Clown breathing rapidly

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Oscarr19

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My clowns have been in QT for a week and a half now and I did a 50% WC on Wednesday and dosed cupramine. Up until this morning I noticed one of the two clowns swimming erratically and now he's just at the bottom breathing rapidly. My parameters are all in check except I had a trace of nitrite at 0.1 so I did a 50% water change. My other clown is perfectly fine and even attacked the pipette when I checked my parameters cause he thought it was feeding time :p I did notice the healthier clown nip at the sick one a few times but his fins or body aren't damaged or red or anything.

What should I do? And should I redose cupramine to my original levels?
 
sorry to hear that:( never easy losing a fish. if I may ask, why are you dosing cupramine? did the fish in qt have ich or some form of parasite?
 
Just preventatively, from certain articles and even a member here explained to me. I'm even dosing prazi pro as well.
 
Could the problem have been lack of oxygen? I didn't have that much surface agitation as the HOB was practically in line with the water surface. I did also, at times, have a film on the surface. I just raised the filter a bit so it's above the water line. My only doubt is that, wouldn't the other clown have died too? He's doing great this morning and doesn't have any white poo. He is slightly twitching every now and then so I'm hoping he doesn't have gill flukes.
 
Also, would it be ok to introduce another clown to my DT once my current clown is in? Obviously, I'd quarantine the new one too. My current clown is about 1.5" I'd say. I'd buy the smallest I could find and I doubt my current clown is anywhere near sexual maturity.
 
I would prob stop any and all preventative medications. the generally accepted practice is to only treat with medications when the illness has been clearly id'ed and you know itll treat it. IMO you are only wasting money and supplies in doing preventative dosing while in qt. if you leave a fish in qt for 3-4 weeks, you will see any illness before it makes it to your DT, at that point you can id and treat. no sense in wasting the money and supplies blindly treating. also idk if the o2 levels would have cause this. I have a 10g qt setup in the same manner and any fish that have gone into it do just fine. also don't look to the other clown for answers, fish are just like humans. every single one reacts differently to illnesses. id be cautious trying to introduce a clown into a tank with an established clown already there. I had a snowflake clown in my 125 for several months when I introduced a clearly smaller gold-stripe maroon. (thinking the smaller size would offset the maroons bad habits) I spent 3-4 weeks nursing the maroon to keep him alive. eventually I had to just let them go. luckily for me I still have both and they are coexisting... I base that strictly on luck though.
 
I agree with Huma, I would not treat with copper unless it is absolutelty necessary. Coppe is very rough on fish and shouldnt be forced on a healthy fish, too much stress already from being moved and shipped and adding a harsh medication might have been too much for him.

If you want you can add another clown, just make sure the water is as pristine as you can get it. :)
 
Ok thanks guys, I won't redose anything next water change. I really want a pair of clowns so I'm going to try to introduce one but I'll have my QT ready just in case.

My two clowns were a black oce and an orange oce, the orange is the one that died. I know that technically, they are the same species just a different color, but would introducing another black and white make it easier?
 
I also have an orange and a black, and I'm very glad that I have two different fish. In my experience, anyways, they bonded almost immediately. I don't know if I just got lucky, but I've wondered if it might be because they're different colors. Like, if they see each other as slightly less threatening than their former tank mates? I doubt it, but I don't know how clownfish brains work... They've had tiny little dominance squabbles- they're still juveniles- but nothing at all major. Just a little chasing occasionally. But they still spend most of their time together, so I think it's working out well. My orange clown was the first fish in my tank, and I added the black one about a month later, so they were from separate tanks, purchased at separate times. Again, I don't know if my great clown experience is related to the different colors or not, but for me, I don't think there's been any kind of problem with having an orange ocellaris and a black one...
 
I also have an orange and a black, and I'm very glad that I have two different fish. In my experience, anyways, they bonded almost immediately. I don't know if I just got lucky, but I've wondered if it might be because they're different colors. Like, if they see each other as slightly less threatening than their former tank mates? I doubt it, but I don't know how clownfish brains work... They've had tiny little dominance squabbles- they're still juveniles- but nothing at all major. Just a little chasing occasionally. But they still spend most of their time together, so I think it's working out well. My orange clown was the first fish in my tank, and I added the black one about a month later, so they were from separate tanks, purchased at separate times. Again, I don't know if my great clown experience is related to the different colors or not, but for me, I don't think there's been any kind of problem with having an orange ocellaris and a black one...

Cool, thanks! I'm still undecided as to which to get but I think I'll be willing to get a black and an orange again!
 
Totally a personal choice, but I love having the two different colors. They just make my tank fun. And they have the best personalities. I love my clowns! <3
 
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