Maroon Clown Needs Help!!!!

dravenmccoy

New Member
I have had this maroon clown for almost two years now and he has something growing on his head. I had a recent issue with my protein skimmer and it was putting an electrical charge in the water. I did notice where the growth is it was warn like he was rubbing against the rock he loves to hide behind. It started off as a clear bubble now its getting more red like its filling with blood or something. I told my kids he is just really smart and is growing another brain but of course i know its not. Please help me identify this and hopefully treat it. Its a 38gal tank and only other fish is 2 four strip damsels.

 

dravenmccoy

New Member
Thanks for the reply and the picture in the link reminded me that my clown did have a growth on his lip but i thought it was just fighting with another fish. The growth left his lip about a week before the one on his head started. The maroon clown has killed many fish i have tried to introduce to my tank. I am going to my local saltwater pet store armed with pictures and the information on lymphocystis. I was to the point where i was going to go back to fresh water if my poor clown passed on. Thanks again Beth for this information.
 

dravenmccoy

New Member
Yeah my skimmer is down untill i can get a new powerhead and times have been hard. I have a skilter going right now but its not doing anything to help. I been trying to suck most of it out and catch it in a filter sock. That seams to be the only thing that will grow on my rocks. I am going to reduce my lighting from 10 hrs to 8 and see if that helps. I hope to get a new powerhead today to get my skimmer back running. How often should i change my light bulbs? I am running a 48" Coralife fixture with 2 Red Sea Max 55w bulbs (one side is white the other blue on both bulbs) Even after having this tank for 3 years im still a beginner lol.
 

mr. limpid

Active Member
That could be the problem should change bulbs ever 8 months. Also this is a fish only tank you could only run lights as you need to, just to see your fish, I run mine for 6 hours only. Yes more water movement will keep cyno from establishing. How are your nitrates levels? And as last resort, I eventually did this is by a product called slime away, but it will kill all your algae not just cyno.
 

dravenmccoy

New Member
Yeah my bulbs are over a year old and there is salt build up that happens real fast with all of the "hang on tank" stuff i have running. They are still bright enough to blind me so i thought they were still good lol. It is a fish only tank now I did have a chocolate starfish but he died when the skimmer went. he did not like the electric that the skimmer was giving off. he stopped eating and i didnt know why untill i was getting shocked. I really need to get a sump going I think it would ease some of my woes lol.
 

oceandude

Member
Ouch. Sorry to see and hear about the Maroon. Kinda hard for me to tell by pic...maybe??? MYCOBACTERIOSIS - Any of these symptoms?Emaciated appearance along the narrow, dorsal edge. A sunken belly becomes noticeable, although bloating (ascites) may also occur, due to fluid accumulation in the body cavity.
Hope it can be figured out and treated. Fingers crossed.
 

dravenmccoy

New Member
The maroon hasnt shown any signs of anything. he is the same as the day i got him except for the extra "brain" he grew. I took my camera (since i can zoom in) to my local saltwater pet shop and they said it looks like a tumor of some sort. They told me i could try to cut it off and if it goes well its some kind of bacteria but if it is a tumor then he could bleed to death. So i decided to leave it alone if it does put him down then at least it wasnt by my hands. It sucks because he is the longest fish i have had in this tank. Thanks everyone for your ideas.
on a happy note....
Its peanut butter jelly time
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
There is nothing your LFS can do about lymphocyctis. There is no medication. You have to improve the quality of the fish environment, water, food, etc.
 
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