Need Clownfish help...

[badkharma]

I have a perc clown that I've had since October/03. He has been growing quite quick, muching down eagerly the flakes, pellets and brine shrimp that I've been feeding him for the past 6 months. All of a sudden, one day he wouldn't eat. Very unusual for him. This was about 2 weeks ago. Every time feeding time comes around, every other fish is eagerly munching down (tankmates are blue tang, raccoon butterfly, LM blenny, 4-stripe damsel and cleaner shrimp). He is not losing his color, nor does he have any white spots or lines (ick). His eyes are perfect. His fins are not rotting. The only thing I've noticed is that he is gliding around now instead of the clowns' usual tendency to wiggle about the tank like other clownfish. His mouth seems to be opening wider to take in more water, but he is hanging down at the bottom, not near the top. I don't think he has eaten in almost 2 weeks (from what I've been feeding anyway). I've tried adding other stuff to his diet but no eating for him. My water parameters are normal - amm. 0, nit. 0, nitrates <15, ph 8.2, 1.022-23 salinity. All the other inhabitants are thriving. I don't understand.

 

[beth]

Sounds like he may have a bacterial infection. What are your water readings? Are the white stirpes on the fish real white or have they been a bit reddish?
Do you have a QT that you can move the fish to?

 

[badkharma]

No his color looked fine. He was just not swimming like a clownfish usually does. He would cruise through the water, very straight, and not wiggle like clownfish usually do. He's dead as of this morning. He must have died in the middle of the night because there is almost nothing left of him (ie. hermits made short work of him). What was weird was that it just came out of nowhere and the other inhabitants are thriving. :notsure:

 

[badkharma]

This may sound stupid, but can clownfish, or any other type of fish, get strokes?? :notsure: It seemed like he was paralyzed and wasn't as flexible as he normally was. All stiffened up.

 

[beth]

Who knows. Could it be that he had a bad reaction [stung] by a coral? Do you have corals?
My own silly clown recently tried to host in a sps and got stung. He wouldn't eat for 2 days, he's usually an aggressive pig at chow time. His white stripe went red and he was basically not swiming. Thank goodness, he seems to have perked up a bit now, but still looking for a host. The little guy just can't stand not having that anemone-feeling.
Sorry for your fish loss.