How to quarantine wrasses?

[xzt]

I purchased a Split-fin hogfish (Bodianus mesothorax) about 8cm in size a week ago and have been performing TTM (Tank Transfer Method) quarantine on it. Everything was normal for the first three days, and the fish seemed about to start eating. However, this morning I noticed obvious redness and congestion on its back and belly. It was still fine when I checked last night, and I suspect it may have been caused by the fish lying on my heater to sleep. I am using a stainless steel heater placed at the bottom of the bucket. Although I provided PVC pipes for it—and it slept inside the pipes for the first three days—I have never kept wrasses before and forgot about their habit of resting on surfaces when sleeping. So, I didn’t provide a guard for the heater. I'm wondering if there are other quarantine methods I could use? For example, using Copper Power and praziquantel? Or a freshwater dip?

 

[xzt]

 

[vetteguy53081]

I purchased a Split-fin hogfish (Bodianus mesothorax) about 8cm in size a week ago and have been performing TTM (Tank Transfer Method) quarantine on it. Everything was normal for the first three days, and the fish seemed about to start eating. However, this morning I noticed obvious redness and congestion on its back and belly. It was still fine when I checked last night, and I suspect it may have been caused by the fish lying on my heater to sleep. I am using a stainless steel heater placed at the bottom of the bucket. Although I provided PVC pipes for it—and it slept inside the pipes for the first three days—I have never kept wrasses before and forgot about their habit of resting on surfaces when sleeping. So, I didn’t provide a guard for the heater. I'm wondering if there are other quarantine methods I could use? For example, using Copper Power and praziquantel? Or a freshwater dip?

Im not a fan of TTM which causes much stress on certain fish. This fish shows injury/scratches and question is it from flashing/scratching or actual injury. You can safely use chelated form od copper - Coppersafe at 2.15 for 30 days

 

[xzt]

I euthanized it and performed a necropsy. The examination revealed that the fish did not die from a burn but was severely infected with a parasitic disease. I detected a large number of ciliates in the affected area. I'm not sure what it's called in the United States, but it's suspected to be Uronema. This is a facultative parasite that I often find on decaying fish. It also causes infections and deaths in fish with weakened immune systems. When I cut into the muscle at the lesion site, I found that the inflammation was not limited to the epidermis but had reached the muscle tissue. Additionally, the reddened lesions were symmetrically distributed on both sides of the fish's body, which ruled out the possibility of a burn. However, this all happened very quickly—the redness and swelling appeared almost overnight. I'm considering whether I should prophylactically treat the remaining two clownfish, perhaps with chloroquine phosphate.This is the first time I've encountered this issue with a fish I purchased. I suspect it might be related to my infrequent use of the TTM (Tank Transfer Method) for quarantine. The TTM process lacks filtration and water flow, and the mucus on wrasses provides nutrients for this type of facultative parasite. But the progression was extremely rapid.

 

[xzt]

Should I administer preventive treatment to the two remaining clownfish?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I euthanized it and performed a necropsy. The examination revealed that the fish did not die from a burn but was severely infected with a parasitic disease. I detected a large number of ciliates in the affected area. I'm not sure what it's called in the United States, but it's suspected to be Uronema. This is a facultative parasite that I often find on decaying fish. It also causes infections and deaths in fish with weakened immune systems. When I cut into the muscle at the lesion site, I found that the inflammation was not limited to the epidermis but had reached the muscle tissue. Additionally, the reddened lesions were symmetrically distributed on both sides of the fish's body, which ruled out the possibility of a burn. However, this all happened very quickly—the redness and swelling appeared almost overnight. I'm considering whether I should prophylactically treat the remaining two clownfish, perhaps with chloroquine phosphate.This is the first time I've encountered this issue with a fish I purchased. I suspect it might be related to my infrequent use of the TTM (Tank Transfer Method) for quarantine. The TTM process lacks filtration and water flow, and the mucus on wrasses provides nutrients for this type of facultative parasite. But the progression was extremely rapid.

Yes, that is a scuticociliate, probably Uronema marinum. The presentation of your case is classical - a new fish, or a susceptible species, showing symptoms within a week or so of being acquired. Actually, the lesions most likely developed internally and then spread to the surface of the skin. Treating internal Uronema is really impossible. Luckily, it is not very contagious. I don't know why wrasse, anthias and chromis develop it while travelling through the supply chain, but it rarely spreads to other fish.

Uronema, as you pointed out, is not an obligate parasite. It can be found in most mature aquariums, where it is a scavenger that feeds on bacteria.

Chloroquine has been shown to kill it in its free living state. Copper won't help, and for sure TTM will do nothing.

Here is an article I wrote on this disease:
https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/uronema-red-band-disease-hemdal.788/

 

[xzt]

Yes, that is a scuticociliate, probably Uronema marinum. The presentation of your case is classical - a new fish, or a susceptible species, showing symptoms within a week or so of being acquired. Actually, the lesions most likely developed internally and then spread to the surface of the skin. Treating internal Uronema is really impossible. Luckily, it is not very contagious. I don't know why wrasse, anthias and chromis develop it while travelling through the supply chain, but it rarely spreads to other fish.

Uronema, as you pointed out, is not an obligate parasite. It can be found in most mature aquariums, where it is a scavenger that feeds on bacteria.

Chloroquine has been shown to kill it in its free living state. Copper won't help, and for sure TTM will do nothing.

Here is an article I wrote on this disease:
https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/uronema-red-band-disease-hemdal.788/

How should wrasses be quarantined? Do you recommend performing a medicated bath with deworming medication immediately or the next day after the new fish arrives?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

How should wrasses be quarantined? Do you recommend performing a medicated bath with deworming medication immediately or the next day after the new fish arrives?

I quarantine wrasses/hogfish/parrotfish the same as all tropical marine fish. However, I tend to avoid species that are known "poor doers"; like Macropharyngodon, Stethojulis and some Anampses. I also avoid wrasse that are known to develop Uronema (notably the yellow wrasse, Halichoeres chrysus).

I typically don't "de-worm" fish, unless there are symptoms of internal problems. My general QT process uses prazi, which helps with tapeworms. Nematode worms are a bit of an issue - tough to treat, tough to diagnose. I most cases, I work to prevent external protozoan diseases first, and then work on external flukes.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/current-quarantine-protocol.825055/

 

[xzt]

I quarantine wrasses/hogfish/parrotfish the same as all tropical marine fish. However, I tend to avoid species that are known "poor doers"; like Macropharyngodon, Stethojulis and some Anampses. I also avoid wrasse that are known to develop Uronema (notably the yellow wrasse, Halichoeres chrysus).

I typically don't "de-worm" fish, unless there are symptoms of internal problems. My general QT process uses prazi, which helps with tapeworms. Nematode worms are a bit of an issue - tough to treat, tough to diagnose. I most cases, I work to prevent external protozoan diseases first, and then work on external flukes.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/current-quarantine-protocol.825055/

Thank you for your reply. I have carefully studied all your articles, and they have been very helpful to me. I am not very familiar with wrasse, so I plan to purchase another Split-fin hogfish (*Bodianus mesothorax*) and quarantine it using Copper Power.