Sick clownfish?

[ne]

Ok - I'm not sure what's happening but we went out of town this weekend and had someone feed our fish. When I left Friday my clown (orange & white) was doing great - I usually feed my tank twice a day - in the a.m. I feed brine shrimp and in the p.m. I feed formula flake food with garlic guard. I just added a black & white about 2 weeks ago and they have loved each other. Looked like the orange & white is the male because he has been shimmying up under the black & white one. Anyways - someone feed them once a day for me (just the brine shrimp) for 2 days. Now I came home today and my orange and white will not leave the corner of the tank and he's swimming really slow. He also would not eat for me and I tried both foods. The black & white one is doing great and everything else in the tank is also doing fine. What could be wrong? Anyone have any ideas? Thanks for your help - I hope nothing is wrong but it doesn't look good. I've had my orange & white for at least 3 months.

 

[ne]

So my clown is still alive today - but still in the corner and breathing a little heavy still. I took him to my local LFS today so they could take a look at him and they said he looked fine and didn't need to be quarintined for medication. I hope he makes it - I just don't understand what could be wrong with him?

 

[thegrog]

He could very well be constipaated and this led to a bacterial intestinal infection. Brine shrimp has very little nutritional value and lots of it at once can clog up their little systems.
You may want to think about a hospital tank with antibiotics for 7 days. One of mine had this same thing and this helped out pretty quick. He should be eating in 1-2 days. Offer a little bit of flake food (only a few flakes) ONCE per day until he starts eating. You may also want to try mysis shrimp (much better than brine). Only a few shrimp (3 or 4) is all you will need until he is eating normally.
In the long run, put a little more variety in their diet. Loose the brine, add mysis, formula one, finely choopped clams and other meaty, yummy goodies. If their diet has variety, I find they do better in the long run.

 

[ne]

Thanks TheGrog! I'm so worried - he still is not eating and his breathing is still a little more rapid than usual. I don't have a quarantine tank - my LFS might be able to do it??? I've seen a white thready looking material coming out of him up under so I thought he was going to the bathroom. I've seen this twice now. I actually thought maybe he was constipated but I think he's going. I will switch to something different in the a.m. Is the p.m. food ok? It's ocean nutrition flake food and I usually soak it in garlic. How long can he go without eating? I hate this!!!!! My little black & white one just keeps going over to him - it's so sad!