Please help - Brooklynella cure?

[CD]

Hello folks!

Bought a pair of false percs from a LFS about six weeks ago - which at the time looked great, were eating well, and very alert. After about a week and a half in the 75G display tank, one of them started getting white wart-like cauliflower looking growths on its fins and body (not ich), which after much reading, figured to be Brooklynella. By the time I was able to set up a hospital tank, (I know...lesson learned) the other perc started showing signs of the problem, although both were still eating. The other fish that are still in the display tank seem to be unaffected (yellow tang, diamond goby). Started FW formalin dips...didn't seem to help defeat the protozoan, and stressed the sicker of the two so badly that he showed fin deterioration, lost color, appatite, and the will to live (sadly died about a week and two days ago). I stopped the formalin dips on the remaining clown, as they didn't seem to be helping that much. He is still eating, but is getting more spots...the largest is on a gill, and two more growths on the fins. I am desperate to save this fish, and am wondering if any of you have successfully battled this illness? I have read that cleaner shrimp will pick off the protozoans and eat them (as a more natural approach), or is this not a reliable treatment? Should I resume the FW formalin dips and hope for the best? (Note: after going back to the LFS, all of the other clowns in those tanks were infected. Also, my water readings were perfect, other than slightly low PH - around 8.15) PLEASE - suggestions anyone????

Wendy

[JimD]

www.aquaculture.bz/fish-disease/Brooklynella.html A UV sterilizer is mentioned here... good luck

[Reef69]

one of my black and white clowns got brook about a week after i bought him..the only thing you are doing with the dips is stressing the fish, and that causes his inmune system to be low..what i did with my clown was, set a hospital tank, had the salinity at 1.015, and treated with formalin for about 2 weeks, i added 2 drops of garlic to his diet, which was high in protein and vitamins, the garlic opened up his appetite, the protozoan disappeared in 5 days, but i waited one more week to put him back in the tank, he got fat and healthy after that period of time..UV sterilizers are good, some people say they dont do anything but i differ, i havent had anything bad happen to my tank, virus wise..lol..ever since i set 1 up..good luck

[CD]

Jim - Thank you for the link...seems I've done everything they recommend with the exception of the UV sterilizer (we have one, and plan on adding it to the display system soon), and the Acriflavine products.

silverchair - Thank you, thank you!! Few more questions...when you "treated with the formalin", did you just add drops to the hospital tank itself as recommended on the bottle? (I tried that at first, but figured the dips would be more helpful...didn't figure the dips would stress them out that badly, but they did). Did you use the garlic as a "food soak", or did you just place the drops directly into the hosp. tank? Did you adjust the fish slowly to the salinity level, or just set up the hosp. tank with that salinity present?

Thanks again-
Wendy

[Reef69]

Im glad im helping!!!..Ok first aquestion..yes, i added 2 drops od formalin per gallon EVERY OTHER DAY..just like the labe says..second question..I added 2 drops of garlic to the food mix, I fed brian shrimp, with formula foods, they have alot of vitamins and proteins..third question..i did acclimate the fish to the hospital tank, since the change of salinity would be too drastic for the fish..i kept the fish in a small eclipse 3..i know the size of the hospital tank should be 10 gall. up..but i took my chances and it worked..please let me know if you have any other questions, glad i can help ya out..

[CD]

silverchair-
I DO appreciate your input, as I was looking for some tips by someone who had actually been successful in curing an outbreak ;-)
Something else I forgot to ask...how bad of a case did your clown have? More than one spot? Several? I guess what I'm trying to establish, is how much of a chance my little clown has for survival of this onslaught of chemicals, noting that I've also read that clowns have a higher adverse effect rate (equal to that of inverts) to chemical treatments. <sigh>

Wendy

[Reef69]

well Wendy, dont worry..clowns are very hardy fish, just make sure he eats. My clown was attacked on the left side next to his gill..it was a huge spore...the hyposalinity..(the salinity being low) will also help on the bacteria dying..Brook is VERY common in clownfish, its often call the clownfish disease...since they are the most common fish to get it..there are many methods to fight it..anemones will help fight the protozoan and also prevent it, that doesnt mean rush and buy one..lol, you do know those have very special needs..dont stress out..im sure he will pull through.

Diego

p.s..i also have an english bulldog, by the looks of your avatar that looks like an englsih aswell..mine is 5 months old..amazing dogs if you ask me

[CD]

Thanks again, Diego-
I'm sure I'm still going to be worried until he stops showing signs of the protozoan. I'm hoping to replace his mate after all this is over with. The plan is to cure (fingers crossed) the sick clown, wait about 10 days (more/less?) after there are no signs of illness, buy a healthy mate and pray they get along, keep *both of them in the hospital for an additional 10 days to two weeks, then finally - if both look happy and healthy - release them back into the display tank. Sound reasonable?

Wendy

[Reef69]

well, if you buy another clown make sure the sick one if completely clean of parasites and eating. Run carbon when the formalin treatment is over and do a 25% water change, keep them both on hyposalinity, dont add any more meds. just feed them both. I am completely positive they will not fight. please keep me posted.