Sick clown

[rickjames]

About 4 days ago my female ocellaris clown developed a swollen eye and quit eating. I decided that it was probably due to an injury and would hopefully heal by itself, so I let her be. Three days later the swollen eye went down, but the clown still refused to eat.

Later that same day I came home to find the clown behaving very strangely. She was sitting on the side glass facing up and swimming in one spot( she usually never leaves the anemone). When I moved the algae cleaning magnet near the clown, it swam to the top of the tank and swam sideways all over the top of the water for hours. This initially made me think that the clown has a swim bladder problem, but once in a while she would swim back to the bottom of the tank, slam into a whole bunch of rocks, and then back to the top of the tank.

I now think that she has some kind of infection in her nervous system. I held her for a day in a isolation type container at the top of the tank. At the end of the day she appeared to be swimming normal (still won't eat) so I let her out after the lights went off. She then went back to swimming sideways at the top of the water!

My opinion right now is to keep her isolated and try and feed her everyday, and hope she willl improve. But I am just worried that the clown is just going to slowly starve to death, and maybe that isn't the most "humane" thing to do.

Any ideas?

Everything besides this clown seems normal (fish, corals, etc.). My gobies even spawned the other day... So I don't think it is a tank issue.

[snaggle]

If you a spare tank a round I would take her out and treat the tank you put her in with some melafix.

http://www.jlaquatics.com/phpstore/s..._ID=md-apmel08

Best of luck with her, I hate when my fish get sick .


Brad

[rickjames]

Thanks Brad. Anyone use this stuff? Any other ideas

[danny zubot]

I used to use it with my Africans. It is supposed to be like putting Vicks vapour rub on your chest but for fish. I would do more to determine her sickness before loading her full of medication. My female that died a whil ago of old age exhibited similar behavior. The reason she won't use the anemone right now is because with her imune system low her slime coat is very thin and she can't take the anemone's sting. I would try feeding with garlic and see if she eats.

[rickjames]

Thanks Danny,

I made a slurry of bits of mysis, garlic juice, and selcon and kept blowing the mixture right at her face gently, trying to get some nourishment for the clown. She would spit most of it out though, but I think some was consumed.

I think that the clown's infected eye has affected her brain. It is like she has lost all coordination, and still won't eat or swim right. Her cheeks are all sunken in, I don't know how much longer she will last.

I am going to try force feeding her again for a couple of days to see if things improve.

[danny zubot]

I think that the clown's infected eye has affected her brain.

Not sure what the cure is for a brain infection. Good luck, hope all goes well and keep us posted.