Scooters Reef
Community Member
On August 8th two new fish were added to my display. Purchased from one of two places I have bought livestock. Wasn’t until after problems started and calling the store for more information and help. That I realized they keep all fish in Sub therapeutic copper. After they have been through QT in back for 3 weeks.
I have 11 fish total. That includes the two new additions.
At around the 60-72 hour mark. Exquisite fairy wrasse went from happily swimming about. To swimming short spurts. Then slowly coasting down to bottom and laying sideways. Breathing heavily. Then after 5 minutes of laying down. Would swim back up and lock around. Repeat.
always reacted well to feeding. Didn’t miss strikes. Ate voraciously. Was at this point I began to realize just how skinny the fish was. Also. Seemingly the whit mark in his nose had grown. To this day I cannot deduce if it’s something on him or part of his pattern and comes and goes when he flashes. I think not though. As it’s apparent most the time.
I called fish store and naturally they claim couldn’t be sick from them but advised it was likely flukes and to do a freshwater dip.
performed FW dip. Temp match PH match , used RODI. A splash of tank water to help with PH. Salinity remained below 3-4ppm. 1 drop of prime also. Roughly 3/4 gallon of water and aerated water for 1.5 hours prior to introducing fish and kept aeration while dipping the fish.
Kept fish in for 10 minutes. I know this is too long according to most people but fish seemed to tolerate it fine. I recorded fish during the dip and took pictures as I could get a closer look with better light. Seemed to me the fish was very pale and potentially starving but didn’t see any obvious stuff on the fish. Besides the white on nose area.
I saw what seemed blurry clear specks coming out of the fishes gills and around him. Started to notice around the 7-8minute mark. They were all sized the head of a pin or smaller though and did not represent the sesame seeds looking clear worms I’d seen in pictures.
I thought potentially Microscopic flukes or not flukes at all or Super flukes.
mat this point I Was at a loss and just trying to save my new fish and deduce the disease/problem to save the other 10 fish he’d been in contact with.
I placed the fish in a 6 gallon cube I had with parameter matched water of DT. Kept for 48 hours in this container. Around 36-48 hour mark fish was back swimming up right and not struggling to breathe. Fed voraciously 5 times through the day. So after a lot of thinking. I made an acclimation box and decided to place wrasse inside box and put back into DT and place shaded cover over the fish.
I kept the fish in this box for 5 or 6 days. Fish improved vastly and had me constantly questioning what was his coloration/scales/pattern and why was potentially sickness/parasites.
after the fish started putting on a little weight. I thought more that it was just a case of flukes and a fish not fed enough. So I released him back into the display tank. Seeing as he had already been in the tank 3-4 days to start with and would have already infected tank with anything being carried.
Fast forward to day 15 and fish was found laying in side again. Not breathing heavy as before but still labored.
Hours before was seemingly fine but swore I’d seen some tiny spots around the head.
Decided to get Hospital tank.
did FW dip again. That was 40 hours ago as of now. Fish is in hospital tank. No meds yet and is eating well again and swimming around at this point. Prior to he was laying on bottom and breathing heavily.
I got excited he was doing better as I’ve put a lot of effort, time and money into trying to insure a quick return to healthy living.
I then notice during feeding that my Midas Blenny in DT has some spots around eyes and face. Much easier to see and within a few minutes I was able to catch good shots. I have hundreds of Fairy wrasse pics and I can’t see anything in them. I’ll share what I am able.
Have the 20 gallon hospital all setup and running. Exquisite fairy wrasse is in already.
Have following meds
Copper power
Metroplex
Kanaplex
Focus
Prazipro
DT is a 3.5 month old Mixed reef with inverts of course and corals.
I have a large tote ready to drain most the tank and remove rock scape and catch the fish.
What should I do?
What does the parasite look to be?
Appreciate any help or information.
been running around this room like crazy the last few weeks. Hoping it hasn’t all been wasted efforts and that my ignorance doesn’t cost my other fish their lives
Proof that you must do your own QT at home. I bought all pre-QT’d fish only. However due to my inexperience I picked some fish that probably should have been left behind or observed longer before purchasing.
Most of all. Had I just used the QT process as I’d initially planned. Wouldn’t be scrambling now. Writing a short novel of my current fish and reef failures.
Thanks again for anyone who can help.
I have 11 fish total. That includes the two new additions.
At around the 60-72 hour mark. Exquisite fairy wrasse went from happily swimming about. To swimming short spurts. Then slowly coasting down to bottom and laying sideways. Breathing heavily. Then after 5 minutes of laying down. Would swim back up and lock around. Repeat.
always reacted well to feeding. Didn’t miss strikes. Ate voraciously. Was at this point I began to realize just how skinny the fish was. Also. Seemingly the whit mark in his nose had grown. To this day I cannot deduce if it’s something on him or part of his pattern and comes and goes when he flashes. I think not though. As it’s apparent most the time.
I called fish store and naturally they claim couldn’t be sick from them but advised it was likely flukes and to do a freshwater dip.
performed FW dip. Temp match PH match , used RODI. A splash of tank water to help with PH. Salinity remained below 3-4ppm. 1 drop of prime also. Roughly 3/4 gallon of water and aerated water for 1.5 hours prior to introducing fish and kept aeration while dipping the fish.
Kept fish in for 10 minutes. I know this is too long according to most people but fish seemed to tolerate it fine. I recorded fish during the dip and took pictures as I could get a closer look with better light. Seemed to me the fish was very pale and potentially starving but didn’t see any obvious stuff on the fish. Besides the white on nose area.
I saw what seemed blurry clear specks coming out of the fishes gills and around him. Started to notice around the 7-8minute mark. They were all sized the head of a pin or smaller though and did not represent the sesame seeds looking clear worms I’d seen in pictures.
I thought potentially Microscopic flukes or not flukes at all or Super flukes.
mat this point I Was at a loss and just trying to save my new fish and deduce the disease/problem to save the other 10 fish he’d been in contact with.
I placed the fish in a 6 gallon cube I had with parameter matched water of DT. Kept for 48 hours in this container. Around 36-48 hour mark fish was back swimming up right and not struggling to breathe. Fed voraciously 5 times through the day. So after a lot of thinking. I made an acclimation box and decided to place wrasse inside box and put back into DT and place shaded cover over the fish.
I kept the fish in this box for 5 or 6 days. Fish improved vastly and had me constantly questioning what was his coloration/scales/pattern and why was potentially sickness/parasites.
after the fish started putting on a little weight. I thought more that it was just a case of flukes and a fish not fed enough. So I released him back into the display tank. Seeing as he had already been in the tank 3-4 days to start with and would have already infected tank with anything being carried.
Fast forward to day 15 and fish was found laying in side again. Not breathing heavy as before but still labored.
Hours before was seemingly fine but swore I’d seen some tiny spots around the head.
Decided to get Hospital tank.
did FW dip again. That was 40 hours ago as of now. Fish is in hospital tank. No meds yet and is eating well again and swimming around at this point. Prior to he was laying on bottom and breathing heavily.
I got excited he was doing better as I’ve put a lot of effort, time and money into trying to insure a quick return to healthy living.
I then notice during feeding that my Midas Blenny in DT has some spots around eyes and face. Much easier to see and within a few minutes I was able to catch good shots. I have hundreds of Fairy wrasse pics and I can’t see anything in them. I’ll share what I am able.
Have the 20 gallon hospital all setup and running. Exquisite fairy wrasse is in already.
Have following meds
Copper power
Metroplex
Kanaplex
Focus
Prazipro
DT is a 3.5 month old Mixed reef with inverts of course and corals.
I have a large tote ready to drain most the tank and remove rock scape and catch the fish.
What should I do?
What does the parasite look to be?
Appreciate any help or information.
been running around this room like crazy the last few weeks. Hoping it hasn’t all been wasted efforts and that my ignorance doesn’t cost my other fish their lives
Proof that you must do your own QT at home. I bought all pre-QT’d fish only. However due to my inexperience I picked some fish that probably should have been left behind or observed longer before purchasing.
Most of all. Had I just used the QT process as I’d initially planned. Wouldn’t be scrambling now. Writing a short novel of my current fish and reef failures.
Thanks again for anyone who can help.
