leopard wrasse dying?

Colin_S · Sep 18, 2019

Hi guys

i got to be quick, i checked the forum but at the moment i don't have time to read loads of threads. i've been away for 10 days and need to clean the sand bed.
before i went away one of my 2 leopard wrasse has been hiding for about a week. This happened before but he came back out.
the tank is 1.5yrs old.
The Wrasse have been in there for about 10 months. They are not fully grown
the wrasse in question has been moving to various places but not been coming out in the day or night from what i can see, i think he just moves location.
nothing has changed in my tank for months, I'm running triton and my parameters are all good and consistent. i test regular every 10days and all is good.
i found the fish today, got him in a net, he made no attempt to swim away. i put him in a plastic tub within the DT and fed him mysis and brine but he wasn't interested. he's very skinny, weak and heavy breathing. i have added more surface aeration which was suggested in a thread i read. they're are no signs of any marks or wired behaviours on him. any suggestions?

LesPoissons · Sep 20, 2019

Internal parasites? Anything else been added to the tank? How is the other one?

Katrina71 · Sep 20, 2019

@Scurvy is the wrasse master. He might have some insight.

foxt · Sep 20, 2019

It may also be aggression between the two, perhaps one is maturing to a male. Can you isolate the frail one? From what you describe, it may be too late, but worth a try.

ca1ore · Sep 20, 2019

Picture would help. If skinny means pinching/weight loss behind the head, it's probably past the point when intervention will help.

Colin_S · Sep 20, 2019

i bought a qt tank and dosed with general cure, also made food with GC. put the wrasse into the qt, btw no aggression between the two wrasses, however pinching behind the head was exactly what he had. Came down the next morning and my copperband was stuck on my power head :mad:... he was skinny as well but copperbands generally look skinny... he wasn't good. put him in the qt as he wasn't swimming right, looked exhausted.. 24hrs later couldn't get any of them to eat and both died... gutted...