[Hunts]

Hi guys, i was refered here for help

i recently aquired a pair of spawning o's (about 10 days ago). about 5 or 6 days ago i noticed a small wart like growth on my clownfish's chin. it basically doubled in size each day and slowed down a bit recently.

anyway water conditions are normal. i have done two 25% water changes, which havent helped. posted on mofib but no one was able to offer a certain diagnosis or treatment.

went to my lfs this morning where i was advised to do a freshwater bath which i was reluctant to do because the fish was visibly quite stressed lethargic and lying on the bottom also was breathing heavily. I was also told to use melafix.. (any good??)

went home tried to catch the fish and during the chase the growth just dropped off, leaving an open wound about .5cm in diameter right in the middle of the chin. i will post a photo if needed after work tonight. i didn't end up doing the fresh water bath. i treated the tank with melafix and also increased the flow on my hob filter, just tried to increase 02 in the water.

anyway got back from uni and fed the tank, the fish ate for the first time in 3 feedings and was also looking in considerably less pain although still mouth open hanging on the bottom, but now rises when i enter the room and also open and closed its mouth when feeding, wheras 2 or 3 days ago it was feeding with mouth totaly open and just sucking food in and yesterday didnt rise from the bottom at all and didn't feed.

anyway things look a bit better (i hope) today. i was wondering what this was is it either a bacteria or fungus? also what med's should i get antibiotics??

thankyou for taking the time to read this..
Ben

[leebca]

WELCOME TO REEFLAND BEN!

You should take a look at the stickies (those fixed threads) in this Forum. There are many worthwhile bits of info you should read. This post lists many of the other posts and gives links to them: Table/Contents - Link List

You've asked about Melafix. This should provide the answer(s) you're looking for: http://www.reefland.com/forum/marine...dont-work.html

Fish do have something similar to what humans get -- a pimple. An area of bacteria is walled off from the fish and there developes a nodule of bacteria and bacterial wastes.

The fish needs to be treated with an antibiotic -- one that enters the fish's system and just doesn't treat topical infections. In the US we recommend Maracyn Two for Saltwater Fish. In the case you've mentioned, I recommend that this particular antibiotic be administered in TWICE the recommended dosage. This doubliing doesn't apply to other antibiiotics. This antibiotic enters through the skin of the fish and treat internal as well as topical infections. I don't know what is available to you in Australia.

You were correct in one sense. A FW dip will not cure the problem, although that is often recommended as a cure-all by those who don't know what to do.

Good luck!

[Hunts]

sorry i noticed the posts about melafix after posting.

i think i will source another antibiotic as i havent been able to find any maracyn two here. thanks for your help, everything is looking positive at the moment.

would it be ok to treat with the antibiotic and melafix at the same time?

[leebca]

That answer would best be gotten by writing to the makers of Melafix. They would know best. However, if you are going to treat with an antibiotic, why still use Melafix. As the post indicated, Melafix is a possible, the antibiotic is a sure thing.

Remove as much of the Melafix as will come out by an activated carbon treatment and a large (50+%) water change and proceed to treat with the chosen antibiotic.

[Hunts]

thanks for your help. i have done so. and am now treating with a broad spectrum antibiotic.

since one day of treatment with antibiotics, what i thought was a scab (which i now think was bacteria growing back. do fish get scabs in the sense we do??) has disappeared the fish isn't breathing as hard either, but still more than normal. on the other hand it hasn't fed in the last day, it rises and then just looks at the food and goes sback to the bottom.

[leebca]

Depending on the health and ‘weight’ of the fish before the event, it could live a few weeks without eating. The Maracyn Two you don’t have access to includes an appetite stimulant which some say does and others say doesn’t work. The fish most likely will begin to feed when the stresses are removed from it, including but not limited to: the infection; the treatment; the attention; etc.