Hmm...No symptom brain stumper

[joker577]

What would the likelyness of a clown who is breathing slow, flapping his fins slow, not eating, but show no external signs of problem have internal parasites?

 

[leebca]

Depends on the fish's origin. If it is wild, about 25%.

 

[joker577]

Tank raised ocellaris

 

[Snowboarda42]

I think we're assuming it is all of a sudden starting this behavior, correct?

If this is a fish that has just been introduced into its new home, chances are its still a little freaked out.

If it has been in your tank for a while, and is now showing this behavior, I would either keep an eye on it if it's the only fish in the tank, or take it out and QT it, treating it for a number of different diseases. Could be worms, bacterial infections, ich (even though you don't see it), etc.

 

[joker577]

Well I took back the clown that seemed to be having a bacterial infection around his gills (redness and sorelooking) and got the only healthy looking clown in the place...It's still in my main tank because these are the only symptoms...now he seems to rock sideways back and forth. He's been in 2 days and hasn't had one bite of food. He hangs out near the bottom and almost twitches sideways like every few seconds

 

[returnofsid]

If you're buying the "only healthy looking clown in the place," it's probably NOT healthy. If some or all of the fish in a certain tank look ill, chances are pretty good that all the fish in that tank are ill. Even if there's several different tanks of similar sized Clowns, chances are they all came in the same shipment. Stay away from ANY fish in those type tanks. I see you haven't tried the "patience" routine yet...lol. Stop buying fish. Learn more...then slowly buy fish. If you take a sick fish back to the LFS, don't bring another home. Chances are that whatever that fish was sick from is now in your tank and will just infect any other fish you put in there. Keep in mind that you just did a hyposalinity treatment...although not a long enough one. Now you may have infected that tank again and you really won't know if you have or not until fish start dying or showing signs of illness again. Starting your display tank after the hyposalinity treatment with fish that you aren't QTing basically made the long hypo treatment a waste of time.

 

[joker577]

It was my only option...keep a for sure dead fish or try and go with a healthy looking fish...It's not ich i don't see what hypo has to do with this.

 

[joker577]

If it's moving around slow and not eating and its poop is white and stringy then what are my options here for its diagnosis.

 

[NaH2O]

joker - check out this link. If the fish isn't eating, then you'll probably have to set up your QT to treat it. You won't be able to feed any medications. Internal Infections

 

[leebca]

It sounds like the fish may have an intestinal parasite or problem. This is easily cured by adding meds to the food. But. . .This fish isn't eating.

If the above is correct, then curing this fish is unlikely. It will likely waste away.

I'd say returnofsid has given the best information. If it was the only 'healthy looking fish' then you either should have gotten a store credit or keep the sick fish you had. At least it had a condition more easily resolved.

You might want some serious advice in how to pick out a fish. First it must shown to be eating. If it wasn't eating in the store tank, it won't likely be eating in your tank. Unless you are adapt at getting fish to eat, I'd make sure you see it eating before you buy it. Then, buy the food it is eating to take home with the fish. This is just a part of the picture of how to select a healthy fish.

I have detailed advice on how to select healthy fish from an LFS, if you're interested. Let me know.

 

[returnofsid]

Might try adding some garlic to the food to entice it to eat. Garlic seems to enhance a fish's appetite. You can buy fresh garlic and crush it up or buy the jarred stuff and soak the food in the garlic juice, along with meds. Either way, in trying to get your fish to eat, don't overfeed or you'll just add to your problems.

 

[joker577]

I tried mysis and he seemed to eat a couple pieces

 

[joker577]

Picked up some Garlic Guard and am going to try that later tonight...will update with how that goes. My mom said i'm like a mother watching over her babies...moms lol

 

[joker577]

Seemed to eat a couple pieces, swam over to some others ate them and spit them back out..picky little eater!

 

[joker577]

Latest update on mr.pickyeater...By the shadow of LED lights he hangs right along with my other clown swimming together on the side of the tank just like normal and by morning as soon as I turn my lights on I'm thinkin he's pretendin to be sick because right before I turned my actinics on he was swimming all across the tank and then when I turned them on he went lower to the bottom

 

[kevin1000]

My 02

Yeah your fish may have internal parasites or simply diaharea but I don't think that s/b the focus .. getting the fish to eat is the issue and the majority of fish with internal parasites have no problem with eating.

Newly acquired fish that haven't been QT'd and properly acclimated to captivity often have problems with eating .. I would suggest feeding some live brine shrimp .. that will jump start most fish and clownfish eat it like candy.

Hope this helps .. good luck.

 

[joker577]

He seems to eat mysis pretty well...I know it's not helping my nitrate problems but I feed 2 times a day with garlic guard to try and entice him....Good thinking Kevin I wouldnt've thought about that (eating more with internal parasites) but I guess because they need more food.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Kevin, welcome to Reef Frontiers! Any pics of your stuff, we all love pictures here

Joker, sorry for the hijack