Black patches on clown

[Scoot]

FOWLR tank. 75g. almost 3 months old.

Got a clown (have had for almost 2 months) that today has some greyish-brown patches on his left side. Not sure what this is, it seems too patchy to be ich or black ich. Fish wasn't quarantined because he was in the first batch in the tank 2 months ago.

These aren't sharp-edged spots, like ich or black ich, but fuzzy, like smudges, with soft edges. It doesn't seem raised or bumpy, just a discoloration.

The other clown isn't showing this.

He's behaving and eating normally.

They both do seem to be a little darker than usual - that could just be lighting, but their top half, over the last couple days, seems darker, like they look when I first turn on the lights in the morning.

Perhaps something fungal?

Specs: pH 8.2, Ammonia/Nitrite 0, Nitrate 10, temp 80, sg 1.023

[Fluff]

Does your clown hang out in a coral by chance? It could just be melanin from coral burns (not sure it's actually a burn but that's my interpretation). My clowns took to a large patch of zoo polyps and after a few months, you couldn't tell they were orange fish anymore. They looked like black percs. I've since moved them out of the reef and it took a long time but the colors are back to normal. Just a thought.

[Scoot]

No coral. Sorry, I didn't specify its a FOWLR tank.

[Fluff]

I'm sorry, I don't know then. It could be fungal but hopefully one of the more experienced will be able to help. I hope he/she recovers.

[Scoot]

I also failed to mention that its eating and behaving fine - its usual hyperactive self, wiggling around the tank like usual.

It does appear to be melanism as Fluff suspected. It is commonly caused by a chemical reaction to hosting corals/anemones but has also been linked to nutrition in a small way.

What do you feed these guys on a regular basis and how often? Any aggression from tanks mates?

Cheers
Steve

[Scoot]

Hi, Steve. No aggression towards the clowns at all - everybody loves them (the other fish, that is!)

They're feed a good mix of frozen mysis, occasionally flakes, brine, frozen frozen enriched brine, frozen spirunlina enriched brine, and a frozen "seafood blend" with shrimp and all sorts of stuff in it. I try to mix it up.

Fed 3-4 times a day (to satisfy all the different appetites). They eat well.

BTW, Steve, I lost the anthias. I moved him into quarantine, and he was okay for awhile - but overnight he didn't make it. Water checked out all fine. I think he was just too far gone, and hadn't eaten in days. The paraguard, even though overnighted, too an extra day to get here. At least now I've got some.

Sorry to hear about the Anthias. In keeping with that, your sure these are simple black areas? Can you get a clearer/focused picture than the one above?

On the foods, ease up on the brine. Try mush type foods like Ocean Nutrition or make your own. The mysis is fine but the clowns need a more balanced diet of meat and veg.

Cheers
Steve

[Scoot]

They're not even black - just darker patches. Pretty dark, but not really black.

They're VERY hard to see, this guy is always on the go, and wiggling, as clowns do.

Another pic from today, below - at least you can see the spots a teeny bit better (or not).

I did find an aiptasia on a rubble rock piece - some of the rock from that batch is in the tank. Is it possible that the clown is rubbing on an aiptaisia and getting burned?

[EELectric]

Funny (maybe not) but some of my fish have a similar issue especially my arc eye hawk. This started to occur even before I added corals so I doubt it was a sting but maybe the aiptasia. HTH

[MarineFlake]

My clown (oc) has the same markings only worse. He started laying in the zoos and the stings cause the scales to turn black for some reason. Hes obviously found something to play in that is causing a similar reaction. Personally I didn't worry after monitoring him for a couple days to make sure all other aspects were normal and indeed I did come home early one day to find him literally basking in a field of green sea mats.

Peace.

[Scoot]

I realize the LR piece that I found the aiptasia was in fact in the main tank for about a week. The piece was removed a few days before the markings appeared (or least when I noticed them).

They don't seem to be much worse, and he's acting fine. I'm going to go with the assumption he was getting cozy with the aiptasia unless he starts acting sick.

[Scoot]

Update - these black patches have faded a tiny bit, no new spots have appeared, and he's still doing fine.

I'm pretty sure he was trying to host with a large aiptaisia I discovered.

[Scoot]

Another update - patches virtually gone, and he's okay.