Brown on my clownfish

[Ericwm]

My black clown has a brown patch on his front white bar, any idea what this could be and how to treat it. All other fish are healthy and there have been no new fish additions. My last fish was added over 6 months ago, I added an urchin 1 month ago and a shrimp 2 months ago. Please help.

 

[Ericwm]

Also, she has pop eye on both eyes.

 

[Sniperhank]

What are the current parameters? I'll look again when I get to a computer, but brown spots are usually stings from anemone when I see them.
That said, I'd be more concerned about the Popeye that was mentioned if true as it shows parameter issues in the water column.


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[Ericwm]

I suppose I should mention I am currently battling dinoflagellates. I have been 1 month without a water change and am planning 1 more. I found somewhere that they will starve themselves out after 2 months and it makes sense because the go crazy after a water change.

That being said my parameters are essentially 0 for phos nitrate and nitrite. This is the only benefit (using the term loosely) of dinos, they consume them all. My nitrate may be on the rise after they start dying out. I plan to change my GFO and carbon tomorrow to help with anything in the water column.

I am starting to think that it could be an injury from my short spine urchin. I don't currently have an anemone. Good news is she is still swimming and eating just fine today. Almost looks to be improving as far as the pop eye goes.

 

[Sniperhank]

Well that long without a water change is your Popeye issue. The parameters are reading 0 because of the Dino's absorbing them before they can be detected, a false reading.
As for a urchin spine doing it, it could be in the cards.


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[Ericwm]

Thanks, I am kind of in a pickle. It seems I need my parameters to rise to kill the dinos but in doing so the rest of my tank may suffer.

 

[Sniperhank]

You don't want the parameters to rise, you want them to sink. Dinos can feed off of small amounts of nutrients in the water column. By NOT doing water changes, your levels of nitrates will continue to increase as water changes are the primary method of removing these nitrates.

 

[Ericwm]

The article I read claimed that they are consuming something we don't/can't test for and they starve themselves out after two months, water changes will sustain them. It seems to match what I have noticed, a day after a water change they are stronger than ever. They seem to be receding currently. I do over skim and run GFO as well as growing chaeto. I hope this will keep my parameters in check while I wait this out.

 

[Sniperhank]

Either way, I think that the popeye and the brown spot are tied together due to the nutrients in the water column. I think the brown spots might be a bacterial infection the more I ponder your situation.

 

[Ericwm]

Would treatment I'm qt with melafix (or similar) be a good idea. Or would that stress her more?

 

[Sniperhank]

Sounds like a good idea to treat, as untreated popeye can blind a fish and the bacterial infection can simply kill it...well both can kill it really.

 

[Ericwm]

Thanks for the help but she didn't make it through the treatment. I might have waited too long.