Brooklynella or nitrite/ ammonia poisoning?

hello all

i just started my tank on may 3rd ( sunday ) . started with a blue fiji devil and added new clownfish few days later. i also exchanged the devil for another clownfish of the same specieies ( occelaris ) because the damsel was biting it . the first clownfish i bo. ught was okay at first but always swimming at the side and spits out the food.
2 days later it's always at the surface , breathing rapidly and shows listlessness. it refuses to eat at all and has 3 white spots on it's left eye. ammonia was 0.5 and nitrite was 0. so i did a 50 percent water change. it didn't get better even though the ammonia was reduced to 0.1 to 0.2. so i'm wondering if it is brooklynella ?

ph level : 8.3
kh : 9
salinity : 1.023
nitrite : 0
ammonia : 0.2

p.s. it's normal to have ammonia during this early cycling stage right?

oh yeah, the newer clownfish is really active atm. quarantined the old one =(

 

You should have never messed with the fish until the tank was finished and the one blue damsel was plenty then you added and then removed one then added another you just threw the bacteria a major curve with that and added more bio load then you had demand for and if the clowns are tank raised ? then they come sickly anyways and not very hardy at all.
Problem most have is they keep messing with their tank and over feeding them to see the fish eat then so it goes , Ammonia at 0.2 is when you tested it that can shoot up and be gone on a heart beat . let the tank be see what lives and what dies off. Allow the system time to cycle then star to stock with hardier fish then a clown they can be tough but I'd use a Yellow tailed blue damsel myself Just one! and set back for 10 to 12 weeks

 

Is there any live rock or live sand in the tank?

What filtration equipment do you have?

 

hmm tangster then what do you suggest i do?

and yes i have live rock with ehiem liberty filter ( with the substrate stuff inside ) . should i change the newer clownfish with a yellowtail instead? i'm worried parasites would infest my newer clownfish!

and what do you think is the cause of the symptoms of my first clownfish?

 

I would not do anything at this point just allow it to naturally fall into balance on its own . I doubt its Brooklynella or any disease other then maybe seared gill plates from ammonia and nitrites. allow the fish in there now to ride it out if they die they die then simple leave them in there to keep the cycle going and set back for a few weeks then add the yellow tailed damsel to test the waters so to speak. Just take the waiting time to get all the levels up to proper levels .. Like most I think you simply rushed it to soon . Now this is what I'd do at this point , I'm sure others will offer up their experiences ..

 

I second tangster's advice. The only thing I would also suggest is that you need to completely stop with the water changes as well. They are only going to prolong this. As said, just sit back and let the tank re-establish it's balance. You need to wait till the ammonia and nitrites both reach absolutely zero before doing anything what so ever.

 

oh not even 10 or 15 % partial change weekly?
the cycle can still continue even if all the fishes die out right? :-/

 

what will the water change other then keeping the system in a baxterial turmoil , no testing or water change will cure the problem . Water changes are seldom the answer n not a magic bullet . I myself never do water changes tweaks out my corals I filter the water and scrub it up to get it back to healthy and clean . If it where me I'd just let it be for 5 to 6 weeks and it will fix itself just finewhen the bacteria show up.

 

my first clownfish died yesterday..

the remaining one is still not feeding.. it seems a little weaker now. i've tried feeding it pellets and frozen worms. he swam near the worms a while then swam away again. ( didn't even bother about the pellets ) . it's been 2 nights now. the first clownfish that died had white poop ( which is a sign of internal bacteria / worms ? ) , i've yet to notice any poopings on this one as it has not been eating. i'm worried that this fish is infected a =(

i have the interpet anti internal bacteria.. should i use it??

 

Let the cycle complete