sick tomato clown, help please

dreamsurf

dreamsurf

New Member
A few months ago I bought a tomato clown. He has seemed to be doing fine up untill day before yesterday. I noticed a white coating on his head and it's starting to cover his body quicky. I thought since it had been two months since I have had him and whith him doing so well that we were in the clear as far as sickness goes. A week ago I was having some light problems and had to repair my light fixture. I had to take it off the tank and on the tank a few times and wondered if this could have stressed out the clownfish. He hides when I feed his bubbletip nem and seems stressed if things are mussed with in the tank (cleaning and water changes) I tested my water and I have 0 nitrates, 0 nitrites, ph is in check, temp is 75 always. Phos. is also 0. Do I need to take him away from his bubbletip and treat him in the hospital tank. I have one ready and all set up for him just in case. I didn't know if taking him away from his bubbletip would stress him out more and make matters worse. If I leave him alone will he snap out of it? What should I do?
thanks,
Dreamin
ps, hes eating great and taking care of the nem also.
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Any chance you can post a picture? Have you noticed rapid breathing at all? Or is the white coating starting to peel? How significant is the white sheen?
 
dreamsurf

dreamsurf

New Member
I don't have a way to get a pic of it. the white coating is not peeling off in any way. It looks like someone rubbed cotton on him. He looks like he is breathing a little hard. He keeps sucking up the tips of the bubbletip every once in a while. He wont come out of the bubble tip and stays deep inside it. Unless you feed him.
 
dreamsurf

dreamsurf

New Member
The white coating on him is on his head for the most part. He looks like hes got a patch on his bottom lip and the top of his nose. The rest of his body has a white covering on him like someone puffed him lightly with powder. Sorry I cant get a pic, I can take a pic but I wont be able to get it on the net untill late tonight maybe even tomorrow. I'm afraid that would be to late.
 
dreamsurf

dreamsurf

New Member
Yes thats what it looks like. I was pretty sure thats what it was. Only my clowns is not quiet that bad as in the pics. I think his is just starting. will it make it worse to remove him from his nem? Should I go ahead and put him in the hospital tank?
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
You will need to quickly initiate the procedure in the link above. That entails multiple formalin baths, so to remove the fish or not, is up to you. You will have to catch the fish each time for the bath. If you have a well established QT, it might be a good idea to do the move. Do you have formalin?
This kills fast, so get started.
 
dreamsurf

dreamsurf

New Member
I moved him to the QT and started treatment. The white tuffs are totaly gone and so is the white coating. He is still breathing fast though, I have him in the dark and he seems to have been resting in the back corner of the the tank all afternoon. Hes had quite a rough day. Poor lil guy. Other then his breathing he looks good so far. He didn't want to eat this evening when it was feeding time though. He did eat this morning in the DT. What are the chanceses of him making it? What could have started this? Was it the work I did on the lights? I always feel so guilty when something happens to my fish.
How long do I do treatment on him before I can put him back in the DT? Also, will this thing he has spread to the other fish or his bubbletip nem he was hosting?
Thanks
 
dreamsurf

dreamsurf

New Member
Well guys, the tomato clownfish died.
I did what I was told to do and despite my attempts to save him, it didn't work. I guess these things happen. The two false precs that I had posted about are not doing to well either. The girls swelling has gone down but she is still gasping for air and the boy is not gasping for air also. I started treating them with the treatment I was told to and it does not seem to be helping any. The two clownfish are at a friends place and I call everyday to check on them and see if there is a change that I should note. It don't look like these two will make it either. Is there anyone that knows anything else I can do that I am not already doing?
Insted of going through the board and looking for the other post I will bring you up to speed on things here. Now almost 4 weeks ago I put two false percs in a QT because the female was VERY fat and im talking VERY VERY fat. She was also gasping for air, breathing fast. I didn't want to take her mate away from her so I put them both in the QT togeater. I thought she had worms so I treated her for worms. It didn't help. I thought she may have had a bacteria infection so I treated her with Maracyn 2. Then she started getting white tuffs on her so I did the formulin dip. She is not fat anymore and still eating. Her mate has had the same treatment as she did. He seems to be doing ok but she is still gasping for air and breating hard, as so is he. I have kept up on the water changes and the water tests with 0 nitrates, 0 nitrites, ph is low and the ammonia is 7. I figured it was due to the meds I was putting in the tank. She no longer has the white on her and there are no visual signs of anything at all except her breathing. What should I do next? Here is the old post if it will help.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/270086/need-help-quick
 
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