Help please! Sick Clown!

[lcaldwell85]

My husband and I went to dinner last night and decided to stop by the LFS on the way home. I recently lost "nemo"'s mate (strange, fish showed no signs of stress or disease whatsoever, just woke up one morning with him belly up... All the other fish are still fine, water tests fine, which I will list...) so I decided to buy a new clown to replace him. When I got him home I acclimated him slowly to the QT tank, about an hour and a half of floating, and slowly adding my QT tank water to the bag before releasing. The fish is swimming fine, taking food with a zeal, but this morning I woke up and he appears to have a thick white slime coat. I know what you guys are thinking, brooklynella, but I don't think so. It doesn't look like any of the pictures of brook I've ever seen. The clown is breathing totally normal, swimming completely normal.... Doesn't appear to be irritated in any way shape or form other than the fact he's so slimy. I've been reading this can also be due to changes in water (But I felt I acclimated him completely normal) I'm thinking of going home on lunch and putting a bowl of freshwater to float ontop of the tank to come up to
temp and fresh dipping when I get home this evening. I'm afraid if his slime coat is up due to stress however, this may make it worse. Any theories?
Nitrite- 0ppm
Ammonia-0ppm
PH- 8.2
Nitrate-10 ppm

 

[bang guy]

Hi, I moved this thread over to the Disease forum where I think it will receive better attention.
Without a clear detailed picture my only advice would be to treat both of your Clownfish for Brook.

 

[beth]

Can you look at the brooklynella pictures that are posted in the Recommended Threads section, top of the Disease forum. And, can you post a picture.
Also, just to let you know, mated clownfish usually are acquired together as a pair. Just because you add another clownfish, does not at all mean that it will mate, or even be tolerated, by your other clownfish. In fact, the odds are against that happening. The fish may be experiencing harassment from the other clownfish.

 

[lcaldwell85]

I was just going to give it a shot and see if I could get her (him now possibly since I lost the mate) to team up with another clown. She seemed so lonesome. I won't need to treat both clowns for brook, just the one in the qt, right? I mean, Nemo hasn't been exposed to the new fish in any way shape or form as of yet. I'll try to post a picture. Unfortunately my camera was borrowed by a co-worker for a trip to our Bristol office to take pictures of new equipment, and dropped on a concrete floor. The lens is stuck and I don't have much hope of fixing it. Anything I get with my cellphone is too fuzzy. I'll check out the pics!

 

[bang guy]

Yes, you are right, just the one in the QT. My error, I thought they were already together.
Your She is still a She.

 

[lcaldwell85]

Well I lost the new clown, brook it was....

I tried some fresh water dips to minimize the mucus issue until I could acquire some formalin, (LFS didn't have any, ***** didn't have any...) I'm thinking of trading my remaining clown in for a mated pair and paying the difference, or will three be okay in a 72 gallon? I've heard horror stories of two mating and killing off the third.... And I suppose I should leave my QT fallow for four weeks before attempting anything? I know brook loves to hide in the water column and wait for new hosts......

 

[bang guy]

I recommend against three Clownfish.
I would do more than leave your QT fallow. I would drain it and clean everything in bleach. Seriously. Even any nets or containers you used.