Canary Wrasse with Possible HLLE?

[Apollo7235]

Good evening all,

I recently purchased a canary wrasse from Dr. Reef, fully quarantined. He sent me two of them this round since the first didn’t make it and they are bad shippers in his experience, but this time, they actually both survived.

One of them looked really rough, like he wasn’t going to make it, when I added them to the tank. The next day, however, both wrasses were out and nosing around.

A week later, both were doing fantastic, very outgoing, great appetites, very active.

it was around that first week that I first noticed that both wrasses had very light white streaks in them. Almost like they had been scraped, but nothing on their fins.

I have never had ick in my tank—3 of my 4 fish came from Dr. Reef fully QT and the 4th is a neon goby I’ve had for nearly 8 months never having any health issues.

Yesterday, I noticed one of the wrasses had some very distinct white spots that look like injuries, mostly on its head. It isn’t acting abnormally whatsoever, eating great, just as active as usual, bed time in the sand as usual.

The only sand I have in the tank is live sand that I bought from Gulf Live Rock, so I can’t imagine it is course enough to cause this damage.

I reached out to Mike at Dr. Reef and he advised that it may be HLLE from the copper exposure and recommended I continue feeding high-nutrient foods. For reference, I currently auto-feed NLS Thera A+ pellets and PE mysis flakes, and rotate cubes of the SBB multipack mixed with Hikari Mysis and Coral Frenzy soaked in Selcon each evening.

Current stock:

(2) Canary Wrasses
(1) Randall’s Prawn Goby
(1) Neon Goby
(1) Tiger Pistol
(1) Bullseye Pistol
(1) Blue-Eyed Hermit
(1) Halloween Hermit
(1) Blue Legged Hermit
(1) Blue Knuckled Hermit
(2) Pom Pom Crabs
(1) Decorator Crab
Assorted snails
Miscellaneous sea stars that came with the live rock

Everybody is doing great and water parameters have remained constant and within health. Tank is about a year old, with a cross-state move in between.

I would love some opinions on what this could be if not HLLE, and best options for treatment.

Thank you all in advance!

 

[polyppal]

Id follow Mikes advice and feed high nutrient frozen foods with Selcon. That and a large stress-free environment is about all you can do for HLLE

 

[Apollo7235]

Id follow Mikes advice and feed high nutrient frozen foods with Selcon. That and a large stress-free environment is about all you can do for HLLE

But do you think it is HLLE? I’m not so much doubting Mike’s advice, just looking for confirmation.

 

[polyppal]

It could be that or a bacterial infection from the look, some sharper pics of its head would help

 

[Jay Hemdal]

But do you think it is HLLE? I’m not so much doubting Mike’s advice, just looking for confirmation.

That isn't HLLE. Wrasse rarely develop that. There is a related syndrome called epithelial thinning, but I've not seen that on wrasse.

Jay

 

[J1a]

It could also be just some simple mechanical injuries.

 

[flagg37]

Have you noticed it getting any worse/better?

 

[Crabby48]

Watch it doesn’t get worse. Pic’s aren’t clear but it looks like a normal scrap sand sleepers get at times. When they bury they can hit rocks and mark them up. You can even soak food in selcon

 

[Apollo7235]

I will see if I can get some better photos this evening and post them when I do.

 

[Apollo7235]

Well, the best photo I’ve been able to get since I posted is this one, where I really need to scrape my glass and just fed so the water is a bit cloudy.

Thankfully, I think it’s good news. The spots seem to be fading, so I’m leaning toward injuries of some kind from burrowing in the sand.

Thank you all for chiming in!