Melanurus Wrasse Swimming Erratically

[cjpitt80]

My melanurus wrasse, Rainbow, has been swimming oddly for the last day. He still eats and seems to be breathing okay, but he’s swimming in circles and kind of swirling around. He also slept out in the open ON TOP of the sand last night which he’s never done in the year since I’ve had him. I havent noticed any stringy poop or anything or swimming upside down, he just seems like he’s dizzy. This is what he looks like https://photos.app.goo.gl/iNczRXfcsdo87AQT7
Any idea what it is? From my research I’m guessing a swim bladder issue or constipation thing.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I don't think it is a swim bladder issue - in those cases, the fish is either negative or positively buoyant. The fish either struggles to stay off the surface or sinks if it stops swimming. Your fish just curves on the horizontal plane. I've seen this issue with fairy wrasses and it seems to be neurological with them. In those cases, the fish looks good, eats o.k., but swims in circles. Nobody knows what causes this and I've not heard of any cure. On the other hand, your fish has only had the symptom for a day, so perhaps it will pass....

Jay

 

[cjpitt80]

I don't think it is a swim bladder issue - in those cases, the fish is either negative or positively buoyant. The fish either struggles to stay off the surface or sinks if it stops swimming. Your fish just curves on the horizontal plane. I've seen this issue with fairy wrasses and it seems to be neurological with them. In those cases, the fish looks good, eats o.k., but swims in circles. Nobody knows what causes this and I've not heard of any cure. On the other hand, your fish has only had the symptom for a day, so perhaps it will pass....

Jay

Yeah it's weird. Just started swimming like that earlier today. Like I said, only other weird thing was that he didn't sleep under the sand last night or tonight.....??

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Yeah it's weird. Just started swimming like that earlier today. Like I said, only other weird thing was that he didn't sleep under the sand last night or tonight.....??

I’m not sure what that means, the other wrasses I’ve seen with the similar symptoms were non burrowing species.
Jay

 

[cjpitt80]

Yeah, he's holed up sleeping under some rocks next to my Foxface. Hopefully he'll come out for breakfast in the morning and I can evaluate him then, thanks.

 

[cjpitt80]

Update:
He was out about swimming erratically this morning. However, he did NOT seem interested in food. I have him down in the hospital tank now and he's just on the bottom looking around being lethargic. He occasionally moves around, but seems unable to right himself. Breathing seems okay... I started a dose of API General Cure so we'll see. I also have E.M. Erythromycin. I see no lesions, sores, swellings, or anything on him, so I have no idea what's going on.... Everyone else in the DT seems to be fine and behaving normally, including the closely related timor orange dashed wrasse..

Anybody else care to chime in?

 

[sfin52]

Possibly injured diving under the sand. Any rocks or shells buried

 

[cjpitt80]

Yeah DT is about 3" sand with various rocks and shells from CUC. I don't' see anything of note on his body. I guess it's just a wait and see situation now...

 

[SaltyT]

Looks neurological maybe a spinal injury from getting spooked and darting into something. He's not using his tail in the video he needs the use of his tail to get enough momentum to bury into the sand that's why the poor guy isn't burying himself. If it is from a spinal injury he'll either improve with time or go downhill. Sorry try your best to get him to eat and keep us posted on how he's doing.

 

[JayStro81]

I've had this happen to 2 melanarus. I gave up on trying to keep this fish. I believe they both got spooked and hurt themselves diving into the sand.

 

[cjpitt80]

Unfortunately, it's not looking very good for Rainbow. He showed no interest in food this morning and it now listing and swimming upside down when he moves.https://photos.app.goo.gl/BVjvuj2K9dAN5U8R7

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photos.app.goo.gl

Any last ditch efforts???
I tell ya, this hobby can really be a shot in the #&^@ sometimes! I FINALLY get stability, corals looking nice, even growing a few acros then out of the blue this happens. Seemingly super healthy, never given me any problems, been in the tank over a year, then one day...BAM. Arrgh

 

[theocorals537]

This happened to mine when he attempted to bail out and hurt himself. He was able to turn it around on his own but each case is different

 

[cjpitt80]

So yesterday morn, I noticed his belly looked swollen and appears to be stringy poo, or something coming out. He's pretty much just upside down swimming in circles when he moves. No interest in food. No apparent difficulty breathing. https://photos.app.goo.gl/nxJ1tudAUJnyoxgo6

I added the 2nd dose of API General Cure, but I'm really not sure what else I can do. Any suggestions, PLEASE help me...

I hope I don't offend anyone with this, but it certainly doesn't seem to be getting any better. Are there any options for euthanasia? He just seems to be wasting away and suffering now.

 

[SaltyT]

He’s beyond saving, euthanasia is your best option at this point. Do you have any clove oil? It’ll be your quickest option than trying to obtain MS 222 at this point. So sorry

 

[cjpitt80]

No clove oil. Just API General Cure, Chloroquine Phosphate, Erythromycin. Fluconazole. And of curse regular stuff everyone has in the medicine cabinet and kitchen... THis friggin' sucks

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Sorry to see. Euthanizing fish without Clove oil or MS-222 is difficult. The fastest way is also the most distasteful - decapitation. Putting it in a container of water and freezing it is slower, but easier to do since the fish is out of view.
Jay

 

[Streetlamp]

Mine just started doing this today too. Would a fresh water dip help? My timor wrasse went the same way too a few months back.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Mine just started doing this today too. Would a fresh water dip help? My timor wrasse went the same way too a few months back.

There doesn’t seem to be anything specific to these cases that would indicate that a FW would help.
Jay

 

[cjpitt80]

So, as predicted Rainbow didn't get any better and had to be euthanized. Really sucks. He was the most inquisitive guy in the tank. His belly did end up getting swollen and he floated upside down on the surface. He seemed to be paralyzed from the pectoral fins back and I couldn't get him to eat anything for a week. Certainly didn't seem that he would miraculously get better so I made the decision to euthanize. Thanks for everyone who tried to help

 

[temple2101]

Sorry for you loss… this hobby can be tough sometimes, especially when you don’t know what happened. I have a melanurus as well. Such a cool (and sometimes crazy) fish!