Help my clown PLEASE !!! :sad2:

[richcass]

My Amphiprion ocellaris (or false percula clown) is breathing heavy with no sign of sickness, he was fine 2 days ago but then started breathing real hard. I have another clown in the tank and he is fine. the sick one is hovering around the same spot in the tank and will not eat. he is one of the first fish i put in the tank if he dies i will be soooooooooooo bummed.

[RJBURAS]

sorry hear that your clown is not doing good.
I'M HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY CLOWN.
HE IS EATING GOOD. BUT SWIMMING WITH HIS HEAD POINTING DOWN. HE STAYS IN THE CORNER OF THE TANK ( LOW CURRENT), BUT RESPONDS TO PUTTING FOOD IN THE TANK. HOPE IT WORKS OUT WITH YOUR CLOWN.

RJB

[richcass]

Mine is looking like he is having problems breathing. i'm wondering if i should try a copper dip. i dunno i'm very attatched to my clowns ,, they greet me every day i come home from work almost like a dog would. the tank is near my front door .he wont eat either. thanks for the relply.

[oceanarus]

Things that I need to know before we go any further.

Does it appear that there is a slimy-opaque film to the body? Are the fins clamped up? Any weird spots on the body or fins? Fins ragged? Visible parasites? Stringy feces? How long have you had the clown? Was it wild caught or captive raised?

BTW, hold off on the copper dip for now.

[RJBURAS]

YOU MIGHT SEND A E-MAIL TO ATJ, SEEM TO KNOWS ALOT ABOUT PROBLEMS THAT YOU ARE GOING THROUGH.

RJB

[richcass]

it's strange ,, he looks fine. nothing i can see could be a problem ,, i'v had the clown for about a year he is tank raised. i just put up a hospital tank with copper waiting for the word ,, to dip or not to dip ?

[The Aquarist]

richcass,
Because these problems sound advanced, I would go get some Formalin and give the fish a Formalin dip for an hour. I wouldn't waste too much time. I have used this method and the fresh water dip method (With fresh water that closely matches temperature AND pH of the tank water - VERY IMPORTANT) with the fish staying in the fresh water for about 5 to 10 minutes. Both of these are effective in killing off a lot of bad stuff. I treated my Red Saddleback Clownfish with both treatments when they had suspicious symptoms and they improved quickly. If this turns out to be additional things, you can treat for those after you have eliminated the current possibilities (Probabilities) and the dips do their thing quickly, leaving time for additional treatments if they are still needed. The fish sounds like the illness is advanced, so success is questionable, but attempts to cure it is always worth it.

RJBURAS,

It's interesting that you are in the chemical field, because your fish symptoms imply toxins, in which case a few 15 to 20% water changes over a week may show signs of improvement . The other possibility here is stray voltage which you can quickly test by unplugging everything connected to your tank including lights and seeing if the fish behaves more normally. If the toxin thing proves correct, then you should run some fresh Chemi - Pure or other carbon product and keep the water changes going for about 3 weeks. If the stray voltage thing proves correct, then plug things in one at a time to see what affects the fishs behavior. If you are running anything from Taam or RIO, start your search there.

If you pick up the Clownfish book from Joyce D. Wilkerson, it recommends Formalin for Brooklynela, which these symptoms remind me of.

[The Aquarist]

richcass,

If you've added any livestock recently then this is more likely something that fish or creature carried in. If the other Clownfish is new, You may have a 2 female war going on and the "sick" one may not be sick, but assaulted. Copper is an ich treatment ONLY and will do more harm than good here. If anything, treat the sick tank with Maracyn 2 or another Broad spectrum saltwater anti - biotic.

[richcass]

I have other fish in the tank none of which are having any problems. all the pet stores are closed so i am going to try putting him in a copper hospital tank ,, wish me luck .

[MarinaP]

Richcass,

Do not use copper. Your clown sounds like she has brook. Do a fresh water dip for 15 min (see the Aquarist's post for dips+add an airstone to the dip), and get Formalin tomorrow first thing. Then give your clown Formalin bath for 1 hour, another one in a day, and maybe another one in a day until you see an improvement.

[richcass]

ok i made it to the pet store , i picked up some T.C.and some stuff called "MelaFix" is an all natural antibacterial remedy. i have not scooped the little guy out of the tank yet. thank god i made it to the pet store, 1 min before closing.

[The Aquarist]

Some Clownfish cannot be treated in copper at all. Yours may tolerate it better than some others, but it is completely incorrect to use it here. Using copper for these symptoms is like fighting fighting skin cancer with Alka Seltzer. These things are unrelated.

Copper in increased levels that are used to fight ich can actually be toxic and can do more damage to your fish. You should not use copper here.

Also, MarinaP is correct about using SEVERAL Formalin Dips. It was necessary for my Clownfish as well. It was the proper treatment. If I used copper, my Clownfish would be dead.

[richcass]

ok ,, no copper got it,, what about this melafix stuff ?

[richcass]

Sorry i'm in such a pannic, i get very attatched to my fish.

[MarinaP]

Ditch Melafix. Get Formalin.

[richcass]

to late all the stores are closed. hopefuly he will survive the night.

[The Aquarist]

I've read several good comments on Melafix. I have never used it. For what you are dealing with, it could bring some success, but I would still advise the Formalin because I also had success with 2 different broad spectrum anti - biotics, but the problems returned. Another thing to remember is that Anti - biotics take days to work and Formalin is quickly effective, especially in advanced cases. Bottom line, Melafix can be used in your sick tank here, but the dips will give you a better and stronger start and you may not beat this without Formalin. Together, I think they will be a great combination of treatments. Glad to hear you found something much more helpful than copper!

[richcass]

you guys are great,, i'm glad people love my fish as much as me i will try the combination tomorrow if he makes it .

[oceanarus]

I concur w/ what The Aquarist and MarinaP have said. And thanks for jumping in w/ an answer while I was away from the 'puter (seems like they actually expect you to work while you're at work)

[The Aquarist]

Happy to Help

[dapet]

Hi guy's"
I also have a very fat clown with George my seahorse. I run gralic in my tank at all time. I read this on one of the forums quite a while back. I learned all this after a LFS wiped out my tank. My cllown and George is doing fine so far. And the Mela Fix works very good in a sick tank.

[richcass]

Well another day has passed and he is still acting the same. i had a bout with ick a fiew months ago,, could it be ick ?

[The Aquarist]

If it was ich, it would be obvious by now. This is a sick fish in advanced stages. There are no guarantees it will make a full recovery, but I think it's best chances are through the things I and others advised already.

If you start treating for ich instead of the broad spectrum of other probabilities that the symptoms imply, you will most likely have a dead fish very soon.

[richcass]

hes in a hospital tank being treated. hopefuly he will be ok. thanks again for all the help.

[dapet]

Ignorded:::::run gralic. Do hope the fish makes it. Then run gralic.