Wrasse Fin Deterioration

goldenmean

Well-Known Member
Hi Lee
I have a Velvet wrasse (Cirrhilabrus Luteovittatus) who yesterday showed signs of deterioration on his tail fin, one of his pectoral fins, and maybe a little bit too on the dorsal fin. Wednesday when I came home he was out swimming to be fed as usual. I fed him some mysis and he ate a bit but then he retired for the night even though the lights were still on. I normally feed him a little bit a few times a day. Since I work 5 days and leave before the wrasse gets up in the morning on those days I usually give him a little bit of food 3 times throughout the evening. I try to vary his diet from mysis, spirulina flake, Prime reef flake, Rods food, and krill.

Then last night when I got home he was not out. I saw him in one of his sleeping places. I also have a pair of Woodstock's picassos so I fed them and when I did the Wrasse came out. I noticed then the problem with his fin. I thought he ate a bit but I am not sure. He would go back to his sleeping spot and a little bit later he would come back out. I noticed he was opening and closing his mouth which at first I thought was because he had eaten but later in the evening he was still doing it and I knew he had not eaten then.

I have had the wrasse since last August and he spent 6 weeks in QT as do all my fish. My DT(nearly 2 years old) is a 55g with the wrasse and the two clowns as the only fish. Temp is 77.5-78. Ph is 8.1-8.3. NH3, NO2 are 0.
I have had some Trate problems a few months ago (I believe from overfeeding the tank) but That problem is now under control and I do a WC about every 4 or 5 days (usually 3 WC every 2 weeks.) I do dose B-Ionic 2 part every Morning (except the morning after a WC) as I have several high consumption of calcium corals.


Currently in my QT I have a red spot Blenny (Istiblennius chrysospilos) who has been there for 3 1/2 weeks and has been doing very well. So if the wrasse needs to go to HT. I would need to put the blenny in the DT a bit early.

Here Are some photos I took last night of the wrasse. The are not the best but you can see the fins.
 

Attachments

  • Fin3.jpg
    Fin3.jpg
    19.4 KB · Views: 18
  • Fin2.jpg
    Fin2.jpg
    23.7 KB · Views: 18
  • Fin1.jpg
    Fin1.jpg
    19.5 KB · Views: 18

leebca

Well-Known Member
What you see there is from one or more of the following conditions:

1. Wrong kinds of food
2. Not enough food
3. No vitamin and fat supplements in the food
4. Water quality issues
5. Tank mate issues (environment)

It can be anyone or combo of the above. I don't care for your choice of foods. I'm uncertain that you are providing enough food at each feeding. I don't know if your fish is getting the proper nutrition.

As for water quality matters, you need to verify you are keeping up with filter cleanings (biological, mechanical, and chemical). You need to verify you clean out your skimmer (if you use one) every day or every other day.

Look for sources of excess organics building up, bacterial blooms, etc. Verify the fish is not being chased or bothered by other fish or any of your cleanup crew members.

:)
 

goldenmean

Well-Known Member
Thanks Lee. I did some research last night so I knew you were going to say that about the types of food. Too much of his diet is mysis (Mysis relicta) and it is the freshwater variety. I have searched and searched the many LFS here in Chicago for marine mysid but have not had any luck finding it. I do use selcon about once a week. I will use it more. I have not used vitamins but I will start.
I found an old post of your from another site where you mentioned some brands that stated they use marine mysis. One of the brands I have seen at a couple of my LFS but I do not remember them having the mysis so I will look some more. If you have any other suggestions of other types of food I can feed him. He eats flake but I have never had any luck getting to eat pellets (I tried when he was in QT)

I do not think he is underfed as I do feed him enough that I can tell when he is presently full and he stops eating. You may be right in that he does not get enough of the right foods.

No other fish chases him in the tank. The only other fish( the clowns) do not leave their anchor coral. It is possible that some CUC members are disturbing him at night when he is sleeping. That was my first thought when I first noticed the tail fin but since it was on other fins too I was not so sure of that.

My system has a filter sock in the sump that I change once a week. I do actively run Carbon. I change the carbon once a month so I may need to do that more often. All other sponges get cleaned out with each WC. I also clean the skimmer with each WC but not daily or every other.
 
Top