Melanurus Wrasse Acting Strange

Kongor

Kongor

Member
Hey guys

Had my male melanurus wrasse for a couple months and all was well until about 2 days ago. I started to notice he would hide in the sand pretty early and yesterday he did not come out at all.

Today he came out of the sand but about an hour ago (2pmish, he usually comes out at around 7-8am) and I just saw him laying on the sand bed, tapped the glass gently and got some swimming action but afterwards he went back to lay on the sand bed.

Tried to put some food to entice him and didn't seem at all interested. That's what worries me as he is usually a pig and eats a ton.

Should I start some preventative measures or wait it out a couple days? There is no visible damage on his body, everything looks great as far as fins/scales. Nothing is discolored. Seems to be breathing rapidly but I honestly can't tell.

Im thinking maybe a) he got hurt on one of my vortechs or b) internal parasites.

Anyone else have some input?

THanks!
 
Kongor

Kongor

Member
Parameters:

Paramters are:

ammonia 0
nirite 0
nirates 5-10ppm
PO4 0.02ppm

calcium - 450ppm
mag - 1600 (fighting some algae/have mangroves)
alk 9 dHK

SG = 1.025
pH = 8.1 - I did have it go down to 7.9 because I drilled some rocks last night to put some frags on and it looks like i didnt get all the dust off the rocks, but I don't think that would be causing an issue, my pH is usualy 8.25-3 during the day and 8.1 at night.
 
Kongor

Kongor

Member
bump

anyone have any ideas? I haven't seem him since the day of the post, I'm assuming he's still alive since the CUC isn't going crazy
 
ReefApprentice

ReefApprentice

Well-Known Member
Was he bumping the glass repeatedly? Also was he flashing when he swam around? Not sure what it might be but if hes not eating I would be leaning towards parasites.
 
Kongor

Kongor

Member
He ate some brine, didnt go for the mysis but havent fed him since.

He wasn't bumping the glass but he was flashing, i put in prazipro yesterday
 
PSU4ME

PSU4ME

JoePa lives on!!!
Staff member
PREMIUM
Some fish do not handle the prazi well if they are really infested as the "evacuation" of the parasite often bothers them.
 
Kongor

Kongor

Member
how long does it take for the parasites to really manifest? Ive had him for a months and he was doing great, but I am sure they have a incubation period and/or takes a while for them to build up and cause side effects.

still hasn't come out so I can't feed or see what his condition is. Any physical factors I should look at for parasites?
 
ReefApprentice

ReefApprentice

Well-Known Member
It can depend on the type of parasite for how long it takes to manifest. Signs can be stringy white poo and a extremely bulging stomach.
 
Kongor

Kongor

Member
Yeah I knew those signs, and the wrasse doesn't experience any of those. Hopefully its just going through a teenage phase with me and will be back to its normal self soon
 
reeferman

reeferman

Well-Known Member
sounds like internal parasites to me.wrasse in general do not suffer from most of the diseases other fish get but most come in with some sort of internal parasite.i would treat it with prazi but go slowly as Bryan warned.
 
Kongor

Kongor

Member
yeah im doing the dose it states on the bottle, hopefully the medicine is penetrating the sand bed well enough to be effective. Ill update in a couple days if anything changes
 
Kongor

Kongor

Member
Yeah I read that but can't get to him since he won't show and I have no idea where he is in the sand bed, he isn't in his usual stop that I can see underneath.

The good news is I saw him about an hour ago so hopefully he stays out and I can get some treated food into him.

Thanks for all the advice everyone
 
Kongor

Kongor

Member
OK he just came out, still laying on the sandbed.

Fins are now getting worse and he seems to have a white stop underneath his dorsal fin looks like scale loss not ich, about the size of a dime maybe a little smaller. Hopefully he will eat the prazi food, if not im going to try and get him out and set up a small QT
 
Kongor

Kongor

Member
OK, looks like my QT kit accidentally met the trash man. Do you guys think that a 10-20 gallon would suffice for the wrasse? I'd say hes about 4 inches. Simple HOB filter and heater small circulation pump?

Should I put in sand so he can burrow or use PVC to give him hiding spots?

If it is a fungus infection what should I treat him with?
 
Kongor

Kongor

Member
Oh i failed to mention I did net the sucker, and he is still pretty strong considering this behavior, thrashing around pretty good.

Here are a couple pics to help:


 
Oxylebius

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
He would need sand to keep his stress levels down. Take a tupperware plastic container (or similar product) and fill it with sand (that way you don't have to fill the whole tank with 3+ inches of sand).

The side of that fish isn't looking that great, sores on it.

Are you still able to get it to eat?

I would read over this page, and it lists all kinds of meds at the bottom of it.
 
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