Is this clown doing it wrong?

[luna4a]

I'm worried I might've rushed things. My tank was up and running for 6 weeks before I started introducing my CUC, and everything seemed stable. The 6th week, I decided to take the plunge and got a lovely pair of common clowns. I acclimatised them slowly, but didn't use a QT tank - I know, I know. They were both fine for the first few days, then one of them, Pinky, started spending a lot of time at the bottom and now seems to be breathing quickly. His mate, Perky, sticks by his side and nudges him every now and then - Perky seems perfectly fine, still perky.

I just noticed some red slime algae on the sandbed today - I'm using a phosphate remover and doing regular water changes, could this be causing issues for Pinky? I'm also wondering if the stress of introducing them to the tank without a QT could've weakened him. Sorry for all the questions, hope I've given you enough info to help.

[felinxo]

I'm worried I might've rushed things. My tank was up and running for 6 weeks before I started introducing my CUC, and everything seemed stable. The 6th week, I decided to take the plunge and got a lovely pair of common clowns. I acclimatised them slowly, but didn't use a QT tank - I know, I know. They were both fine for the first few days, then one of them, Pinky, started spending a lot of time at the bottom and now seems to be breathing quickly. His mate, Perky, sticks by his side and nudges him every now and then - Perky seems perfectly fine, still perky.

I just noticed some red slime algae on the sandbed today - I'm using a phosphate remover and doing regular water changes, could this be causing issues for Pinky? I'm also wondering if the stress of introducing them to the tank without a QT could've weakened him. Sorry for all the questions, hope I've given you enough info to help.

I don't think you've rushed things. Would be great if you could share your tank stats, though - and do you have a powerhead or something similar to stir up the surface water? What's the tank temperature like? It's been a hot spell lately, my tank's temp has gone up a bit.

No invert deaths, have you?

[luna4a]

Thanks for the quick reply, really appreciate it.

My stats are as follows:
ammonia - 0
nitrite - 0
ph - 8.3
phosphate - 0 (still waiting on the low range test kit)
sg - 1.025
temp - 27

The tank has a 1000 lph filtration pump, twin 1000 lph filtered circulation pumps, and a vortech mp10 that 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 it's not causing a huge amount of agitation.

As for invert deaths, I thought I had 2 hermit crabs die, but Morri mentioned they could have moulted. After re-counting, I found 5 out of 6, so maybe only 1 hermit crab died. I still haven't managed to track down my red eyed crab - it seems to be hiding from me! Could this be related to the issue with my clownfish?

[felinxo]

I think nixora's on the money, hermits do tend to shed their skin after a tank change.

What's your nitrate level like?

Your stats and temp all seem spot on, but you did mention that red slime algae's started to appear - this is usually down to overfeeding or phosphate issues, or maybe your lights are on for too long, or possibly not enough flow in the tank.

How much are you feeding those little clowns, and how often are you doing it?

I'd recommend aiming a powerhead at the surface to get some decent agitation going, and crank up that vortech to max.

Are there any visible marks on the clown that's not doing so well?

[nixora]

Clowns can be prone to brookella when first introduced, it's possible this might be the issue here.

[luna4a]

My nitrates are around 5-10, probably closer to 5.

I'm feeding them a tiny bit, about a quarter of a block of brine shrimp, defrosted and rinsed, and a small pinch of dried marine food once a day. They don't seem too keen on the dried food, so I'm taking it out after 5 minutes. The LFS said half a block daily, but that seemed excessive to me - am I not feeding them enough? They do seem to be picking at the tiny bugs on the glass, though.

My lighting is on for 8 hours a day. And there are no marks on the clowns at all.

I'll sort out the powerhead now, it's a bit tricky since it's fixed with a magnet, but I'll get it aimed at the surface and turn it up.

I hope it's not broknella - that sounds serious. I really don't want to lose either of them, especially Pinky, the bigger one.

[luna4a]

I've finally managed to get my pics downloaded. I'll describe them for you - the first one is from when my clowns were new to the tank, and the second one is of Pinky sitting at the bottom with Perky keeping him company. I know it's a bit tricky to make out, my camera isn't the best, but I'll try to get them on my journal for you to see.

I've sorted out the surface agitation now, and Perky seems to be loving the increased flow - he's swimming around like mad. Unfortunately, Pinky is still sitting at the bottom, not looking too great.

[luna4a]

I've had a bit of a breakthrough, I think I've found the source of my phosphate issue - my RO water. I had some left over from top-ups and just tested it, and it's come back at 0.5. My tank's still showing 0, so it looks like I've been lucky so far. I'm kicking myself for not testing it before adding it to the tank, I just assumed my LFS had it right. I guess this is a rookie mistake, but it's a lesson learned. Now I'm thinking it's time to get my own RO system, does anyone have any recommendations?

[felinxo]

As nixora pointed out, it's possible that broknella is the culprit, with rapid breathing and a lessening of colour being key indicators. Skin lesions could also be a sign, so keep an eye out for those.

To be honest, I think you've done all you can for now, increasing the gas exchange and whatnot. Your tank stats and temp are looking good, so fingers crossed that Pinky will pull through. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you, and I'm sure Perky will be happy to have her tankmate back to full health soon.

Seffie x

[luna4a]

I'm worried I might've rushed things. My tank was up and running for 6 weeks before I started introducing my CUC, and everything seemed stable. The 6th week, I decided to take the plunge and got a lovely pair of common clowns. I acclimatised them slowly, but didn't use a QT tank - I know, I know. They were both fine for the first few days, then one of them, Pinky, started spending a lot of time at the bottom and now seems to be breathing quickly. His mate, Perky, sticks by his side and nudges him every now and then - Perky seems perfectly fine, still perky.

I just noticed some red slime algae on the sandbed today - I'm using a phosphate remover and doing regular water changes, could this be causing issues for Pinky? I'm also wondering if the stress of introducing them to the tank without a QT could've weakened him. Sorry for all the questions, hope I've given you enough info to help.

I don't think you've rushed things. Would be great if you could share your tank stats, though - and do you have a powerhead or something similar to stir up the surface water? What's the tank temperature like? It's been a hot spell lately, my tank's temp has gone up a bit.

No invert deaths, have you?

Will keep you updated, Pinky's breathing is getting quicker and she's lost a bit of colour compared to Perky. I've read that broknella can be fatal within 48 hours, so I'll be keeping a very close eye on her. Thanks again for all your help, fingers crossed this end.