Who Gives A Fish Forums

I've had my 13.5 gallon saltwater tank up and running since June, and it's been doing great so far. I've got two small Ocelaris Clownfish, three blue leg hermit crabs, and two trochus snails in there, all of which are very active. I test and change the water weekly to keep everything healthy.

I recently added a royal Gramma from my local store, and at first, it was doing fine. But within a few days, I noticed a small white spot just below its dorsal fin. The fish was still eating and active, but the spot got bigger and started protruding in a weird shape - like a Hershey's kiss.

The fish was still okay two days ago, but yesterday it didn't come out of the live rock to eat, and I didn't see it all day - just a tip of its fin sticking out. It didn't come out today either, so I'm worried it might be dead. If that's the case, I'm not sure what to do. Should I just leave it for the cuc and any bristle worms to take care of? I really don't want to pull the live rock apart to get to it.

I'll attach a video from a few days ago, hope that helps. Thanks in advance for any advice.

If the Gramma has indeed passed, I'd recommend leaving it for the CUC to take care of, and then doing a water change after a couple of days. There are many potential causes for this, like parasites such as isopods. Considering the tank's size, I'd suggest sticking with the two Ocelaris Clownfish - adding a third fish might be pushing it unless you have a sump. If you still want to introduce another fish, a yellow clown goby could be a good choice; one of the watchman gobies would also work well. The Gramma needs plenty of rocks for hiding and prefers lower lighting, which can be challenging to provide in a smaller tank like yours.