swollen/open mouth

[Knowledgeseeker]

tank temp dropped to 74 and i found true percula with a gapping mouth that wont close. Tissue seems swollen. Does anyone know of what exactly happened, and is there anything i can do. its been about 12 hours and there seems to be no change. Everything else in tank is doing well except clown

 

[Terry B]

If you see swelling in the gill tissue after a temperature drop then there is a possibility of a latent bacterial infection that has now manifested due to the stress. I would move the fish to quarantine and use either Maracyn-Two at double strength (7-10 days) or Nitrofurazone at 30mg/gal for 3 days. It is a good idea to reduce the salinity to help the fish with maintaining osmotic balance when it has a reduced ability to regulate it itself. A latent infection is a good indicator that you should make larger or more frequent water changes.

It is also not uncommon to see a Brooklynella outbreak in clownfish after a stressful event. Do you notice mucus hanging from the gill area? Look closely.

Terry B

 

[Knowledgeseeker]

thank you for your help. no i didnt see any mucus. swelling has gone down today. seems to be doing better. thanks again

 

[Ed Hahn]

TerryB Rocks again...

 

[Terry B]

It sounds like the fish may be recovering from the stress and the infection. Keep a close eye on it for the next couple of weeks. Still a good idea to make a large water change using well aged and aerated saltwater.

Cheers,
Terry B