what is wrong with my percula clown fish?

Question

she has white fluffy looking stuff all arround her mouth and shes rapidly breathing and the white stuff is puffy looking and shes really really nerviouse and skittish(which she usually isnt) and wont eat and latley all my fish have ben dieing of 1 by 1 and dissapireing once theyve died and the onlything left after the clown is a green clown goby and 3 peppermint shrimp and some random crabs and snalls and a star fish (tank is 50 gallon with about 20-30 pounds live rock and live sand). can somebody please help me???

she just died this morning leaving me with only 1 fish (that sems 2 be quite healthy)

Answer 1

It sounds like cotton mouth. It is extremily contagous. Remove the fish from the tank if you can immediatly to prevent the others from getting it. It thrives in poor water quality conditions. Doing some large volume water changes can help keep your other fish from contracting it but isn't guaranteed. Use a good antibiotic from your fish store to treat it.

Answer 2

I haven't researched marine diseases much because I haven't had any (knock on wood). The only thing I can think of is marine ich, but this doesn't sound like that. Ich will have small white dots all over the body.

I do know that if your percula has a disease, you're other fish has it as well. I doubt any of your inverts have it because it sounds like a fish disease. But if your fish keep dieing off one by one, it's time to do some serious research! I'll include some helpful links for that.

As for your fish disappearing: it's very common that your crabs and other cleaners will take care of a fish body in a matter of hours. It could also be possible that they jumped out in hopes of getting away from the disease. Check real good around your aquarium. If you have cats, they may have gotten a tasty treat.

Good Luck!

Disease #5 sounds similar
http://www.waterlife.co.uk/waterlife/disease.htm

http://www.waterlife.co.uk/seaquariums/marine-chart.htm

Answer 3

This would be really hard to diagnose correctly without seeing the actual fish. What you describe as white and fluffy sounds to me like it might be lymphocystis, but this usually appears on the fins and gills - not the mouth.

Uronema would be another possibility.

You might try looking at this link to see if you can identify what she has: http://home2.pacific.net.ph/~sweetyummy42/disease.html If possible, you could post a photo as an addition to your question so that we could see what she's got - it might help to identify her problem.

I'd also double-check the water parameters: temp 76-80o, salinity 1.024-1.026, pH 8.2-8.4, ammonia and nitrites = 0, nitrate less than 30 (although <20 would be even better).

If you can, you should move her to a separate tank. Chances are, if she needs treatment by changing the salinity or use of medications, you'll affect the inverts and bacteria in the tank.

Depending on the types of crabs you have, they might be injuring or killing the fish.

Answer 4

try something that promotes the slime coat.many products available.marine fish never seem to get "fungus"they get parasites,or bacterial infections.never put these "meds"in a main tank.unless they say organic."poison ie:"and antibiotics should never go in a main tank.ie:copper,formalin',malachite green,methelyn blue.

Answer 5

As copperhead rightly says it might be lymphocystis, but this usually appears on the fins and gills not the mouth, but if it appears closer to the mouth (near the gills) its a possibility.

Uronema would be another possibility as he again rightly says, but chances are low.

Follow his advice.

Answer 6

FUNGAL INFECTIN

Answer 7

maybe ick?