White Cotton on my clownfish!

[delalaym]

Hello,

I've had this clownfish for a few weeks now (he's in the quarantine tank) and he has what can be described as cotton stuck to him or white patches. It's a little hard to see because he is so small! It seems like it got worse in the past week or so. he is moving around and eating just a little. He is not breathing fast. His gills don't seem to be infected. He is opening his mouth often though. I tried Melafix for a week: it did nothing. I lowered the salinity to 1.016 (3 days ago).

What could it be? I am thinking either a parasite or fungus? He's had it for 2-3 weeks...

[leebca]

WELCOME TO REEFLAND!

Sorry it was a problem that first got you to post. Let's see if we can't help your fish.

Marine fishes are subject to a few conditions described as you have. To the untrained eye, the differences between the conditions can be slight. So to be sure, you have to get a good look at those spots. Are they really fuzzy? Are they clumps, like cauliflowers? are they small dots? Are they for sure raised off the fish? If you could provide a picture we would be more certain.

I'm going on in this post as if they are in fact raised off the fish, and are in fact fuzzy, not clumps.

Marine fishes are susceptible to a few parasites and diseases that take on this appearance. There are the true fungal infections, then there are infections of microbes that appear to be fungus.

All these are opportunistic pathogens. This means that a healthy fish doesn't get these diseases. The microbes are always present (like the human common cold virus), but the healthy fish fends them off. So if it is this, then that is not a compliment to your system or husbandry.

If it is a true fungus, the fish will likely die. I usually put such fish down rather than try to treat them. The explosion of these microbes can infect even healthy recently captured fishes or fishes being quarantined. It is a kind of torture to the fish. What you see on the outside of the fish is just the reproductive organs of the fungus. The microbe is inside the fish, eating it from the inside out. The fish continues to weaken and the microbe gains strength, putting the fish into a downward health spiral towards death.

If it is one of the 'fake' fungal microbes it might be cured with great effort and time on your part.

I'll stop here until I can hear back from you on what you are thinking in the way of what it is you're looking at.

As mentioned above. A clear, up close group of photos would be best for us to see.

[delalaym]

Hello,

Here's the clearest pictures I could take... My camera is not that great...
Any idea what the disease might be?

Thanks!

[leebca]

Thanks for the photos. They aren't bad, but they aren't definitive for me. From what I can see, the mucous coating of the fish is being affected by something. That affection is a bit spotty. This is the way a low-level brooklynellosis can manifest itself, but you have stated the fish is not breathing rapidly. Rapid breathing would be a symptom that is common in such a case.

Just to be clear -- rapid breathing means 'swallowing' more than 100 times per minute. That is, counting the times the gill plates open and close in 15 seconds and multiplied by four. This is done three or four times for an average.

Is the fish tank-bred or wild caught, do you know? The place you got it from, do they have more left, have they had any problems with the group?

I'm not convinced this is a fungal or fungus-like infection. That may be, because the photos aren't good enough or the fact that those whitish area are not fuzzy. But you do say they look like cotton. So let's be careful about that statement.

When you wrote 'cotton' do you mean just unclear (fuzzy like areas), or do you mean that, coming off the skin of the fish there are threads or strands?
Can you see individual strands?

Or are the areas clumps of whitish growth, more like the appearance of cauliflower?

Regardless of your answers to the above, the last question is are those areas raised above the skin of the fish or just level with the skin? You wrote it looked like it was stuck on which I assumed was raised off the fish, but the photo isn't clear enough for me to be sure of that. So I'm checking again.

Thanks for your efforts to help the fish. With a bit more information I may be in a better position to help. If there is any chance to get a couple more photos, up closer and clear, please try.

[delalaym]

He is tank raised. I don't know if they had problems with other fish...

He has a few white dots and 2 or three bigger "dots", almost patches of white. It looks raised from the skin but I don't see any strand. It does not look like cauliflower though it is so small and I would need a magnifying glass!

I don't have any better pictures for now...

By the way, I went to the store, they told me I should give him freshwater dips: 1st day: 3 minutes; 2nd day: 6 minutes; 3rd day: 9 minutes. I did that (last dip was yesterday). Also, I keep the salinity of the quarantine tank at 1.010.

The fish seems a bit better than a week ago. He eats more and seems more energetic.

Thanks for your time!

Marc-Andre

[leebca]

Keep us informed about its condition. ;)