Flasher Wrasse Acting Strangely?

[cshouston]

I picked up a McCosker’s Flasher Wrasse from Diver’s Den on Thursday. It’s eating, hanging out with the other fish and acting totally normal during the day. At night, though, it doesn’t seem to find a hiding place with everyone else and hangs out in the water column after dark.

Right now, the moonlight phase is on and he’s swimming into the MP40 flow almost on his side, going up to the surface, and just kind of being blown around; it’s almost like he’s asleep at the same time he’s swimming, but I can’t be sure. Is this normal flasher wrasse after-dark behavior? I have no reason to suspect anything is actually wrong, and there should be plenty of crevices for him to hide in that aren’t claimed by other fish. I’m just kind of confused and hoping it’s nothing major.

 

[Maritimer]

It's much more normal for them to tuck themselves into a crevice before the lights go completely out ... coming from DD, he shouldn't still be jetlagged . . .

@evolved , @eatbreakfast - any idea why a flasher wrasse would be active in the darkness?

~B.

 

[cshouston]

It's much more normal for them to tuck themselves into a crevice before the lights go completely out ... coming from DD, he shouldn't still be jetlagged . . .

@evolved , @eatbreakfast - any idea why a flasher wrasse would be active in the darkness?

~B.

It’s actually starting to look like something is wrong with it. It’s getting blown upside down at times and just seems out of it. This is actually a replacement for an exquisite fairy wrasse from Diver’s Den that started acting similarly during the day, swimming sideways and in circles, then died after I placed it in the sump. All my other fish are totally fine, and my water parameters are fine as well. Maybe I’m just cursed when it comes to flashers/fairies. My tiny juvenile melanurus has been perfect for weeks though.

 

[cshouston]

the fairy wrasse wasn’t quite like this, but would swim sideways and in circles. I don’t get why I’m only having issues with fairy and flashers, but all the other fish are fine. The only new thing that happened today was that I dosed 7ml of Red Sea coral energy food before lights out. It definitely seems like it’s going south fast right now.

 

[cshouston]

Netted it out, gave it a brief freshwater dip (nothing came off), and put it into the sump, but it’s upside down and breathing heavily.

ammonia 0
Nitrate 7
1.026
All the other parameters were fine when I checked the reef chemistry on Wednesday.

 

[Maritimer]

I'm not seeing anything obvious; ich, bacterial infection or anything similar. @Jay Hemdal might have some insight.

Edit: Is there a possibility he could have crashed into the glass or a solid lid? Wrasse tend to escape threats at pretty high velocity.

~B., with fingers crossed for you . . .

 

[cshouston]

I'm not seeing anything obvious; ich, bacterial infection or anything similar. @Jay Hemdal might have some insight.

Edit: Is there a possibility he could have crashed into the glass or a solid lid? Wrasse tend to escape threats at pretty high velocity.

~B., with fingers crossed for you . . .

a crash into the glass is possible, but if that happened, I didn’t see it. I put it in the sump among some rubble rock and will check on it in the morning. Right now it’s just pushed against the side by flow and breathing hard.

this is now the second wrasse from Diver’s Den that started crashing after 48 hours, but everything else has been fine for weeks. Could it be their use of copper? You’d think they would show issues before shipping though...

 

[Cole.mormon]

Lower the salinity to 1.024

 

[Cole.mormon]

1.026 is deadly

 

[saltyhog]

That very much looks like a spinal injury. I've had several with this and all of them that acted like yours is acting, died. As long as he's eating there is a chance he could recover, but I'm not optimistic.

 

[cshouston]

My tank is at 35ppt because of the coral. I’ve never heard of that salinity being lethal for wrasses and I can’t find any info about that. Can you point me to something? If it’s lethal to fairy/flashers I’ll probably just have to give up on them (probably will anyway).

 

[cshouston]

That very much looks like a spinal injury. I've had several with this and all of them that acted like yours is acting, died. As long as he's eating there is a chance he could recover, but I'm not optimistic.

Thanks for that info about your experience. I hope that isn’t what happened, but maybe it did crash into the glass and injure itself. dang. I wonder if the same thing happened to the exquisite fairy, though, since I’ve had this happen twice now in a week. I’m just going to give up on these wrasses for a while rather than replace it again, just in case.

 

[saltyhog]

My tank is at 35ppt because of the coral. I’ve never heard of that salinity being lethal for wrasses and I can’t find any info about that. Can you point me to something? If it’s lethal to fairy/flashers I’ll probably just have to give up on them (probably will anyway).

Agree, my tank is at 1.026 and I have wrasses that are over 6 years old. Honestly I don't think fish would notice a difference between 1.026 and 1.024.

 

[SMSREEF]

My tank is at 35ppt because of the coral. I’ve never heard of that salinity being lethal for wrasses and I can’t find any info about that. Can you point me to something? If it’s lethal to fairy/flashers I’ll probably just have to give up on them (probably will anyway).

I have mine at 35 ppt for months and he’s just fine.

 

[mattzang]

looks like a spinal injury to me. i'd guess shipping damage. who knows what the fish go through during an airplane trip. ime wrasses don't seem to ship well, even the non burying variety

1.026 is definitely not lethal

 

[Cole.mormon]

Seawater is 1.025 1.024 is easier on the fish

 

[cshouston]

Seawater is 1.025 1.024 is easier on the fish

The average salinity for seawater across the globe is 35ppt / 1.0264. I’m not sure where you’re getting that it’s “easier on the fish” to have a lower salinity.

 

[pcon]

1.026 is deadly

Many famous aquarists keep their tanks at 36ppt, 1.027sg. and generally reef water is 35-36ppt in nature 1.026-1.027. The red sea is as high as 40ppt, 1.030. So 1.026 is not deadly. IDK where you would get that idea.

 

[SMSREEF]

@cshouston how is your wrasse doing this morning?
If better awesome.
If not, maybe try a methylene blue dip.

This info is from @Big G When my clown was having swim bladder problems.

Methylene Blue:
What It Treats – Healing agent which treats ammonia burn, abrasions, cuts. Mild antiparasitic/antibacterial properties. Will possibly detoxify a fish that has been exposed to cyanide poisoning. Probably one of the best “first response” treatments for a sick fish.

How To Treat – Comes in both liquid and powder form, sometimes mixed in with another medication (e.g. Nitrofuracin Green Powder). So, follow the directions on the label. Generally used in a 30 minute bath at double dose, but you can also dose it directly into a quarantine tank. Aerate heavily.

Dosing instructions for using 2.303% Methylene Blue solution:

1) 30 min bath (preferred): 1 teaspoon (5 ml) per 5 gallons.

2) In a quarantine tank: 1 teaspoon (5 ml) per 10 gallons every other day for 10 days with water changes before each treatment.

Pros – Highly effective “first response” treatment with minimal risk to fish.

Cons/Side Effects – Methylene Blue can destroy nitrifying bacteria (i.e. your QT biofilter), and will stain plastic, silicone, clothing, your skin, etc.

More info on Methylene Blue: http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumMedication3.html#methylene_blue

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Regarding the specific gravity, 1.026 is normal seawater, about 35 ppt salinity. HOWEVER - many LFS maintain their fish in low salinity systems. If you try to acclimate one of these wrasse from, say, 1.020 to 1.026 in one shot, there will be issues. You can always drop the salinity of a fish easily, but raising it that much must be done in stages, I take 3 days for that. That said, DD probably ships at a higher salinity, can you confirm?

I don't see anything externally on your wrasse, but I've seen half a dozen similar cases (including one that I had) where they swam oddly, disorientated, but most of them would still eat o.k. I have no idea what causes that, sorry.

Jay