[anmacara103]

I have two False Perculas that were purchased from two different stores a few days apart. One is a little smaller and was wild caught, the other was slightly larger (10% or so) and was tank raised. The smaller one developed some dark spots within a few days of being in the tank, and had a stressful transfer (the Damsel responsible in now back at the LFS). The other one had no issues, other than jumping into my biocube filter compartment (fixed that with some screen!)

So here are the symptoms: There are two darker spots on the left side of the fish, one above and one below the lateral line in between the second and third white bands (Fish spot 2 pic). There is also a similarly colored spot on the right side of the fish's head right behind the first white band (Fish spot pic). The second fish has now developed a similar spot behind one of its fins on the right side.

Both fish are still very active and feeding without any problems. They are not rubbing themselves on any rocks or showing any signs of skin irritation. The cleaner shrimp seems totaly uninterested in them, and it will try to clean my hand when I stick it into the tank, so it isn't shy!

My questions are: Is it an illness? If it is should I treat it? If I should treat it, how sould I do it?

I do not have a quaranteen tank, but as these fish are so small, it will be very easy for me to set one up with a water change, and I have enough equipment to make a small, comfortable home out of a cheap Walmart tank with a lid.

Sorry for the awful pics, but the fish wouldn't hold still. The spots are difficult to see in the pics, but they look like I tried to shade them with a pencil. Sometimes it has sort of a greenish appearance, but I think that is a trick of the light coming through the yellow orange fish.

[pogodzib]

Do you have an anemone and how big are the spots? It isn't uncommon for black spots to appear on clownfish as their skin adjusts to the sting of anemones. The only other thing that I know of that causes black spots is an infestation of a small tubeworm that is common on tangs, but usually not other fish. Do a quick search for "Black Spot Disease" or "Black Ich" and you should come up with something. If it is black ich (doubtfull on clowns), it is easy to treat using freshwater dips.

BTW - If the spots are being caused by the sting of an anemone, it is nothing to worry about.

[anmacara103]

No, I don't have an anemone yet, except for some aiptasia that I am getting rid of one by one.

I looked at Black Spot Disease, and it doesn't seem to fit, since there is no itching on rocks or any other symptoms. The spots are small, but they aren't grain of sand sized, they are about the size of the tip of an eraser on a pencil at the largest and as small as a Lego person's hand (sorry, only thing I could think of for reference).

[Krazy]

As brian was saying with the anemone stings.

It could also be from them rubbing up on certain corals, hammers, frogspwans, anything that stings really..

If thats the case, its not a big deal, alot of peoples clowns get them.

My true percs had them all over from rubbing on everything...

[anmacara103]

That is interesting. I guess I will just keep an eye on them. I also bought some Melafix and Pirmafix that I could dose the water with. Some people seem to swear by that stuff, and others say it doesn't do anything at all, but maybe it is worth a try?

[Krazy]

Originally Posted by anmacara103

That is interesting. I guess I will just keep an eye on them. I also bought some Melafix and Pirmafix that I could dose the water with. Some people seem to swear by that stuff, and others say it doesn't do anything at all, but maybe it is worth a try?

Dont dose your display tank !

[anmacara103]

Too late! I already put it into my tank (I only have one). It made all of my corals close up and my inverts and fish acted weird, but it settled down and corals opened up after a few hours. I am not sure that I will continue using it though. It does claim to be reef safe and safe for inverts including corals. The company said that some corals will close up, but will not be damaged by the stuff (it is supposed to open again when you are done treating, or after they adjust). I have read posts by others using this stuff in a reef tank. Any particular reason that I should not?

[e_baer]

that stuff will kill corals and inverts if used much more. DO NOT USE IT in your DISPLAY TANK!!!!

buy a cheap tank form wal mart for 10$ and save your inverts!

[anmacara103]

Ok. The problem is, and I even looked this up last night on this forum, is that most, if not all posts about these products say that they can be used in display tanks and are safe for inverts and corals. I don't want to stir dissent, but someone has to be wrong about it then.

I'm going to pull the two clowns out and treat them with copper safe. I will also slap a carbon filter back in my biocube to help draw out the stuff that is already in there, though it seems things have adjusted. I won't add any more for now to be safe, untill I have more difinitive answers on these products.

I think I am going to pick up a UV sterilizer also.

[anmacara103]

Ok, for the last couple of days the larger fish has been showing signs of stress, and was not eating well at all (before the Pimafix and Melafix were added). I set up my QT tank and put both clowns in with Pima and Melafix as well as copper safe (I set up the tank with a 10% water change, so the water is identical except for the coppersafe). How long should I leave them in the copper treatment? I have heard ppl say 2 weeks, but that seems very long.

P.S. I also have a yellow watchman goby who seems totally fine. I'm not sure I would be able to get him out if I wanted to. Can he take a copper treatment if I wanted to try, or do I have to do something else? I do not believe that my Clowns have ick, but I am prety sure there is some sort of parasite going around.

[anmacara103]

Smaller clown died within a few hours of QT. He was the one that had fewer symptoms. What did I do wrong?

[anmacara103]

Second clown was dead this morning. I removed it from QT as soon as the other one died, but it didn't pull through. I used the water from my aquarium to set up the tank and used Copersafe as directed (1tsp every 4 gal; 2.5 gal = 5/8 tsp). This is extremely frustrating!!!

[rlcline76]

Couple of things:
Sorry for your loss. Sometimes a fish cannot be saved. I like to half dose if I am not sure, especially if everyone is swimming and eatting well.
I would not put gobies through a copper treatment! If it does not appear sick, leave it be where it is. Copper is strong for these fair scaled fish. If is gets sick, this is a melafix or maracyn treated fish. Since you just treated your QT with copper I would use a bucket if the fish gets sick (a clean one not used for chemicals) a heater, an airstone and crossed fingers!
It is a good thing to limit the treatments to the QT, even the reef safe ones. I treat melafix in my main tanks. Nothing has died as a result, but I also do it at my own risk! If something goes wrong, it is 100% my fault.

[e_baer]

I used kick ich which was "reef safe" and my bta died a few days later.

I agree wiht becky, use at your own risk, and half dose if your not sure.

[anmacara103]

I'm just very angry that I followed the directions for the product explicitly, and seemingly speeded the demise of my clowns. I would have been upset if they would have died without me being able to save them, but it is heartbreaking that I, however unintentionally and with well meaning, killed my fish with copper or some other unknown element that was introduced into my QT. I only used trusted products and I followed the directions, I'm not sure I can make decisions any more carefully than I already have...

[rlcline76]

It happens. This hobby is full of loss.
I know I am probably just grasping for air here, but did you rinse off the QT before using it? I know you just said that you just got it set up. Could be something different than the copper treatment.

[cplklegg]

Sorry to hear of your loss, most anyone that's in the addiction for awhile has felt your pain. I know I have. Anyways, if your fish were already sick and stressed, then catching them, moving them to another unfamiliar tank will stress your fish out more at a time when they need more stress the least. In addition, copper is a stressor to fish, it just stresses and kills parasites more than fish. If you haven't a copper test kit, consider getting one and test your water after you treat, you may be surprised. A good rule this one fish store guru told me was if you can't test for it, don't put it in your tank. Really though, with all these multiple contributing factors, your fish didn't have much of a chance. I am sorry for your loss. Read and research and try to learn is all one can do. Good luck to you.

[anmacara103]

Thanks for the words of encouragement and condolence everyone. Now that you mention it, I was in such a rush to set up the tank that I did not wash it first, but I did run a carbon filter for a couple of days before adding fish. I am going to buy a copper test kit to test the QT tank (it is still set up) just out of curiosity, and I certainly won't do this without testing for it again. Thanks again Becky and cplklegg.