted by sepulatian
Try taking a magnifying glass and looking closely. Have you tried soaking his food in fresh garlic to get him to eat? What concerns me is the clamped fins. I am wondering if he has something that you are not aware of. Your water specs look fine with the exception that your salinity is low for the inverts & starfish and your ph is a little low, but these things wouldn't cause your clown to behave that way. The only other fish is a yellow goby?
Yes, a yellow goby. He's acting just fine.
Explain to me how the garlic thing works and I'll give that a try.
His fins aren't as clamped as they were a couple days ago and he's swimming better but nowhere near how he was when I first introduced him.
I can bring up the salinity and I can use some tap water (conditioned of course) to bring up the Ph. It runs 8.2 but has 10ppm nitrates right from the start.

 

[fishn808]

Originally Posted by cdarnold
Yes, a yellow goby. He's acting just fine.
Explain to me how the garlic thing works and I'll give that a try.
His fins aren't as clamped as they were a couple days ago and he's swimming better but nowhere near how he was when I first introduced him.
I can bring up the salinity and I can use some tap water (conditioned of course) to bring up the Ph. It runs 8.2 but has 10ppm nitrates right from the start.
One of my false percs is exhibiting same signs and symptoms as yours. Noticed white thready material being passed. No outward signs of trauma, slime, white spots, etc. Her color is not as bright as when I first got her and also in comparison to her mate who is doing well. Water params are all WNL and other fish are eating a behaving normally. Not sure how to handle this one. Need :help: also.

 

[cdarnold]

Originally Posted by fishn808
One of my false percs is exhibiting same signs and symptoms as yours. Noticed white thready material being passed. No outward signs of trauma, slime, white spots, etc. Her color is not as bright as when I first got her and also in comparison to her mate who is doing well. Water params are all WNL and other fish are eating a behaving normally. Not sure how to handle this one. Need :help: also.
Now that you mention it I may have seen the white material you mentioned also. His colors are still just as bright as the day I got him however, though I have no other clowns to compare with.

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by cdarnold
Now that you mention it I may have seen the white material you mentioned also. His colors are still just as bright as the day I got him however, though I have no other clowns to compare with.
The stringy material for both of your fish sounds like Brooklynella aka clownfish disease (take a look in the diseased fish thread above to look at pics to confirm) This unfortunately kills quickly, but there is a treatment if caught in the early stages. Formalin Baths. Here are the directions from Beth's treatment thread (also above):
In a separate dedicated container fill with water from your display. Use a 37% formaldehyde solution [brand name Formalin which is sold in the hobby] at 20 drops for each gal of water. Be sure to aerate the bathe water using an airstone that is deadicated to formalin bathes. Place infected fish in the bathe for 45 minutes, every other day, 3-5 treatments.
Warning: This is a toxic medication so don't overdose. When finished with the bath, safely disgard the bath water. Do not use the same water for subsequest treatments. Take care not to have contact with the formalin.
Wait, do you two mean being passed as in excreted or comming off of the body? Sorry, I just reread the post and need to clarify where the white stringy stuff is.

 

[sepulatian]

Here is a brief explination of how to make your own garlic and why it is used for fish. (also from the treatment thread above)
Garlic is a plant with its primary ingredient, allicin, identified, at least anecdotally, as benefiting fish health and even combating certain fungal, viral, bacterial and parasitic pathogens, even serving as a type of homeopathic repellent. Saying that, the hobbyist can not make the mistake of identifying garlic as a cure-all for any fish disease. Rather, if used, it must be considered as a preventative measure, rather than a cure post-disease process; a supplement used to enhance fish health, or in addition to employing other established methods used to address fish diseases.
It is important not to use a processed product: bottled garlic. Instead, the hobbyist should use fresh garlic as identified below. [You need only buy a single garlic glove at a time, not bunches.]
Snap a single glove off of the bud. Peel off the skin. Using a non-porous container, such as a glass or Pyrex dish, and a sharp knife, mince and smash the glove, preserving the juice. Once finely minced and smashed, and the juices have been released from the garlic, quickly add meaty foods, such as fresh homemade fish food, or high-quality frozen fish foods. Lightly mix the food in with the garlic so that the food is saturated, but not swimming in garlic juice. Cover your container, and place the mixture in the refrigerator for 5 mins.
Feed your fish, preferably using a syringe or a turkey baster to ensure that fish receives the garlic supplemented food. You can add a small bit of sea water to this mixture to get the mixture into your delivery syringe.
This should be done 3x a day if you are using garlic medicinally.
Allicin is produced immediately upon mincing the garlic glove and quickly breaks down. That is why marketed bottled garlic is virtually useless and the hobbyist needs to use fresh garlic.

 

[sepulatian]

I can bring up the salinity and I can use some tap water (conditioned of course) to bring up the Ph. It runs 8.2 but has 10ppm nitrates right from the start.
I would definately not use your tap water if it already contains nitrates for a top off or water changes. Do you have another water source? Walmart sells RO water for about .35 a gallon. You can add a buffer to the water to keep your ph up. I would worry less about raising the ph than adding nitrates to your system through the use of your tap. Your ph is a little low, but not worth adding nitrates.

 

[fishn808]

Originally Posted by sepulatian
Wait, do you two mean being passed as in excreted or comming off of the body? Sorry, I just reread the post and need to clarify where the white stringy stuff is.
For mine, yes. Passed as feces.

 

[cdarnold]

Originally Posted by fishn808
For mine, yes. Passed as feces.
Same here.

 

[fishn808]

Originally Posted by cdarnold
Same here.

Time of death: sometme between 1230am and 0645am.
Upon closer visual inspection I do notice red blotching on the gills.
Should I be concerned with my other clown?

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by fishn808
For mine, yes. Passed as feces.
Several things can cause white feces. It could have been an internal bacterial infection which is usually a secondary infection associated with lack of proper nutrition, poor water quality, or some parasitic infection. Being the fish always acted strange and your water quality is good, he most likely came in with it.

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by fishn808

Time of death: sometme between 1230am and 0645am.
Upon closer visual inspection I do notice red blotching on the gills.
Should I be concerned with my other clown?

Has the other clown been acting normaly? If one always experienced these symptoms and the one that is still living never did I would not be too concerned. Keep the other one's immune system up and the water quality good.

 

[cdarnold]

Originally Posted by sepulatian
The stringy material for both of your fish sounds like Brooklynella aka clownfish disease (take a look in the diseased fish thread above to look at pics to confirm) This unfortunately kills quickly, but there is a treatment if caught in the early stages. Formalin Baths. Here are the directions from Beth's treatment thread (also above):
In a separate dedicated container fill with water from your display. Use a 37% formaldehyde solution [brand name Formalin which is sold in the hobby] at 20 drops for each gal of water. Be sure to aerate the bathe water using an airstone that is deadicated to formalin bathes. Place infected fish in the bathe for 45 minutes, every other day, 3-5 treatments.
Warning: This is a toxic medication so don't overdose. When finished with the bath, safely disgard the bath water. Do not use the same water for subsequest treatments. Take care not to have contact with the formalin.
Wait, do you two mean being passed as in excreted or comming off of the body? Sorry, I just reread the post and need to clarify where the white stringy stuff is.
I just tried the food soaked in fresh garlic. He poked at it and may have eaten a tiny bit but nothing really. My goby liked it just fine.
I'm beginning to agree with you on the Brooklynella. I'm starting to see the signs of it on his body. That's where I hit a roadblock. I'll check the local pet store but I really doubt they carry formalin. I'll check tomorrow as they are closed for the day by now. I can get it online and pay extra for expedited shipping. My question now is how long do I have? Are there other options?

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by cdarnold
I just tried the food soaked in fresh garlic. He poked at it and may have eaten a tiny bit but nothing really. My goby liked it just fine.
I'm beginning to agree with you on the Brooklynella. I'm starting to see the signs of it on his body. That's where I hit a roadblock. I'll check the local pet store but I really doubt they carry formalin. I'll check tomorrow as they are closed for the day by now. I can get it online and pay extra for expedited shipping. My question now is how long do I have? Are there other options?
Unfortumately brook does kill pretty fast, but if he just started showing signs then you may be able to do something about it. You will need a 37% formaldehyde solution to make the dip for brook. Formalin is the common one, but there may be another brand if your lfs doesn't have that one. If you do lose this guy you may still want to order some formalin if you are planning on having clowns in the future. It is better to be prepared.

 

[fishn808]

Originally Posted by sepulatian
Has the other clown been acting normaly?
Yes, eating and behaving normal.
Originally Posted by sepulatian
Keep the other one's immune system up and the water quality good.
With garlic soaked foods, I take it. I've been using Xtreme Garlic drops. Would this suffice?
And thanks again!

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by fishn808
Yes, eating and behaving normal.
With garlic soaked foods, I take it. I've been using Xtreme Garlic drops. Would this suffice?
And thanks again!

No, actually bottled garlic is quite ineffective. Fresh garlic is best. There are directions on how to make your own in Beth's common treatment FAQ at the top of this forum. And you are very welcome, anytime!

 

[cdarnold]

Originally Posted by sepulatian
Unfortumately brook does kill pretty fast, but if he just started showing signs then you may be able to do something about it. You will need a 37% formaldehyde solution to make the dip for brook. Formalin is the common one, but there may be another brand if your lfs doesn't have that one. If you do lose this guy you may still want to order some formalin if you are planning on having clowns in the future. It is better to be prepared.
Well, I got him set up in a QT and medicated. I was optimistic after last night as he appeared to be acting better. However today he died.
Going forward, is there a comprehensive list of medication and other essentials I should have in my arsenal so that I can be better prepared for this sort of thing?