parmesean cheese look??

[jcsoccert]

Anyone have any idea what my clown fish could have?
It looks like parmesean (sp) cheese smudged all over him. It showed up yesterday. I bought him on Saturday. His color has also become very dull. He doesn't seem to be acting itchy. He did eat last night.
I did have 5 small fish (3 perc. clowns, 1 black capped gramma and a coral beauty angel) in the tank about 5/6 months ago and they succombed to this "parmesean look" after I added the 3rd clown fish-- who was the last fish added and most likely the carrier. I thought by now the disease would have deteriorated.
:nope: I didn't want to use meds in the tank because I didn't want to kill the live rock or my snails, crabs and feather dusters.
I have been battling a nitrate problem but with the water changes I've done it has gone down to 20 ppm. (tested last night). All other tests shown great water conditions.
Please help with any opinions on what this disease is and if i can save the little clown fish.

I don't have a hospital tank.
My tank has live sand, live rock, biowheel filter, maxi jet for more surface movement.
Please help my fishy

 

[madysmom]

kinda sounds like velvet

 

[jcsoccert]

hmmmm.....thanx... i'll do some research
Anyone have any personal experiences with velvet?
How they got rid of it???
Thanx!

 

[beth]

I thought I did a post but I don't see it.
Anyway, take a look at the Thread at this top of this forum titled Diseased Fish. Look at the clowns there with brooklynella. Is that that what you are seeing?

 

[beth]

LOL I thought I was loosing it. You posted this topic twice.

 

[jcsoccert]

hahhaa...sorry to confuse you beth!!
Thanx for your response....
unfortunately that does look very much like
what my clown has... Is there anything I can do..
or is it too late? -- That is, if he's not dead by the
the time i get home from work.

 

[beth]

Yes, but you must act very quicky. Immediately! Take a look at the topic in the FAQ Thread posted: Formalin Bath.
Quickly get this medication and start the procedure. Brooklynella is easy to cure, but quickly kills if left untreated.
Is the fish shedding as you see in that pic? Can you post a pic?

 

[jcsoccert]

Sorry, can't post a pic. No digital camera...working on that.
He isn't shedding as of this morning before I left for work. I'll be home at 5:30 to find out. :nervous:
Can I do the Formalin bath with what I have in the tank- live rock, sand, crabs, snails and feather dusters?
I don't have a qt. tank...can I use a 5 gal. bucket as a makeshift QT tank?
If he doesn't make it...how do I get the disease out of my tank? I waited 5 months before I added him..... I didn't think the disease stayed in the water that long???
Thanx.

 

[beth]

Did you read the procedure in the FAQ Thread? You use a short-term temporay deadicated container. Look at the procedure and if you still don't understand, then post back.

 

[jcsoccert]

I did read and understand the FAQ info. I went to 2 different pet stores and both did not have the Formalin. I hesitantly bought "Rid-ich" and used that per the directions last night. He did look significantly better this morning. It looks as if he no longer has the velvet symptoms, but looks now like he has ick?? Is this normal? For it to switch from velvet to ick? It doesn't look severe, but still worries me. I have been using the rid-ick in the main tank. I was scared to take the little guy out... I thought that it might stress him more than I would want to. I have also been leaving my lights off. I thought I had read somewhere that parasites thrive with the lights on?? True/False?
His color has also come back to the bright orange. Is there something else I can do, or should I just keep going with the Rid-ich and small water changes? Thanx again. I must also add how I'm very impressed with the available info on this Forum. THumbs up from me!!!

 

[beth]

If he had brooklynella, the problem would not have gone away. Ich and brooklynella are 2 different parasites and require 2 different treatments.
At this point, I don't know what problem your fish has. I wish we could get a pic up.

 

[jcsoccert]

hmmm.... maybe I mis diagnosed... Could it be that the Ick was completely covering his body to make it similiar looking to the brook? As opposed to now where it's more defiant little white specs... maybe about 8 to 10 ??? He is acting better as of this morning....he was swimming around normal like when I bought him, unlike yesterday he kinda just hid in the back corner of the tank in one spot near the heater and maxi jet. My temp is at 80 if curious. Does keeping the lights off help stop the progression of ick? Does any parasite thrive with the lights on or have i been misinformed?