- Clownfish with Mouth Problems -
Hi
<Hi.>
My clown fish can't move his mouth anymore. 
<Interesting.> 
To eat, he has to swim towards the food and hopefully gets some. It's been about 4 days... happened after I added a fish to my 44 aquarium. 
<Was he attacked? This seems an odd cause/effect if not.>
The store where I purchased him said he probably has an iodine deficiency... When I did the search, it talked about shrimp and not clown fish. 
<Sounds like a red herring... never heard of iodine deficiencies causing problems opening one's mouth... >
Can you help me please?
<I wish I could... there's not really a lot one "can" do. I'd keep offering food. I do wonder if this is really a problem with the fish's mouth, or just a general unwillingness to eat, which seems a more typical response to new occupants. If this is a hunger strike, then it will likely pass in a short time. If it is aggression, then you'll need to deal with that as you see fit - remove the aggressor or the victim to a separate system and consider your next step. As a side issue, there's nothing wrong with supplementing iodide in your system, but be very careful about the amounts you use... make certain to follow the directions. You may also want to try adding some fishy vitamins to the food you offer - Selcon or Boyd's VitaChem would be suggested.>
Dianne
<Cheers, J -- >   

Bloated clowns
I have two pink skunk clowns that seemed to acclimate fine, found the LTA and dove right in less than 12 hours after introduction into the tank.
In the last week both have begun to show signs of the belly bloating up and going slightly white.  They're eating, eating Mysis, brine, and flake and in less than 3 weeks I don't suspect nutritional causes.
I do however have a very bad flatworm outbreak that may factor into it.
Any ideas?
<Well, the flatworms are more about nutrition, they've found a good food source and are breeding to fill the space. They're not a problem, unless they start covering any corals you may have and irritating them to death. As for the bloating, try dosing the tank with Epsom salts: 1 tablespoon/5 gallons of water. That should help the bloating, it will take a few days to happen. If that doesn't work, try feeding them a medicated flake. Watch for signs of possible internal parasites, if the bloated areas are moving, or their feces has thread like worms in it. If that's the case, there are anti-parasitic flakes as well. I would recommend moving them to QT to treat them. Have a good day, PF>

No Strings Attached? (Possible Parasite?)
Hi,
<Hello there! Scott F. with you today!>
I have a Maroon clown that recently has gotten a ~ 1 inch thread-like substance (about the diameter of hair) coming out of his mouth. I noticed it suddenly about 4 days ago.  When he eats, it gets taken up into his mouth for awhile but then comes back out.  It doesn't seem to affect him in any other way except it startles him every once in awhile when it touches him. Also maybe his cheeks are slight pinched looking but his appetite is still
good. Is this some sort of disease?  Should I try to remove it?
<Hard to say what this could be...Some kind of worm, trematode, etc...You'll need to delve into the FAQ's on the WWM site to find descriptions and/or pictures of something similar...or you could try emailing us a picture for us to make a better identification>
Secondly I have a Heniochus that has a few lymphocystis-like spots on his tail that appear to be growing (it had slight case of ich (treated with copper 4 weeks) in the same region right before getting these much larger spots).  Could this be bacterial or fungal (instead of lymphocystis) and should I section off that part of the tail?
<Well, it could be a secondary infection of some sort...But then again- if it's Lymphocystis, this condition will usually clear up on its own, with simple attention to water quality and nutrition. Before attempting any radical "treatments", I'd give it another week or two to see if it is progressing or causing the fish discomfort. If it is progressing, once again I'd recommend that you get a positive ID on it before beginning a course of treatment using medication...>
Thanks for any advice you can give. Eileen
<Just be careful trying to identify what you're dealing with, an take appropriate actions as required...Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

Medicated food for bloated clown.
Kevin, Thanks for the info.  However I have one more question of ignorance. What exactly constitutes medicated food?
<Tetra used to sell a great medicated food although now it's only available overseas. I suggest you fly to Germany to get some. Now, if you weren't interested in doing that, you could make your own but I would only suggest feeding it to the clown in a quarantine tank (there would be lots of excess medication getting into the water).>
Like I said she is eating and surviving and right now a quarantine tank is not really an option due to space/financial constraints.  I have to say that if I was certain that would save her I would spend the money in a heartbeat (just spent $950 on surgery on my Labrador....when they become part of the family, they are that way for life). <Bummer :( hope she's better!>  IN the short term I would like to try medicated food.  About 2 weeks ago I removed ALL of the substrate (crushed coral with quite a bit of organic waste stored in there) <Hmmmm... fishy poo> and did 100% water change (suggested by my LFS).  Since then 10% water changes a week.  Oh yeah, here is a run down of my system just to help:
1 power head for water movement
1 box filter (mechanical and biological filtration)
1 CPR backpack II
20 lbs live rock
2-3 inches semi-live sand (only in the tank 2 weeks)
2 red leg hermits
1 crab
1 pygmy angel
1 sea cucumber
2 maroon clowns
0 Ammonia
0 Nitrite
0 Nitrate
Haven't checked the pH in a while.
<You really need to check pH regularly, much more so than nitrate. pH can go wrong quicker and easier than anything you have tested and can be extremely stressful.>
Anyway, I guess the real question is what exactly should I buy in the way of medicated food (or what should I look for.
<Adding a general antibiotic to it's normal food would be the way to go in a quarantine tank. Be wary of trying this in the main because the biological filter is easily disturbed by antibiotics. You could even remove half a bucket of tank water and try feeding the fish in there with the medicated food, then after the fish has finished eating, throw the water away. If you can remove the fish slowly and carefully, it may not get stressed enough to refuse to eat.>
My current plan of action is:
1.  Medicated Food
2.  Continued 10% water changes a week
3.  Possibly try small quarantine tank if I can come up with the equipment <best bet, look for a cheap 10g freshwater setup at your LFS or even (gasp) Petco.>
4.  Hope for the best
Any other thoughts?
<Try the bucket feeding, just don't leave it in the bucket for too long!>
Thank you very much for your wonderful web site and all of the fabulous information contained therein.
<Good luck! -Kevin>
Tony Jopling

Clown swim-bladder problem.
Hello again, I am still having some troubles with my female maroon clown.  She seems to be having a lot of trouble swimming.  She spends most of her time trying to keep upright.  She gets pushed around by the flow in the tank.  She sits resting under the rocks to keep sideways.
She still wants to eat, and will work really hard to get to food.  I have been told by my LFS she might have "swim bladder infection."  Does this sound right?
<Yep, when they have a hard time getting around and all the fins are intact, it's likely a gas bladder problem.>
And if so can she recover?
<Well, if you can eliminate the problem the fish can lead a somewhat normal life even with some swim bladder damage. Unfortunately, its difficult to figure out exactly what the cause is (bacterial, fungal, even could be caused by a blow). I'd recommend medicated food and some water changes on the tank, even removing the fish to a quarantine tank and treating with a general antibiotic.>
Also, if she goes, how will the male of the mated pair react?
<Eh, he won't care, one less fish to beat on him!>
Hope you are having a great holiday weekend.
<Thanks! Hope your clown gets better! -Kevin>
Thanks,
Tony Jopling

Percula Clown (disease)
I can't figure it
<What's "it"?>
out my Tank
<What size, shape?>
has a Emperor 400 Filter with Chemi Sorb, and Phosp-Sorb, and 2 normal filters. I have for circulation, 2-802 powerheads, and 1-226 PowerSweep powerhead, and a Sea Clone Protein Skimmer, everything is working great. I have 220 watts of light 50-50Actinic and Actinic 03 Fluorescent (URI). It's a 75gal. reef, Livestock I have 1-Royal Gramma, 1-Yellow Tang, 1-Manderin Goby, 2-Pecula Clowns, 1-Sand Sifting Star, 65-Combined Blue Legged Hermits and Scarlets, 30-Astrea Snails, 1-BIG Turbo Snail, and 1-Fire Shrimp. My ? is I noticed my Percula Clown looked like it had a sm. hole in it's head above it's eye, now they both have them and more of them, They also started to turn a blackish color, my nitrite is perfect as well as my nitrate, amonia,Ph-8.0-8.2, Alkaline@9-10 which is right in the middle of the optimal scale, I can't fine no information on this matter can
you please help?
<Does sound like a typical/classical case of HLLE, head and lateral line erosion... there's a section on our site: www.WetWebMedia.com re this... "environmental" or "nutritional" disease. Do give this a read over... and supplement their food with a vitamin complex and iodine supplement>
I forgot I have 5 Anenomes,2-types of sponges very sm. Red tree, and a green sponge, 2-rocks w/mushrooms, everything is great except the Clowns, and I change 20% water /Month Tropic Marin Salt mix.
<Be chatting my alliterative friend. Bob Fenner>

Tomato Clown Won't Eat
Hi Bob,
<Anthony Calfo, here my friend>
This is my first question for you. I have had several questions since finding your site in December (after a disastrous Marine Ich infestation) but the existing info already on WWM has been a great source.
<agreed and thank you>
Since the Ich, I have obtained a quarantine tank. I am now restocking the main tank after a considerable fallow period as per your guidelines. The first occupant of the QT was a Tomato clown. He hung out in this 10 gallon tank for over two weeks, eating and generally happy. Upon moving him to the MT, he continues to be active (actually more so, swimming with nose to glass up and down for long periods) and now has not been eating since the move on Friday.
<drop in average water temperature compared to QT?>
He had been accepting frozen brine shrimp as well as most of the dry food, especially the Omega One flakes.
<great dry food...reduce the brine to very little... a very hollow food>
Now, no appetite it seems. He'll take the food in andthen spit it out - repeatedly. Seen SW and FW fish do this before and thought that they didn't like the food or were sick. 
<not necessarily... try a 2-3F increase in temperature up to 84F at most>
Particularly concerned in this case because he had been happily eating the brine shrimp and flake when back in the QT. 
<can go for a while without foods...no worries yet>
Last night I tried Selcon on some flake,
<smart...a good habit in the future>
same result, sampled but did not ingest. At what point does one become concerned?
<no rule... but up to a week no big deal>
The water in the QT started as MT water. Both are fine.
I have an idea that maybe I should try to return him to the QT, but catching is near impossible and stressful.
<disagree...too stressful without knowing the cause>
Any advice you may have would be appreciated. Thanks
for the website and endless amounts of info.
Regards, Bill
<best regards, Anthony>

Clownfish color change
Hi again Bob!
<Anthony Calfo, and pleased to meet you <G>>
Thanks for constantly letting us pick your brain like cleaner shrimp on yellow tangs. 
<hmmm... a Vulcan mind meld even... and I'm not even a trekkie>
My question is about a darkened body color of an Ocellaris clown (Mr. Wiggles). I got him one month ago and after a week and a half in my tank his color began to darken considerably. 
<maybe he is angry at the name you gave him>
It is to the point where his body is completely darkened (black-orange). Only his pectoral fins and face are the original orange color.
<sounds like he's furious to me>
Environment: Mr. Wiggles lives in a mixed reef tank which has been running for about 6 months. pH is kept at 8.4, alkalinity is 3.6, and specific gravity at 1.024-1.025 at 79 degrees. Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate are undetectable. I do not test for phosphate but judging from a recent microalgae breakout I would think it is above ideal levels.
<besides the possible phosphate, quite excellent indeed>
Behavior: He eagerly takes frozen brine shrimp and flake foods. Breathing and swimming are normal. Eyes are clear and there is no visible sign of external parasites. He is not being harassed by any fish, as he is kept only with Chromis and a very peaceful algae blenny.
I've kept clownfish before and I've never had this experience with them. Any information you can provide is very much appreciated.
<likely natural... many clown experience a color change by the time they are tow years old (even losing or connecting stripes). Could just as easily be an expression of the change in diet from what it was eating compared to what you are giving. All else sounds fine. No worries, my friend. Anthony> 
Thanks! Ben