Help please!!!

I need help quickly please... I have orchid dottyback that I think is dying... I looked in tank & its barley holding on its missing some fins in the tail & has 2 or 3 whit specks like something has taken a bite out of it in a few spots.. here is livestock list: 2 clownfish, (1snowflake 1 black &white) 4 blue chromis, 1 yellow sailfin tang, 1 lawnmower blenny, 1 tailspotted wrasse (hoevens wrasse) 3 RBTA, & a wide variety of corals... maybe the black/white clown nipped @ it if it got to closeto RBTA its hosting but ibe never seen it do it to that fish but it has chased the chromis... I just dont know what has happened to it...please help maybe I can avoid a catastrophe... very doubtful it looks bad...

 

Whenever I see chunks missing I think stone crab or gorrilia crab.

 

They are small little spots.. but you can tell its something that has nipped @ it.. I dont have any of those crabs.. a few blue & red legged crabs but thats it.. thank you though...

 

how big is your system and was he the last addition? the damaged fins makes me think of aggression from a tank mate and the white spots could be a small ich outbreak due to stress.

could you post a picture? also you would be surprised of the hitchhikers that end up in your tank if youre not careful so a crab could well be possible. though they tend to feed on already weakened animals.

 

Another likely scenario is that the dottyback got stung by a nem and the hermits started on it before it was completely dead... another fine reason I prefer no nems in a reef tank.

 

There are so many scenarios, you won't really be able to tell who the culprit is until you catch them red handed. I used to have issues with two clowns I had, they would nip at new fish I would add to the tank. Do you have a sump? If so you can put the fish in there to try and let it heal. A QT would be better then you can diagnose the white spots (probably ich like he said) and treat it accordingly.

 

Well it was gone this morning! Had to put it down! It wasn't ich because where the spots were @ u could see scale damage... I did see some bristle worms latching on to it b4 it was completely dead... so I think those & crabs is what done most damage...
I just wasn't sure if for some reason I was mistaken on compatibility of my livestock...
I'm sure it was my evil black/white clown...it nips @ everything that gets close.. hell it has jumped out of my tank to get my hand when I was cleaning...lmao.. he got back in real quick & is ok.. thanks for the help my fellow reefers!!

 

Black and white clowns are nasty buggers. Every time I put my hand in the tank they bite me and they even know to get between my fingers in the soft skin. I have gotten good at chasing them off with my pinky while feeding my mushrooms.

 

sorry to hear about your loss