My clowns have spots!!!

It's been a while, but I am back with a new question/problem. Everything has been going extremely well lately, until yesterday.

I just noticed that my clown fish have developed spots all over! Only on the orange parts. They look like freckles. They are the same color as the dark stripes. They are not acting any differently... Any suggestions as to what it is? I have been told to start feeding garlic and lower the salinity, which I am working on doing slowly.

 

I've never seen a clown with it before, but this sounds like blackspot disease. Take a look at the picture and treatment on this page.

Black Spot or Tang Disease - Black Ich Diagnosis and Treatment

 

Thankfully it's a FOWLR tank!

 

I'll try to add a photo, it is not black spot/black ick... I'm sure of that especially after seeing the photo of the Tang. These are large spots, all diff. shapes/sizes and all over.

 

Thes are often common on clown especially "ocellaris or percula". It is common to see these dark spots in the coloration in clowns. It is almost always asscoiated with clowes that try to use corals as a host. There are quite a few pics floating around on various fourms. Here is an example;

 

Interesting. This is the first time I've heard about this! Is it harmful to the fish or is that a stupid question?

 

No Am we have not seen it yet. It seems to be just a melanistic (black) pigment forming/collecting maybe due to the exposure of non-hosts, like corals. Usually it just just a spot or two. I have seen some spots almost 1/4 in.

 

So perhaps they are getting stung by the corals then?

 

Intresting. Never heard of that b4

 

Thanks for that info. I had no idea! Since my clowns are STILL NESTING IN MY GIGAS CLAM, I'm hoping that I won't have to worry about this for the time being