How can I tell?????-Diseases-3reef Forums

Tight Lipped · 10-25-2007, 04:39 AM

I just had a clownfish who died a week ago from severe fin rot and I am not sure what elese.

In my main tank I have good water parameters, 5 damsels, 1 coral beauty and 1 orange shoulder tang.

Some of the damsels have a very little fray on their tail fins but I can tell if it is fin rot or from their aggression, I don't want to pull them unless necessary, How do you know when they are sick and not just normal activity?

Everything else seems alright, they eat, eyes look good, they swim around and seem happy.

bulltrader · 10-25-2007, 06:28 AM

How long was the clown in the tank, was it a new addition or been around awhile. Just woundering because if new it may have come with the problem and you may be OK now that's it gone. If it was around awhile you may have a problem. You need to inspect the damsels daily to see if it's getting worse and check the others to make sure they aren't getting it. I'd say that after a week with no change you should be OK but if you notice it spreading then you will need to medicate.

geekdafied · 10-25-2007, 01:29 PM

That doesnt sound like fin rot, that sounds like a evil damsel. They will destroy clowns fins (among other fish) when they are bullying them. Very common. I had a domino damsel that was about 3"s long do that to a 3" maroon clown, and maroons are just as evil. They would fight all of the time and I finally moved both to a 29g tank where they could only bully themselves and no other fish. Th only other fish in there was my orange toadfish which none of them messed with. The toadfish ate both of them eventually, lol.

Tight Lipped · 10-26-2007, 07:53 AM

It may be the damsel, the smallest one has some torn fins but otherwise seems healthy.

they are some mean bastards and I watch them all the time, they would harass my orangeshoulder tang and coral beauty when I first put them in there, now the tables are turned and both the tang and beauty take no crap from them at all.

amcarrig · 10-26-2007, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geekdafied

That doesnt sound like fin rot, that sounds like a evil damsel. They will destroy clowns fins (among other fish) when they are bullying them. Very common. I had a domino damsel that was about 3"s long do that to a 3" maroon clown, and maroons are just as evil. They would fight all of the time and I finally moved both to a 29g tank where they could only bully themselves and no other fish. Th only other fish in there was my orange toadfish which none of them messed with. The toadfish ate both of them eventually, lol.

+2 Certain damsels are evil all by themselves and even worse when there are more than one. They'll even pick themselves off if you have more than 2 that are not a mated pair. The only damsels I trust are the yellow tails but I wouldn't dare add more than one to a tank.