clown fish on it’s side struggling to breath and get up

[Lichen]

My DT is 2 years old, My fishes were quarantined 14 days in copper power and apI general cure.

Everything was fine until my most recent water change. My smaller clown fish showed signs of rapid breathing, inflamed gills and stopped eating a day after. There was also a small white bump near its mouth. However, all my other live stocks ( inverts, bigger clown fish and a GSP) are still thriving. I transferred it to a hospital tank with API general cure, air stone, heater and a hide out. I went to my LFS and the manager thinks it’s fungal infection and they recommended maracyn 2.
After a large water change and dosing maracyn 2, the fish got worse not swimming around and just in a corner breathing rapidly falling to its side.
I read online that methylene blue helps fish breathe and also treats fungal and bacterial disease. I couldn’t find any info on if there is any drug interaction, but I was desperate so I decided to dose methylene blue as well.

Now it’s been 6 days since the fish last ate and 5 days in the hospital tank. Poor little fish just in the corner on its side constantly trying to get up. Every morning I would think he would already be dead but he is still fighting.
Any advice?

 

[Lichen]

Are you guys able to see the video

 

[Jay Hemdal]

My DT is 2 years old, My fishes were quarantined 14 days in copper power and apI general cure.

Everything was fine until my most recent water change. My smaller clown fish showed signs of rapid breathing, inflamed gills and stopped eating a day after. There was also a small white bump near its mouth. However, all my other live stocks ( inverts, bigger clown fish and a GSP) are still thriving. I transferred it to a hospital tank with API general cure, air stone, heater and a hide out. I went to my LFS and the manager thinks it’s fungal infection and they recommended maracyn 2.
After a large water change and dosing maracyn 2, the fish got worse not swimming around and just in a corner breathing rapidly falling to its side.
I read online that methylene blue helps fish breathe and also treats fungal and bacterial disease. I couldn’t find any info on if there is any drug interaction, but I was desperate so I decided to dose methylene blue as well.

Now it’s been 6 days since the fish last ate and 5 days in the hospital tank. Poor little fish just in the corner on its side constantly trying to get up. Every morning I would think he would already be dead but he is still fighting.
Any advice?

Maracyn 2 is minocycline, and that is an antibiotic, not an anti fungal medication. Also, all of that family of antibiotic have difficulty working in hard. alkaline water. Mar Oxy is their antifungal medication.

Methylene blue acts as a temporary oxygen donor in cases of cyanide poisoning, but using it for that purpose in aquariums is often mentioned, but has little proof that it works. It can also kill your beneficial bacterial, so never add it to a display tank.

That said, external fungal infections are very rare in marine fish. It is more likely a bacterial infection.

How long have you had this clownfish?

When I hear of a clownfish with mouth damage and the other one is doing well, I first think that their pair bond may have broken down and they "grappled" causing mouth damage.

 

[Jekyl]

Also to add to above 14 days in copper is insufficient. Needs a full 30 days at 2.25 to ensure nothing remains.

 

[Lichen]

Maracyn 2 is minocycline, and that is an antibiotic, not an anti fungal medication. Also, all of that family of antibiotic have difficulty working in hard. alkaline water. Mar Oxy is their antifungal medication.

Methylene blue acts as a temporary oxygen donor in cases of cyanide poisoning, but using it for that purpose in aquariums is often mentioned, but has little proof that it works. It can also kill your beneficial bacterial, so never add it to a display tank.

That said, external fungal infections are very rare in marine fish. It is more likely a bacterial infection.

How long have you had this clownfish?

When I hear of a clownfish with mouth damage and the other one is doing well, I first think that their pair bond may have broken down and they "grappled" causing mouth damage.

Thank you for the input! I had them for about 45 days. Bought them as bonded pair, never observed any aggression. I am most concerned about it’s inflamed gills, they look very swollen.
I got my saltwater from LFS

Do you have any recommendations on what to do next?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I waited until I could see the gills on a larger screen and they are very flared out and I dont see evidence of aggression on body or fins however do see a bump or injury below the mouth which may be causing this flare-up

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thank you for the input! I had them for about 45 days. Bought them as bonded pair, never observed any aggression. I am most concerned about it’s inflamed gills, they look very swollen.
I got my saltwater from LFS

Do you have any recommendations on what to do next?

Clowns are pretty sly, you often won’t see aggression. Were they acting fully bonded before this? Often moving a pair will cause the bond to break down.

Are you monitoring the ammonia in the QT?

Since the fish has been dosed multiple times with GC, I think you can rule out flukes, which is one cause of gill issues.

You could try another antibiotic that is more suited for marine tanks; neomycin or kanamycin. Trouble is, antibiotics are slow to work, and the clock has been ticking on this fish…..

 

[Lichen]

I waited until I could see the gills on a larger screen and they are very flared out and I dont see evidence of aggression on body or fins however do see a bump or injury below the mouth which may be causing this flare-up

I didn’t see any abnormal behavior before this.
I was doing large water change every 24 hours, but LFS said It’s a bad idea so I am doing water change every 3 days and i am dosing prime in between.
I have kanaplex at home, I will give it a shot!

 

[Lichen]

Also to add to above 14 days in copper is insufficient. Needs a full 30 days at 2.25 to ensure nothing remains.

I am now noticing a white spot on my fish. I am very disappointed that my quarantine failed. I did the 14 days copper method from humblefish.

 

[Jekyl]

I am now noticing a white spot on my fish. I am very disappointed that my quarantine failed. I did the 14 days copper method from humblefish.

Here is the one recommended on this site. Not to say the one you followed wasn't a correct method.

Current Quarantine Protocol

2023 Quarantine Procedures Jay Hemdal David Scarborough Protozoans (Cryptocaryon/ich, Amyloodinium/velvet) and Metazoan trematodes/flukes are by far the most common parasites found on newly acquired fish. A carefully managed quarantine process can effectively eliminate these parasites before...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I am now noticing a white spot on my fish. I am very disappointed that my quarantine failed. I did the 14 days copper method from humblefish.

Can you post a picture of the white spot, or at least describe it? It may not be from a disease that is normally handled by typical quarantine processes.

That said, 14 days of copper may not be long enough to handle protozoan diseases.

 

[Lichen]

Can you post a picture of the white spot, or at least describe it? It may not be from a disease that is normally handled by typical quarantine processes.

That said, 14 days of copper may not be long enough to handle protozoan diseases.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Are you talking about the single ****e spot at the top of the middle brown band? That is too large to be ich, it is probably just a missing scale.