Help Sick Clown fish

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angel626

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Apr 21, 2007
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My tank has been up and running since April and 5 weeks ago I added my first fish (2 false perc clowns)

A week ago I added a firefish that I had questions about buying. There were 3 dead fish in the tanks around him. After 3 days he died. That was about 4 days ago. The day before he died I did a 20% water change and added the kent reef starter to my tank.
Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate has tested at 0, ph 8.2 and salinity 1.022. I just noticed small white spots on one side of my clown fish and I looked it up on about.com and they said it was a fungal infection.

Is this what it is? How do I treat it?
 

emonemo420

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Jun 30, 2007
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dover afb
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most likely its ick...look up how to treat ick on google or something...someone with a little more experience can probably help u but its kinda hard to tell without pictures
 

5xevy

Member #62,749
Jan 3, 2007
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Upstate, NY
I'm sorry about the loss of your firefish. I can't say why it died but every LFS have fish that die, especially after getting shipments from their suppliers. Whether yours was from that or not, it's hard to tell.

Can you get a picture of the clownfish? Is he still eating? How is his behavior?
 

angel626

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Apr 21, 2007
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He is acting normal and eating normal as well. Any suggestions on setting up a quarantine tank. I have a 10 gallon I can use.
 

emonemo420

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Jun 30, 2007
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dover afb
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um again all the info can easily be found by searching online...but it should be fine to to use.. although it is a little small but it should work for a little clown...but set it up just like u would ne other tank....it needs the same parameters as ur display tank..ie filtration, water movement, subtrate, etc...the problem is it needs to be cycled just like ur main...(at least i would assume so) so another person can help u better with that but i doubt u will b able to set it up now and just put the little guy in there to cure him....my next best guess is (and few people have this privilege) is take him to ur lfs and see if they will cure him probably for a small fee..and during this set up ur qt and and depending on how long hes gone put him in the qt when u get him back...that is if all this is an option... i wish u luck either way
 

Grins

Girl Reefer...we do exist
May 1, 2007
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Charlotte, NC
For a QT tank you really need only the bare minimum.

A tank
cover
heater
hob filter for water movement will work
some pvc pipe pieces for the fish to hide in

Stick with the bare bottom and don't add live rocks. You'll want to do regular water changes on the QT tank and run your test kits often. If you need to turn it into a hospital tank you will be all set.
 

angel626

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Apr 21, 2007
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I've heard that I can use some of the water from my main tank to get it started. A lot of sites are suggesting, hypersalinity, copper, and garlic (for mild cases)

Has anyone has success with these and do you recommend any over the others? Should I treat the other clown and my lawnmower blenny as a precaution or wait and see what happeneds with the other two?

I've read not to add LR and that some of the treatments (copper) may harm the LR True????
 

Grins

Girl Reefer...we do exist
May 1, 2007
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Charlotte, NC
I'm currently using Coppersafe to treat ich. Yes, you will need to treat ALL your fish (not your inverts). Use the tank set up I described above. No live rock, no substrate. Test copper EVERY day with the appropriate test kit (there are different kinds of copper). For the heck of it I use garlic but I don't believe it can cure ich, just help a fish to eat. Mine never stopped eating so the garlic is probably more for my sanity than their health.

Also, read up on hyposalinity as a treatment option. Although I chose to go the route of copper you should know that there is another option.

Be sure to run your display tank fallow for 6 + weeks to let the parasite run its cycle.
 

5xevy

Member #62,749
Jan 3, 2007
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Upstate, NY
Here are some good articles...

This one's on hyposalinity:
http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/hyposalinity.html

Copper:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ichart2mar.htm

Posts 2-6 refer to QTs and hypo:
http://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=127007

If you choose the copper method I would definitely buy a copper test. For the hypo method I would recommend a refractometer.

I want to stress that you should really be sure your clown has ich before you make a decision and subject your fish and YOU to this. Are you positive it's ich?
 
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