Freshwater dip killed my flasher wrasse

[Cell]

“Freshwater dips” (FW Dips) are commonly used to dislodge certain parasites from the skin of marine fishes. This is more of a diagnostic tool, and less of a permanent cure. Dips can be used to lower the parasite load temporarily, while waiting for another treatment to begin.

Looking at the bottom of the black dip container after the fish has been returned to the tank can sometimes help identify flukes. Neobenedenia flukes are the only species large enough to be seen with the naked eye, other flukes and Turbellarian worms require the use of a microscope or strong hand lens to see them.

To perform these dips, the fish is captured and placed in a dimly lit container (black is best) of clean freshwater the same temperature as the aquarium system it came from. It is usually best not use reverse osmosis or deionized water, as there is no buffer capacity and the pH can drop too low. If you do use that water source, adjust the pH to 8.0 with baking soda. Dechlorinated tap water is suitable unless it is very acidic. The dip container should be covered with a clear material so that the fish is kept from jumping out, yet can still be observed for overt signs of stress. Hold the fish in the freshwater for five minutes (up to seven minutes for larger parasites such as copepods). If acute stress is seen, the dip may need to be terminated early. The idea is to dislodge the parasites, without unduly harming the fish. Some advocate to not aerate the water during the dip, but this is incorrect. The water motion from air bubbles can help keep the fish active so that they can be better assessed for stress. Additionally, the air bubbles help dislodge some parasites during the dip process.

Some caveats:

1) Some fish will give extreme reactions to being dipped (hepatus tangs for example), as long as they were swimming well before the dip, it is best to ignore that behavior and continue for a full five minutes.
2) Moribund (dying) fish can be dipped, but understand that the acute stress from the dip may prove fatal. The dip water should still be checked for parasites in order to possibly help any remaining fish. Moribund would include any fish that was easy to capture or a fish with a respiration rate of 200+ BPM.
3) Choose the type of net wisely, some fish have spines that will become caught in the netting. Have a pair of scissors handy to cut the net if this happens.
4) Dropping a fish while moving it to and from the dip is common, take care. Some fish have venomous spines, so know that before trying to handle any fish.
5) Fish shaking their heads violently after capture is one cause of mechanical exophthalmos (popeye), so try to gently restrain them in the net while moving them.

Aquarists are often inclined to perform a FW dip when it really isn't advisable, simply because it can be done without buying medications. However, catching fish up to perform a dip is stressful and can damage/kill the fish if not done properly - far outweighing any benefit from the dip itself.

 

[Crabby48]

I thought it make them fall off to see if the fish had them? I currently have another wrasse in 1.012 so good to know how slowly to raise the salinity

Some will fall off but hard to see. After shipping or being moved around I think it’s added stress on wrasse to dip. I like to watch them and see if I see signs. I’m not saying you were wrong just i don’t believe fw dips are best with wrasse. Can I ask were you found a Diamondtail?
I top off my holding/qt tanks with saltwater and when I do water changes I bring up salinity then also. Slower is always better.

 

[Crabby48]

So I had a diamond tail flasher wrasse for two weeks and decided to do a freshwater dip to be on the safe side for flukes. He was eating good not acting weird in any ways. Did the freshwater dip for 4 minutes, areate it for 45 mins before and temp match, put it back in the tank and he swam into hiding. Came back down an hour and a half later to find it dead. Cant find many other threads that had their fish die from a freshwater dip, anyone know why or what happened? This fish was so nice looking as well as had a really cool personality. I’m mad at myself for doing the freshwater dip when I didn’t have to

Also don’t beat yourself up. You tried to do the best thing for the fish but it didn’t go as planned. It’s not your fault and unfortunately it happens. There is a chance the fish may have died in a few days and the dip made it sooner. Don’t give up

 

[Lps_lover12]

Some will fall off but hard to see. After shipping or being moved around I think it’s added stress on wrasse to dip. I like to watch them and see if I see signs. I’m not saying you were wrong just i don’t believe fw dips are best with wrasse. Can I ask were you found a Diamondtail?
I top off my holding/qt tanks with saltwater and when I do water changes I bring up salinity then also. Slower is always better.

I think it was exactly that, plus trying to net it took a few minutes which probably just added even more stress. I got it from fragbox here in Canada but they don’t ship to the us

 

[Lps_lover12]

Also don’t beat yourself up. You tried to do the best thing for the fish but it didn’t go as planned. It’s not your fault and unfortunately it happens. There is a chance the fish may have died in a few days and the dip made it sooner. Don’t give up

Thank you, even tho this hobby can be so frustrating the benefits outweigh the bad everyday. It’s such an amazing hobby and I don’t think I could ever leave it!

 

[Crabby48]

I think it was exactly that, plus trying to net it took a few minutes which probably just added even more stress. I got it from fragbox here in Canada but they don’t ship to the us

Yes catching is stressful for them. New tank, catching and dipping is a lot. Wrasse don’t do stress good at all. It’s a quick killer for them.
flashers are very stress in smaller tanks and like a lot of room for the size and it all adds up.

 

[Lps_lover12]

Yes catching is stressful for them. New tank, catching and dipping is a lot. Wrasse don’t do stress good at all. It’s a quick killer for them.
flashers are very stress in smaller tanks and like a lot of room for the size and it all adds up.

Makes sense, at least now I know how easily they can go

 

[Crabby48]

Makes sense, at least now I know how easily they can go

Wrasse can stress each other out or other fish. It can happen fast with some. I don’t like to say they are fragile but special needs.
there is a thread wrasse lovers. It’s great place to learn and ask questions about wrasse.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Sorry to hear - a couple of other possibilities that I didn't see mentioned;

Any time you net a fish there is a chance that the net will whack it, causing fatal damage. The longer you need to chase a fish around, the greater the risk.

The second issue is: fish can have pretty severe gill flukes and they can compensate to a point, you may not see symptoms. However, when you give them a dip, all the flukes fall off, leaving hundreds of holes in the gills and the fish can literally bleed out and die. These flukes are tiny, you will not see them in the dip water unless you use a microscope. The only real symptom of this happening is the gills of the fish will be pale pink or white, showing severe anemia from the blood loss.

Jay

 

[Nemo&Friends]

Loosing a fish is sad but loosing it by making a mistake is even worse. I am sorry for you. I involuntary killed a wrasse when I cleaned an algae covered rock under my tap water, and the wrasse was hidden inside the rock. Found it dead in the bottom of the sink, so I know the feeling.
It was obvious that your fish was doing well, as you had trouble catching it. Fresh water dip does not cure fluke, it only temporally relieve the fish, if it is affected, until you can get the proper medecin. Most of the time, you cannot see the fluke as they are too small so fresh water dish on a healthy fish is useless.
I am on a side of do not treat fish unless they are sick, and I do not QT. though, I can certainly understand that an observation qt could be useful.

 

[Lps_lover12]

Wrasse can stress each other out or other fish. It can happen fast with some. I don’t like to say they are fragile but special needs.
there is a thread wrasse lovers. It’s great place to learn and ask questions about wrasse.

I hope mine don’t stress each other out, my end goal is to have a pin tail (already in dt) Mccoskers (in qt) as well as one other flasher and a halichoeres iridis along with other fish.

Sorry to hear - a couple of other possibilities that I didn't see mentioned;

Any time you net a fish there is a chance that the net will whack it, causing fatal damage. The longer you need to chase a fish around, the greater the risk.

The second issue is: fish can have pretty severe gill flukes and they can compensate to a point, you may not see symptoms. However, when you give them a dip, all the flukes fall off, leaving hundreds of holes in the gills and the fish can literally bleed out and die. These flukes are tiny, you will not see them in the dip water unless you use a microscope. The only real symptom of this happening is the gills of the fish will be pale pink or white, showing severe anemia from the blood loss.

Jay

I had to move almost all the rocks so that makes a lot of sense, as for the flukes would I see any other symptoms in the fish? I have two others in that same tank and want to make sure I won’t be adding them to my display with flukes

 

[Lps_lover12]

Loosing a fish is sad but loosing it by making a mistake is even worse. I am sorry for you. I involuntary killed a wrasse when I cleaned an algae covered rock under my tap water, and the wrasse was hidden inside the rock. Found it dead in the bottom of the sink, so I know the feeling.
It was obvious that your fish was doing well, as you had trouble catching it. Fresh water dip does not cure fluke, it only temporally relieve the fish, if it is affected, until you can get the proper medecin. Most of the time, you cannot see the fluke as they are too small so fresh water dish on a healthy fish is useless.
I am on a side of do not treat fish unless they are sick, and I do not QT. though, I can certainly understand that an observation qt could be useful.

Thank you, sorry to hear that that happened to you. I agree with not treating fish, but I do qt. Learned that the hard way by having velvet wipe out my tank.

 

[Crabby48]

I hope mine don’t stress each other out, my end goal is to have a pin tail (already in dt) Mccoskers (in qt) as well as one other flasher and a halichoeres iridis along with other fish.

I had to move almost all the rocks so that makes a lot of sense, as for the flukes would I see any other symptoms in the fish? I have two others in that same tank and want to make sure I won’t be adding them to my display with flukes

That is a fantastic list of fish and should live together great. As long as you have a proper size tank for them. Wrasse do good once in a display they like as natural settings as possible. Your list has wrasse with similar temperaments and you most have done your home work. Share photos of your wrasse in wrasse livers thread!

 

[Lps_lover12]

That is a fantastic list of fish and should live together great. As long as you have a proper size tank for them. Wrasse do good once in a display they like as natural settings as possible. Your list has wrasse with similar temperaments and you most have done your home work. Share photos of your wrasse in wrasse livers thread!

Yes I definitely have! My tank is almost a year old and I currently have 5 fish in it, I have really taken my time with it and am happy I didn’t rush things

 

[AydenLincoln]

Definitely from stress/being unnecessary and 4 minutes in freshwater is a long time and will absolutely kill a saltwater fish! Lesson learned not to do a freshwater dip ever again on a saltwater fish.

 

[Crabby48]

Yes I definitely have! My tank is almost a year old and I currently have 5 fish in it, I have really taken my time with it and am happy I didn’t rush things

Keep at it don’t get frustrated. Juvenile wrasse are the best chance. Keep sizes similar and add them in groups to established wrasse helps. Or add them fast. That said you don’t have to but makes it easier. If adding one to established wrasse an acclimation box is smart. Alows new wrasse to see the tank and find a home while getting to know other fish. Also you see how other fish react to the new one. Unfortunately we all loose a wrasse but we can only do so much. Keep it up

 

[Lps_lover12]

Definitely from stress/being unnecessary and 4 minutes in freshwater is a long time and will absolutely kill a saltwater fish! Lesson learned not to do a freshwater dip ever again on a saltwater fish.

From everything I read it says 5 mins is the max. Only reason I did a dip was because I wanted to check for flukes. But yes lesson learned don’t do a dip unless theirs symptoms of a disease

 

[Crabby48]

Let’s add some positive for flashers

 

[Lps_lover12]

Keep at it don’t get frustrated. Juvenile wrasse are the best chance. Keep sizes similar and add them in groups to established wrasse helps. Or add them fast. That said you don’t have to but makes it easier. If adding one to established wrasse an acclimation box is smart. Alows new wrasse to see the tank and find a home while getting to know other fish. Also you see how other fish react to the new one. Unfortunately we all loose a wrasse but we can only do so much. Keep it up

I need to get an acclimation box because the pin tail has been in there for 2 and a half months so we will see how he acts, been very peaceful with all other fish and is best friends with my royal gramma

 

[Lps_lover12]

Let’s add some positive for flashers

Oh my, that’s is by far the nicest flasher I have seen! I imagine they have quite a high price tag because of how rare they are right?