true clown help

[Carl]

Hi I was wondering if anyone could help me finding what's wrong with my clownfish. He has not eaten in 3 days, and is barely above the substrate. All parameters are fine except for phosphate. I've fed him flakes, marine morsels, live brine and mashed shrimp when he was swimming and happy. I have a yellow tail damsel, and he is perky as anything. 25gal tank with an eclipse 2 hood (OK it was a gift) will upgrade in the future. A sebea anenome (which he has not gone to) and red mushroom and yellow polyp. Going on 3 month setup. Any idea what wrong with the clownfish? Is it the phosphate?

[eco-tropic]

Carl,

Have you witnessed the damsel harassing or beating on your clown? I doubt that phosphate of even 100 ppm would ever be harmful to a clownfish! It could be a myriad of things! How long have you had this clown? How big is it? Was it wild caught or tank raised? Does it have any white spots, speckles, or discolored areas? Is it breathing heavy? Are it's pelvic fins extended or drawn in? How much does your temperature fluctuate? Is the fishes anus white and swollen?

[Carl]

Thanks eco-tropic for the reply. I'm a beginner @ this so I'm learning also. I had a stripped damsel in the first week setup. After 3 weeks or so the clown went in. He's been in for 2 months @ least. Both very happy swimming about. The clown was in charge all the way. Then I put in 2 yellow tail and a blue damsel. The stripped went nuts harrasing the other damsels. except the clown. I had to pull him out. One morning the smaller yellow tail was MIA. Checked all over no where to be found. Then the blue got aggressive, and I just pulled him out a few days ago. Nobody arrassed the clown ever. The clown is a little over 2". He is tank raised. He had I think a bout with ick a week after I put him in. That dissappered, and happy thereafter. I think he is breathing heavy. Pelvic fins are drawn in defenitily. Temp flactuation is 74-79. I took a pic this morning of him. That's all he does stay @ the bottom. He hasn't taken a bite now in 4 days. When it's chow time he was the first in line. In the tank now it's him and just a yellowtail. This I think started after I fed them mashed raw shrimp. They went nuts eating it. I appreciated any help. I hate to loose him.
carl.

[I_THE_PEOPLE]

mabey hes stressed out not having a friend, get another clown for him to play with. when my clowns are seperated they get very stressed and do the same thing as yours is doing
just a thought

[Carl]

Thanks, I actually thought about that. I will probably get another clown this weekend. I just want to make sure it's not something else affecting just clownfish. The yellow tail is perky enough not to suspect water problems. So I guess I should try.
carl.

[eco-tropic]

Carl,

I wouldn't put another clown in that tank just yet. You'll only add to the stress! You might consider getting your temperature under control. If your tank temp is fluctuating 5 degrees in a 24 hour period this is not good! There could be a couple of things at work here. Your clown could have been stressed by damsels or temperature fluctuations, or both. As the fins are drawn I'm inclined to guess that what ever parasite was present in this tank has been "soft" hosting off of your damsels or clown. As the fish are healthy the parasite does not show typical symptoms until a fish becomes stressed. You might also be dealing with an internal parasite. Joyce Wilkerson's book describes a few treatments for internal parasites.

[eco-tropic]

Carl,

I did have a similar situation to yours with a male bicinctus clown. Every so often he would start breathing heavy and hovering in one spot. He would stop eating for a few days. I was certain he was going to die. We would move him to quarantine, lower the salinity, etc. After a week or so he was fine. I suspected internal parasites but I now think that he was being over fed by a few folks around here. I can not guarantee anything and fish do die for inexplicable reasons but I would try to give him a couple more days. You might add a UV sterilizer to the system and start to quarantine new fish! Let me know how it goes?

[Carl]

Thanks for the input eco-tropic. In my haste to get something done, I went today and got another clown. After some curious looks @ his new friend he went underneath a rock and hovered once again. After an hour he got out the sellar, and seem to follow his new friend around the tank. I tried some morsels to see if he would go for it. Didn't even attempt. How long can they stay without eating? I did notice an attempt to scratch off, but no specs visible. I also saw a body shake. Is that some sort of posturing. They seem to like each other. I hope he gets out of the blues. I'll let you know what happens.
carl.

[eco-tropic]

Carl,

I once had a chrysopterus go two and a half week without so much as a nibble. It was wild caught and heavily infested with oodinium. You should consider a ten gallon quarantine tank. Nothing fancy. You could do cheap glass tank with an under gravel filter, powerhead, & seventy five watt heater. It would help avoid the possibility of infections in the future. I meant to ask what you were feeding this clown and if it started to do poorly a couple of days after introducing the other damsels you mentioned?

[Carl]

Yeah, I bought one small just recently for just that. A 2gal explore type. I think though it might be too small. I might go get a 5gal instead. I'm glad they can go without food that long. This morning he is out and chasing his new friend. He is swimming, but still not eating. I think his friend might rejuvenate him. Thank you eco for the replies and the other for pushing me and getting a mate. Will let you know if he fully comes out of it.

[Denis]

I just had to get my yellow damesel out this weekend, it just would not stop attacking my Clownfish. 10 min after he was out the Clownfish where fine.