HELP! Exquisite Wrasse & Swim Bladder

[Kecka]

Need some help!

I have an Esquisste Wrasse who is exhibiting signs of swim blatter. Have had him for about four weeks, he has acclimated well and sustained no injuries. Last night he starting struggling to swim, bobbing, flipping uncontrollably, and struggling to find balance. However, when its feeding time he is able to concentrate and mister up the strength to swim to and eat food. He eats as normal.

Water parameters are good.

Was thinking about moving him to the refugium as he is really struggling and keeps running into corals (elegance, hammer coral, ect) and getting stung. Want to keep him protected but also dont want to stress him more by putting him in a new environment.

Any ideas or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Lovemyreef2015]

It doesn't look good to me. Let me tag some experts @Big G @Humblefish @HotRocks @4FordFamily

 

[4FordFamily]

Hmmm this is odd, @eatbreakfast @evolved — my initial feeling was spinal injury what say you?

Typically swimbladder issues present as a fish that’s overly buoyant.

 

[evolved]

Hmmm this is odd, @eatbreakfast @evolved — my initial feeling was spinal injury what say you?

Typically swimbladder issues present as a fish that’s overly buoyant.

I've seen this a couple times before and was told by a knowledge vendor that it's a neurological thing. Unfortunately there was nothing I could do about it (tried various antibiotics regardless), and the fish only lasted about a week. Sorry.

 

[4FordFamily]

I've seen this a couple times before and was told by a knowledge vendor that it's a neurological thing. Unfortunately there was nothing I could do about it (tried various antibiotics regardless), and the fish only lasted about a week. Sorry.

Yeah I wasn’t convinced. I’ve seen this before as well but had the same result :(

 

[Kecka]

Thanks everyone. Unfortunate prognosis; hes a really cool fish.

 

[Big G]

There is a fungal disease that effects the fish's internal organs often causing the fish to display "whirling" behaviors. You could consider dosing the fish in a QT with a formalin based product like Kordon Rid Ich+ or something similar with formalin like Hikari's Quik Ick X. Time is of the essence as the fungal disease spreads rapidly internally.

 

[drstardust]

Yeah, that's not likely a spinal injury. That's probably upstairs (brain). You can see it with different types of shock leading to hypoperfusion of the brain. Essentially...a fish having a stroke. It happened to me once in my novice years when I tried to adjust pH for a FW dip, and overdid it, bringing the FW pH to like >9. I didn't think it would matter since it was only a 5 min dip, but when it was done the fish came out looking exactly like this. Lasted a day before dying :(. The mistakes we make.

Sincerely,
Your friendly neighborhood fish neurologist

 

[Reefahholic]

Man, sorry to hear.