Diseased Fish... Please Help!

[eipappas]

Hi everyone... My tank is just starting the second week of its cycling period... I have 4 damsels and a clownfish, and I'm learning now it was probably a mistake to move so quickly to getting fish... Today I found one of my domino damselfish to have a small cluster of brown dots just above one of his eyes, on his head. Another fish, a blue colored damsel has a whitish yellow cluster on his head that i'm noticing now that I'm looking but that may have been there all along. Lastly, the clownfish looks like he has white eyelids but the eyes are not popping out or cloudy at all. The ammonia levels in the tank are still at 0.1 What do you guys think my fish have and what should I do?? Also, if this helps, there is a brownish powder that developed over the past couple days all over the gravel and rock.

 

[bigbonedee]

I think you are going to get a tongue lashing from the people on this board. Listen I personally have cycled with damsels but putting a clown through that is just plain criminal. It will never make it through. Actually I just set up a tank for quarantine and could not even bring myself to throw a molly in there.
Who told you thata clown could be used for cycling.
My suggestion is to get a 20 gallon tank put the fish in it and keep doing water changes so as not allowing it to cycle while you cycle your main tank in a more appropriate manner.

 

[eipappas]

The LFS told me it would be fine to use a clown fish as long as I had live rock in the tank. Is your suggestion to put all my fish in this 20 gallon tank while I treat them? Or just the clownfish... And what is saltwater ich? Is that what my fish have?

 

[bigbonedee]

Hey listen I am going to wait until you get instructed by the moderators on this board because I seriously doubt that even with the right instruction you will have the know how as to how to carry out their instructions.
I just had a friend of a friend turn over his fish because of the disappointment of losing fish and it hurts to see someone who with a alittle time invested in learning about the hobby would have been successful. Now you are asking what is Ich and that tells me you are in for a serious problem. Had you spent time here on this board you not only would know what Ich is but you also would have known that there are there are more options to cycling a tank and less expensive I may add ,than to throw in live fish much less clown fish.
This board is not only free but just as in formative if not more
informative than most books Ive read only because you actually have experienced persons willing to give you hands on professional advice. However if you go about your hobby with disdain then you may get no help because you are showing them that they are wasting their time.
Your problem right now is that you need to cycle your tank which can take fron weeks to more than a month and yet if your tank continues to cycle you will most likely kill the clown and maybe the damsels. I live in Manhattan, NYC and I would personally like to know the name of the shop owner who told you to throw a clown in a cycling tank.
Again , take your fish out and set up a quarantine tank whereby doing water changes you will keep the tank from cycling and try and buy a product called cycle to help your main tank cycle more quickly . You might need advise now as to how to medicate these fish if pulling them out of this cycling tank does not clear up their signs of illness. Sometimes it is just the water that does this to them. I would sit at your computer all day today , tomorrow and all week until i have gone through every post on this board so that you can gain some experience and knowledge. You know you blew it when you dont even have a cycled tank and yet you are now faced with treating sick fish. If you dont getany moer help here you can Email me and I will try and help. BigBoneDee@nyc.rr.com

 

[beth]

Unless you are willing to set up at least a 20gal hosptal, as suggested, then there is nothing to be done.
Let us know if you are willing to do this.

 

[eipappas]

Beth - Thank you for offering your help. YES i am VERY willing to do this. I just need some direction. Clearly I should no longer listen to the store that sold me the fish. In response to some previous harsh remarks (which are really not necessary since I am already beating myself up for my mistake), I have read two books on saltwater fish already and am clearly hear reading these postings because I want to learn more. I have just gotten some bad advice which I'm sure has happened to you all at some point when you were starting out too. I just want to save my fish at this point so please, I would appreciate any help.
Anyway, if this is useful info, i think my tank may be near the end of its cycle since its gone through a diatom bloom over the past few days and the ammonia levels are coming down. Also, the reason I asked about ich (i realize its a common fish disease) is that I can't find any specific physical descriptions in these postings (or my books) that match what I am seeing on my fish... Again, I'd appreciate AND follow your advice...

 

[beth]

I'm not going to beat you up over your mistake, or the bad advise. Yes, I have been there...and still hear plenty of bad advise at the LFS and online. Glad to know that you are willing to do the right thing at this point.
If saving your current fish is the primary goal, then FORGET about cycling your tank. You need to do water changes until you get zero readings on ammonia and nitrite.
Do you have ready made saltwater and lots of it? This will be necessary until you can get the hospital tank up. I don't have a lot of time at the moment to go thru step by step, but I will get back to you tonite. In the meantime, start doing what you need to do to get that ammonia and any nitrites you have DOWN, DOWN, DOWN. Unless, you have a ready hospital tank up since the last post, do you?
Don't worry about the cycle, it can wait until the crisis is dealt with.
Also, anthem & Terry, these disease symtoms are a bit odd. Your input would be appreciated in diagnosis.