[lapple01]

Hi,
I have a very sick clownfish. everthing seemed fine last night when we did a water change, but tonight he is whitish all over, and looks flaky. also, it seems like he is gasping for air and keeps sinking to the bottom of the tank, sometimes laying on the gravel. our other clownfish seems to be acting okay right now but it looks like i can seem some small white flaky spots appearing. other fish (royal gramma, cardinal fish, yellow tang, coral beauty and a wrase) seem okay so far. we also have a cleaner shirmp. the sick clownfish looks like he might not make it through the night, but we'd like to keep the other fish healthy (and save him if we can).
ph, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia and salinity levels all seem fine.
we have not added any fish to the tank for many months, so it doesn't seem like it would be ich...

any ideas?

[leebca]

WELCOME TO REEFLAND !

Sorry it was this situation that caused you to post here.

The fish, as far as I can see is sluffing off much of it mucous coating. That can be a simple as something irritating in the water or it coming down with a latent case of Brooklynella. The former should be showing some signs in the other fish, so I'd lean towards brooklynellosis.

Brooklynellosis is contagious, brought on by a ciliated protozoan when the fish is under stress and/or poor nutrition. It can hang around for quite some time, but for it to suddenly take over the fish after months is very unusual. Yet the symptoms are much like that of Brooklynella. Are you sure that nothing new has been put into the tank? Any outside source of water vis a vis putting in snails, rock, corals, or any marine life or decoration from another tank or the ocean?

The procedure would be to isolate the fish and give the fish formalin baths (a total of 3) over time. If you are not able to treat the fish, at least remove it from its display tank.

Review the foods and feedings you are providing your fish by comparing what you're doing to these recommendations: Feeding Marine Fish and Fish Nutrition

Immediately provide the other fish in your aquarium with vitamins and fat supplements mentioned in the above reference AND some immune boosters (See: Fish Immune Boosters for info) for the next 10 days. I hope the others don't contract this.

You can pretty much eliminate this condition from newly acquired Anemonefish by performing prophylactic formalin baths. Brooklynellosis is common amongst Anemonefish that they are worth treating for this disease even if they look healthy.

[lapple01]

Unfortunately the sick clownfish did not make it through the night. The other clownfish and the royal gramma are starting to look a little sick this morning, so I will get some vitamins and immune boosters after work today.

we have not introduced anything new to the tank in many months, including rocks or decorations. but, the tropical fish store we used to go to closed about a month ago and so we had to get our food from a different petshop, so maybe that is the cause.

[lapple01]

Also, one other change in recent weeks is that our light broke so we had to get a new one (not the just bulb, we had to replace the whole thing)

[leebca]

I wish you and your system the best. For the long term, read and follow the feeding suggestions in the previously referenced post. The long-term health and longevity of the fishes in your care depend upon the optimum nutrition being provided over the long haul.