Clownfish Blotching

[Aquai]

Ok, well i've looked around the web and haven't really found anything that i can relate directly to this...

My clownfish looks like it has blotches of darker skin on top of it, and it was present a couple of days ago (about 5) and i put it down to stress but it seems to be worsening. He's swimming around happily, eating more than fine (greedy tbh) and is occasionally swimming up to the surface (but after watching a shop's reef tank i sussed his was pretty normal) and is also breathing fine.

Basically i'm abit concerned about this blotching as it doesn't really look healthy. My only possible idea atm is that he was stung me xenia or aiptasa (now eradticated)...

Any ideas as to what it could be and what could be causing it? (All water conditions seem fine) I thought initially it could be velvet but most sites say this is a rapid disease which this apparently isn't

 

[sadielynn]

It could be irritation from corals ..however I am lead to believe that it is just a stress reaction or change of enviroment ....keep your water perameters pristine and make sure he is eating well. Perhaps add some selcon and garlic to the diet ...Garlic contains allicin(sp) that increaseses the appitite .I would continue to monitor him to be sure it doesent progress....I have a clown goby that goes white at night where he perches to sleep and his color comes back minutes after lights on ..... Fish are masters to change colors and could be enviormental at this point I would NOT dose anything and just monitor ......Keep us posted

 

[skipm]

I also agree that it could just be stress related, I have had several different fish that would darken when they were stressed or taking on an agressive posture. Keep an eye on him but I expect he will return to his usual coloration soon.

 

[ShawShank]

Agree on iritation. I will also add the following..

Depending on your lighting, clownfish will get "darker" on their tops because of the light (uv?). At least most clowns I have seen. You might also want to dose some melafix to help boost his healing if he does have any problems. It will not harm your reef at all. It's like preventative maintenance for him (an advil).

 

[Aquai]

I already did 3 days worth of melafix as a precaution to no avail so i'm hoping it is stresss related...

Erm, lighting wise there's 56W of lights which is nothing OTT imo, 24W White, 24W Blue, 24W Red...

You don't think it might be because he's alone now? As he was before with about 10 other tank bred young'uns...

I don't think it is stinging related tbh, as he steers clear of the LR most the time (unless at night he touches them...) A LFS owner said that it maybe that it needs an anenome in order to keep clean, but i am 99% sure this isn't true as i'm under the impression the clown keeps the anenome clean in exchange for protection...

 

[sadielynn]

I would not worry too much as it is probably a stress to the "new" enviroment that he is now in ......I would not dose any more melafix right now .....He does NOT need an anenome , most tank bred clowns dont know what to do with them as they have never seen one so that is not something that you need . The red light may also be causing problem what are your light K ratings .... you may want to try acitinic and a day bulb with a 50/50 but the red may be causing harm .....

 

[Aquai]

It's not a red bulb as such it's a red enhancing bulb, specs are as follows:

Name: 8W, 9" Aqua-Glo
K rating: 18,000
Lux: 20

My other lights are:

Name: 24W, 12" Interpet Triplus
Lumen: 1,400
h Rating: 10,000

Name: 24W, 12" Interpet Blue Moon Actinic
h Rating: 10,000

So yuh, that's my lightin setup. And yuh i know i don't need an anenome, that's what i was trying to tell the LFS guy.

 

[EDGRAY]

Well if the black spots on your clown look like mold you know then is normall for them to get them i post in a past here about that and well not alot of info about what was the cause but anyways i read that some times they have some kind of rash cause of the stinging of zoos or other corals and well is like a parasite and mine gets them all the time and then dissapeard how well follow what sadye told you add some selcon & garlic (to make things easier for you get the Garlic xtreme add one drop to the food)

http://www.exoticfish.com/details.cfm?s ... &id=39681&

that seems to help my clown with that problem when i stop using garlic then the mold looking black spots come back and then after some days of adding garlic they go away like always so i think is not something to be concerned about really just add garlic to its food before you feed them and he will get better and well as sadye and everyone recomends garlic alot i can say too use GARLIC in any problem with your fish cause garlic does mirracles to your fish HTH.

 

[Aquai]

Hmm, ok. I don't know how easily i'll be able to get that over here (UK) but it does sound like a good idea...

Is there anyway of crushing normal garlic or something?

Btw, what do you recommend i feed them on, frozen brine? (ATM, they get a mix of flakes, morsels and brine)

EDIT: Well i just had a scary realisation, i've been running my tank at 77 to 82F and realised that this is probably abit too warm... So maybe this is causing the blotching... I'm gonna slowly lower the temperature over the next couple of days...

 

[EDGRAY]

well i think the temperature doesnt have to do nothing about it but they say the 77-78 temperature is perfect. and well i mentioned the garlic xtreme cause is easier but normall garlic will be fine maybe just 1-2 teeth let it sit in a cup for 15min with water of your tank then put just the liquid in other cup or just take out all the pieces of crushed garlic that you can if tiny ones are left behind dont worry fish will eat them and well add the flakes or what your gonna fed and let it sit for 5-10m then some liquid with the food and keep going every 5 min until you dont have no more so your fish will eat all the food .... well thats what i do little by little until is gonne with a 5min interval of every little that i feed.

 

[sadielynn]

Yep get regular garlic found in your market and crush 1 clove (we use a mortar /pestal to crush but a spoon in a baggie ,dish or the like would work too) soak in tank water and food for NOT more than 20 minutes . Add to the tank 2-3 times a week the garlic will not harm your tank just stink your house up for a bit but thats all :mrgreen:

 

[Aquai]

Have regular garlic and a garlic crusher so will attempt this tomorrow after school (tis too late now here)...

So basically:
1. Crush clove of garlic
2. Sit crushed garlic clove in water for 10-20 minutes
3. Add food to garlic water
4. Allow to sit for 10-20 minutes
5. Feed either in 5 minute intervals or as a daily supplement.

 

[sadielynn]

soak the foods that you want them to consume in the garlic water all total you do not want it to sit more than 20-30 minutes
so crush the garlic add tank water add your food let sit 15-20 minutes feed fish
you can feed this to your fish every other day or so

 

[EDGRAY]

Have regular garlic and a garlic crusher so will attempt this tomorrow after school (tis too late now here)...

So basically:
1. Crush clove of garlic
2. Sit crushed garlic clove in water for 10-20 minutes
3. Add food to garlic water
4. Allow to sit for 10-20 minutes
5. Feed either in 5 minute intervals or as a daily supplement.

well sadye suggested and well you can do that to just do step 1 & 2 and then put the liquid in your tank....

and well the way i doit is all the steps but step 3 to 5 like this after is sitted for 15-20 take all the crushed garlic out and add the flakes let it sit for 5 minutes then add some in the tank (mix of food and garlic liquid) then they will eat that then i wait another 2-5min and add more and so on until my cup is empty i do that like 3 time until my cup is empty cause remember not too much food my measurements are

> 1/4 of a cup of tank water
> 1-2 cloves of garlic (when i used natural garlic now i use garlic x-treme)
> 1/8 teaspoon of food (12g... 5 fish)