Poorly Clown?

[MissG55]

Have i rushed this? My tank had been up and runing for 6 weeks and after my levels were stable i started to slowly stock with my CUC.
The 6th week i took the plunge and bought a beautiful pair of common clowns. I acclimatised them slowly but did not use a QT tank. They were both fine for the first few days then one of them(pinky) started to spend a lot of time at the bottom and now seems to be breathing quickly . His little friend(perky) stays by his side and seems to nudge him every now and then. Perky seems just that... perky.
Today i noticed some red slime algae on the sandbed... i am using a phosphate remover and doing regular water changes, could this have affected my little fella?
Sorry for all questions,hope i have given enough information.

 

[seffieuk]

Have i rushed this?

No you haven't. Can you post your stats please - also do you have a powerhead or the like agitating the surface water? What is the tank temp? Its been hot over the last couple of days, my tank has risen a few degrees.

Have you had any invert deaths?

Seffie x

 

[MissG55]

[/quote]

No you haven't. Can you post your stats please
- also do you have a powerhead or the like agitating the surface water? What is the tank temp? Its been hot over the last couple of days, my tank has risen a few degrees.

Have you had any invert deaths?

Seffie x
[/quote]
Thanks for quick reply
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
ph 8.3
phosphate 0 - i do not have the low range test kit yet.
sg - 1.025
temp 27

the tank has '1000 lph filtration pump, twin 1000 lph filtered circulation pumps' i also bought a vortech mp10 which gives 200 to 1,575 gallons per hour(set about 3/4 way up) One of the circulation pumps outlet tube is aimed at the surface but there is not a huge amount of agitation.

I thought i had 2 hermit crabs die morri said they could have moulted - i have since counted five out of 6 so maybe 1 hermit death
I still have not managed to track down and capture my red eyed crab.. seems to have hidden away, think he knows i'm after him! So could this have been down to him?
Hope this helps.
Thank you so much, thank god i found this forum.

 

[seffieuk]

I expect Morri is right hermits often moult after going into a new tank.

What is your nitrate level?

Stats and temp look fine, but you mentioned cyano starting - this is usually caused by over feeing (phosphate), lights on too long or/and not enough flow.

How much are you feeding and how often?

Aim a powerhead to the surface and get some rapid agitation going turn up the vortec to top wack

Are there any marks on the clown?

Seffie x

 

[Morri]

clowns can suffer from broknella when newely added it may be that

 

[MissG55]

Sorry - Nitrate between 5 and 10. Closer to 5 though.

I am feeding a small bit of a block(about a 1/4) of brine shrimp defrosted and rinsed and a small pinch of dried marine food - they do not seem to go for this so i am removing it after about 5 mins. I am doing this once a day, LFS said half a block once a day but i thought this sounded like a lot. Am i starving them? They seem to be picking at the little bugs on the glass too.

I am lighting for 8 hours at the moment.
There are no marks on the clowns at all.

Will go and move powerhead up towards the surface... its fixed with a magnet and can not be turned! Will turn it up now too.

Broknella - that does not sound good, i hope i don't lose him or her(Pinky is the bigger of the two)
Donna x

 

[MissG55]

Have managed to finally download my pics. The first pic is when they were not long in the tank. The second is of Pinky sat at the bottom with perky sitting by his side. It is a struggle to see as i said in my journal my camera is pretty much caput. - no they are not on here.. sorry,for some reason i am unable to post pics on any other wall than my journal. Will put them on there.

My tank now has lots of surface aggitation and perky seems to be enjoying swimming around in the increased flow. Pinky still sat on the bottom

 

[MissG55]

I think i have found the source of my phosphates... had a brainwave to test my RO. Had some for top ups which i just tested at 0.5! my tank is still 0. I guess this is a rooky mistake, should have tested it before adding it but trusted my LFS.
Iknow this does not help with my poorly clown but i think the time has come to buy my own RO system... any ideas?

 

[seffieuk]

As Morri said, it could be broknella, clues would be rapid breathing and a lessening of colour, then skin lesions

I dont think there is much else for you to do now except wait - you have increased the gas exchange, temp and stats are ok, my fingers are crossed for you.

Seffie x
ps the bigger one will be the female

 

[MissG55]

As Morri said, it could be broknella, clues would be rapid breathing and a lessening of colour, then skin lesions

I dont think there is much else for you to do now except wait - you have increased the gas exchange, temp and stats are ok, my fingers are crossed for you.

Seffie x
ps the bigger one will be the female

Will keep you updated, she has very rapid breathing and is a little paler than Perky . I have read that broknella can cause fatality in less than 48hrs so will have to keep a close eye on her.
Thank you for all your help, everything crossed this end.
Donna X

 

[-Nemo-]

Brooklynella is quite rare in captive bred clowns. Is he wild caught?

 

[Morri]

Brooklynella is quite rare in captive bred clowns. Is he wild caught?

I know that a certain main supplier of tank bred clowns have had some issues of late and certain shops have stopped purchasing them due to losses

 

[-Nemo-]

how odd. While it can be "contagious" it is still an oddity. What a shame.

 

[MissG55]

Brooklynella is quite rare in captive bred clowns. Is he wild caught?

No he is tank bred. He was not looking too good this morning. Still breathing rapidly and sitting at the bottom.

 

[MissG55]

RIP Pinky.
I woke this morning to find no trace of her anywhere in the tank. I looked under every rock and in every crevice and found nothing. Would the shrimps have had a tasty meal ? Or even evil crab?
On the better side Perky is doing very well and has not looked happier. Think i will give it a good few weeks before adding anything else to be sure my tank has not got any nasty surprises waiting for me.
Thanks for all your help everyone.
Donna