Nemo is really thin

smschwentner

smschwentner

New Member
We have a false Percula, who my daughter named Nemo. He had been really healthy for the last 3 years, but recently, he seems to have lost weight. I mean, he really looks like nothing but skin and bone. I have not changed their food. He hides in the back of the tank now, making it impossible for me to take a picture.
Any ideas?
 
jackri

jackri

Active Member
What are you feeding him?
Also what are your water parameters... have other tank mates, what size tank, anything else out of the norm?
 
smschwentner

smschwentner

New Member
I guess I did forget all that, didn't I?
I am feeding him Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef Flakes, which is the same thing the pet store was feeding him when we bought him over 3 years ago. I haven't changed it at all.
His only fishy companion is Black Fiffy, the 3-stripe damsel, with whom he has lived since we brought him home. There are a couple of hermits and also a horseshoe crab. All these have been in there, nothing has been changed in the last 3 months since I have noticed this issue.
He has lived in a 10 gallon tank. I will have to re-run the parameters, I need to find my log anyway, I haven't checked in the last 3 days.
That is the biggest mystery - I could see issues if I had added anything or changed anything, but nothing has changed in months. I did at one time add another fish, but the damsel killed it and that was over a year ago, way before this issue started. I am just wondering if it isn't old age? The LFS I bought him from said that he was in their display tank for a long time, and they broke it down to re-do and add more different fish - we bought him at a real deal, $10, and have had him ever since.
 
jackri

jackri

Active Member
Try some frozen brine shrimp/mysis shrimp. I mix up my feedings between soft pellet, the frozen foods, flake and spike my frozen with selcon and garlic (different times).
Could also be your fish is sick and unfortunately nothing you can do.. but hopefully you can get him fattened back up and beat anorexia (glad to see a not so scary avatar nep :)
 
smschwentner

smschwentner

New Member
To like what? All I have is tropical food and their food. I do have some baby shrimp that was given to me, would he eat that? I am on a limited income, which is part of why nothing has changed. I had great plans with the tank, then had to take a pay cut and $ is hard to come by.
 
jackri

jackri

Active Member
Any LFS would have frozen foods that come in little cubes... which a whole cube would be too much for your tank at a time. Is your clown eating at all?
 
king_neptune

king_neptune

Active Member
Originally Posted by smschwentner
http:///forum/post/2964036
To like what? All I have is tropical food and their food. I do have some baby shrimp that was given to me, would he eat that? I am on a limited income, which is part of why nothing has changed. I had great plans with the tank, then had to take a pay cut and $ is hard to come by.
it wouldnt cost you more than 5 bucks month feeding a single fish. go to *****. they sell it in the frozen section for like 5.99 for a pack of 30 pellets. you can get assorted packs and mix it up every few days till you find what he likes. hell probably only need half a pellet or less every couple days. a pellet is like 1/4 his body size.
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Is it possible that this fish is suffering from aggression?
How long a fish lives with another getting along doesn't much mater. Fish commonly turn on their tankmates when once they were peaceful.
What are your water readings and how often do you do water changes?
 
smschwentner

smschwentner

New Member
As for the agression, no, we have not seen any aggression between the 2 of them. They sleep in the same little nook peacefully.
We do not have a *****. We have a Petsmart, but they do not have a good assortment of saltwater "stuff" The feed store where I got him has some stuff - but their prices are a little high.
I do weekly water changes, probably about 20% at a time. Now that I have time I am going to post the readings - I had a Girl Scout thing to go to so didn't have time before.
 
don trinko

don trinko

Member
Are your doing any water changes? I think clowns can live for over 20 years in an aquarium.
I'm not sure abought SW fish but in FW fish thin normaly meany internal parasites or bacteria. Don T.
 
king_neptune

king_neptune

Active Member
Also your describing symptoms of:
Head and Lateral Line Erosion [HLLE]
sunken ribs and mal neutrition. got any photos of him?
 
smschwentner

smschwentner

New Member
I can try...he hides back in the back and it is really hard to get decent pics. As for HLLE...we treated successfully the damsel for that a year or so ago, and Nemo isn't showing any other symptoms, other than being really thin. I will see if I can't get him to pose for a shot or 2
 
king_neptune

king_neptune

Active Member
the other symptoms might not have shown or are camouflaged in his skin pigmentation. or hes just old...how long do they live anyways?
 
cabin7882

cabin7882

Member
My false eats frozen brine like its goin outta style lol. try that cause mine absolutly loves that stuff like they said its pretty cheap $6? and a peice of one cube defrosted in a small cup of tank water might just do the trick?
 
pete159

pete159

Member
maybe he needs a friend, my 2 false percs are always together.
Also get some different food, mine eat anything but like frozen blood worms, mysis shrimp and a variety of flakes.
Also its not good that your getting an ammonia reading, even a low one means your bio filter is not powerful enough.
 
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