HELP Sick Clownfish

[CoralJunkie]

I have two small clownfish, the other day I noticed them scratching on the rocks so I took a closer look and found what I thought was ich, well now a couple days later the bigger of the two is eating just fine but the smaller one is not eating at all, it sucks in food then spits it out a few times then just swims away, yesterday it was in much worse shape as far as breathing and the look of the fish, today there is not as many little white specs on it but the skin looks kind of hazey and the other fish has almost no specs and is doing ok, I do notice the the bigger fish bullies the smaller so that's why im still leaning towards ich but then with the way the skin turned hazey im not sure, the fish isn't gasping for air at the surface and it's no longer scratching, ive tested my water for everything and it's all spot on, only fish In the tank are the two clowns and a green mandarin which went into hiding around the same time the fish got sick... I have no idea whats going on, please help

 

[CoralJunkie]

I was just trying to take a picture and a video and noticed him eating pods off the glass also there is no fin rot and split fins

 

[CoralJunkie]

 

[CoralJunkie]

hard to tell but the white spots look like tiny salt grains

 

[CoralJunkie]

http://youtu.be/H9cDniJkDOI

 

[PSU4ME]

It certainly looks like ich. Can you treay them in a hospital tank? A simple 10g tank with a foam filter?

 

[CoralJunkie]

Yeah but I'd have to wait fur it to cycle, thank you very much fur the quick response

 

[mnavick]

Try the tank transfer method.
Also do not really have to wait for a cycle (but preferred) on a hospital/qt tank. Just buy some ammonia alarms, test daily and water changes every few days.
Some very in depth stickies on Reef Central!

 

[CoralJunkie]

I thought I had an extra heater from my old tank but I guess not, does anyone have an extra heater I could borrow for a short time so I can start a qt tank? thanks, taunton area

 

[Reefjunkie]

Try Craigslist for a cheap heater I forget the meds but I think prazipro would kill ich and have heard you can use it in a reef as long as there's no verts? Look it up.. maybe try feeding with Garlic and focus along with one of the Seachem meds I forget the names or what one would work, maybe Kanaplex or metronidazole?

 

[CoralJunkie]

I ended up just buying a new heater, qt is up and running and the display is going fallow for two months

 

[CoralJunkie]

My clownfish have been in my qt since saturday night, I'm treating them with copper and since monday they've been much more active, the bigger of the two is still eating well but the smller fish which was much more infected still is just toying with the formula one pellets, I just tried some flakes but to no avail...I've also try using garlic.... Any thoughts or ideas?

 

[PSU4ME]

What kind of copper? It will certainly cause them to lose their appetite. Keep offering her food but siphon out the uneaten stuff each time or it will pollute your water. I use airline hose for a siphon, it doesn't pull a lot and it allow you to pull out the food with minimal water loss.

Do frequent water changes always adjusting the new stuff for the accurate copper dosage.

 

[CoralJunkie]

Yeah I've been sucking up uneaten food with a baster, I'm using coppersafe sentry, I've been testing the water daily and keeping the water pristine, I can see like the intestine I think, out looks like a long tube along the fishes body and it goes right to where it poops, you can kind of see it in.the picture, the fish isn't transparent, the tube protrudes on both sides...

 

[CoralJunkie]

Update: both fish have been doing great and eating like hogs, they're still in the qt and will stay there until june. Having a QT tank is actually pretty fun, lesson learned and I will never not have a QT

 

[jason401]

Nice job!

 

[CoralJunkie]

It's been 8 weeks I acclimated my clowns and put them back into the display, fingers crossed the ich is gone