[vaporize]

Hi LEE,

I got this black saddleback pair clownfish earlier in Decmeber, now it is in 2.5 weeks of quarantined.

10G tank, with clay pot and Jungle sponge filter & heater. No substrate or anything. 1.025 salinity.

I noticed all along that there seems to be a pale whitish (fish body is black) patch on its skin and recently the fish seems to be less reactive and more freighten to man. Here are some of my observations:

• No signs of any fast breathing, in fact very clam and slow ever when it ditch back into the clay pot. So I am trying to rule out this as brook, no skin peel off.
• only the top of the fish being a bit more white, the patch is not bumpy in nature. No skin lesion. It is only affecting the female but not the male
• Both fish are eating well
• The female (one with white patch) is a bit unnatural, and seems like it might not be comfortable (but not to the extend that it is like brook).

Just wondering if this might be some kind of bacterial infection or anything fatal. The female seems to have this discoloration early when I got it but I did not pay too much attention thinking that it might be its natural coloration; however the white part seems to enlarge so I am a bit curious to what it might be.

Thanks for any help. Happy New Year.

[leebca]

The changing size of the area is of concern.

If upon acquisition the fishes were not treated for Brooklynella, then do that now, making sure they are not in contact with water or other fishes that have not been so treated.

After that treatment, review the patch.

There are dozens of microbes that act like Brooklynella. Only, they have various levels of, or varying, symptoms. With Anemonefish, it is best to rule out this whole group of organisms by the Brooklynella treatment process before tackling other skin symptoms. The Anemonefish are just too 'attractive' to these kinds of microbes. Holding them in check in the wild isn't difficult for the fish, but going through capture, handling, etc. these microbes get an advantage. If the fish were tank raised, then their exposure to other fishes can bring in disease microbes they are not used to fighting off. Either way, it makes just good sense to treat all Anemonefish for Brooklynella upon their acquisition.

Happy New Year to you too!