Mysterious Wrasse Deaths

[cmcimino]

Over the past months I have mysteriosly lost all three of the wrasses in my tank. I have a 48" long 120 gallon tank, stocking before my fish passed listed below:

2 Clownfish
Midas Blenny
Hectors Goby
McCosker Flasher Wrasse
Eight Line Flasher Wrasse
Rosy Scaled Fairy Wrasse
Tomini Tang
Pistol Shrimp
Various Hermit Crabs
Multiple Emerald Crabs
Various Snails

Before adding any new fish, I always put them in a quarantine tank for 2-3 weeks and run two rounds of prazi pro, and make sure the fish is eating healthy.

Before finding all of my fish wrasse dead, they had been eating and acting normal. There has been some aggression between the midas blenny and the wrasses. I've never witnessed it in person, but I did catch the blenny with a scale stuck in his mouth and one of the wrasses missing some scales along his dorsal fin. More details on that later.

The first wrasse to pass away was my rosy scaled fairy wrasse. No warning, just woke up one morning to it being handled by the clean up crew. The fish has been fairly bloated a month prior, but I just chalked it up to being from it eating a ton. The fish devoured food. The bloating seemed to correct itself, and the fish was still acting normal. I woke up one morning and it was on the sand bed being picked apart by the hermits and emerald crabs.

Next fish to go, about 3 weeks later, was the eight line flasher wrasse. Four days before it passing, it had some fairly severe damage from something. Not sure if it got beat up by the blenny, got spooked and hit the rock really hard or what, but it had some damage along the top of its back and along its dorsal fin. I immediately turned off the lights and let all the fish rest. The next day the wrasse was in much better shape. It was eating great, and the wounds it had were healing up. Woke up one morning and found it picked clean by the clean up crew.

Last fish to go (about a week and a half after the previous fish) was my McCosker flasher wrasse. This fish has had 0 issues. I woke up this morning to find it on the sand bed missing the back half of its body and a larger hermit crab eating it. The worst part about this, is the fish was still alive! It was missing its tail almost all the way up to it's vent. I knew the fish would more than likely not survive so I removed it and euthanized the fish.

I am at a complete loss on how I am losing these mostly healthy fish at random. I figured the rosy scaled may have had internal parasites and that was what was causing the bloating. I figured the eight line flasher succumbed to its injuries, but my McCosker has me totally lost and confused and I am starting to think that something is causing these deaths. They have all occured overnight and all of the fish have been eating up to the point of their death. Could the pistol shrimp be killing these fish? Could the larger hermit crab be killing these fish at night while they sleep? All of these wrasse sleep within the rock in their mucus cocoons, so they could easily be getting picked off one by one. The larger red legged hermit crab is in a small conch shell that is about 2" long.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. I am just at a complete loss and totally frustrated with losing these fish.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

#fishmedic

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Over the past months I have mysteriosly lost all three of the wrasses in my tank. I have a 48" long 120 gallon tank, stocking before my fish passed listed below:

2 Clownfish
Midas Blenny
Hectors Goby
McCosker Flasher Wrasse
Eight Line Flasher Wrasse
Rosy Scaled Fairy Wrasse
Tomini Tang
Pistol Shrimp
Various Hermit Crabs
Multiple Emerald Crabs
Various Snails

Before adding any new fish, I always put them in a quarantine tank for 2-3 weeks and run two rounds of prazi pro, and make sure the fish is eating healthy.

Before finding all of my fish wrasse dead, they had been eating and acting normal. There has been some aggression between the midas blenny and the wrasses. I've never witnessed it in person, but I did catch the blenny with a scale stuck in his mouth and one of the wrasses missing some scales along his dorsal fin. More details on that later.

The first wrasse to pass away was my rosy scaled fairy wrasse. No warning, just woke up one morning to it being handled by the clean up crew. The fish has been fairly bloated a month prior, but I just chalked it up to being from it eating a ton. The fish devoured food. The bloating seemed to correct itself, and the fish was still acting normal. I woke up one morning and it was on the sand bed being picked apart by the hermits and emerald crabs.

Next fish to go, about 3 weeks later, was the eight line flasher wrasse. Four days before it passing, it had some fairly severe damage from something. Not sure if it got beat up by the blenny, got spooked and hit the rock really hard or what, but it had some damage along the top of its back and along its dorsal fin. I immediately turned off the lights and let all the fish rest. The next day the wrasse was in much better shape. It was eating great, and the wounds it had were healing up. Woke up one morning and found it picked clean by the clean up crew.

Last fish to go (about a week and a half after the previous fish) was my McCosker flasher wrasse. This fish has had 0 issues. I woke up this morning to find it on the sand bed missing the back half of its body and a larger hermit crab eating it. The worst part about this, is the fish was still alive! It was missing its tail almost all the way up to it's vent. I knew the fish would more than likely not survive so I removed it and euthanized the fish.

I am at a complete loss on how I am losing these mostly healthy fish at random. I figured the rosy scaled may have had internal parasites and that was what was causing the bloating. I figured the eight line flasher succumbed to its injuries, but my McCosker has me totally lost and confused and I am starting to think that something is causing these deaths. They have all occured overnight and all of the fish have been eating up to the point of their death. Could the pistol shrimp be killing these fish? Could the larger hermit crab be killing these fish at night while they sleep? All of these wrasse sleep within the rock in their mucus cocoons, so they could easily be getting picked off one by one. The larger red legged hermit crab is in a small conch shell that is about 2" long.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. I am just at a complete loss and totally frustrated with losing these fish.

It doesn't sound like these three losses are necessarily related. Your CUC does seem pretty active, you might want to downsize the animals. They evidently caught the last fish while it was still alive, and might have caused the damage on the second fish. That hermit is larger than I would keep in a tank with fish. The first fish's bloating may not have been food related.

Other than a high oxygen demand, there isn't a lot of things specific to wrasses that would indicate a related factor here. Flasher and fairy wrasses can all be more delicate than other species.

 

[MnFish1]

I apologize haven't had time to review other responses - so if repeated , apologies again.

Over the past months I have mysteriosly lost all three of the wrasses in my tank. I have a 48" long 120 gallon tank, stocking before my fish passed listed below:

2 Clownfish
Midas Blenny
Hectors Goby
McCosker Flasher Wrasse
Eight Line Flasher Wrasse
Rosy Scaled Fairy Wrasse
Tomini Tang
Pistol Shrimp
Various Hermit Crabs
Multiple Emerald Crabs
Various Snails

Before adding any new fish, I always put them in a quarantine tank for 2-3 weeks and run two rounds of prazi pro, and make sure the fish is eating healthy.

This is not considered an adequate quarantine protocol, i.e. Ich, etc can still be present.

Before finding all of my fish wrasse dead, they had been eating and acting normal. There has been some aggression between the midas blenny and the wrasses. I've never witnessed it in person, but I did catch the blenny with a scale stuck in his mouth and one of the wrasses missing some scales along his dorsal fin. More details on that later.

It seems like you have at least an aggresssion/stress problem. And it's common not to observe aggression. As Vetteguy has suggested previously in other posts, stand away from the tank. or Try a video camera

The first wrasse to pass away was my rosy scaled fairy wrasse. No warning, just woke up one morning to it being handled by the clean up crew. The fish has been fairly bloated a month prior, but I just chalked it up to being from it eating a ton. The fish devoured food. The bloating seemed to correct itself, and the fish was still acting normal. I woke up one morning and it was on the sand bed being picked apart by the hermits and emerald crabs.

Unclear - assuming you didn't see any spots or other disease - but with the hermits, etc - it's hard to tell. also assume there was no neurological issue noted. Also would help to know when this fish was put in the tank

Next fish to go, about 3 weeks later, was the eight line flasher wrasse. Four days before it passing, it had some fairly severe damage from something. Not sure if it got beat up by the blenny, got spooked and hit the rock really hard or what, but it had some damage along the top of its back and along its dorsal fin. I immediately turned off the lights and let all the fish rest. The next day the wrasse was in much better shape. It was eating great, and the wounds it had were healing up. Woke up one morning and found it picked clean by the clean up crew.

I would assume this aggression. Turning off lights and rest will not help if there is aggression/an injury and a possible infection.

Last fish to go (about a week and a half after the previous fish) was my McCosker flasher wrasse. This fish has had 0 issues. I woke up this morning to find it on the sand bed missing the back half of its body and a larger hermit crab eating it. The worst part about this, is the fish was still alive! It was missing its tail almost all the way up to it's vent. I knew the fish would more than likely not survive so I removed it and euthanized the fish.

True. It is unlikely that the crabs are doing this to the fish - but it's possible.

I am at a complete loss on how I am losing these mostly healthy fish at random. I figured the rosy scaled may have had internal parasites and that was what was causing the bloating. I figured the eight line flasher succumbed to its injuries, but my McCosker has me totally lost and confused and I am starting to think that something is causing these deaths. They have all occured overnight and all of the fish have been eating up to the point of their death. Could the pistol shrimp be killing these fish? Could the larger hermit crab be killing these fish at night while they sleep? All of these wrasse sleep within the rock in their mucus cocoons, so they could easily be getting picked off one by one. The larger red legged hermit crab is in a small conch shell that is about 2" long.

The fact that none of the non-wrasses/larger fish are having problems mitigates against disease - but there may be a wrasse disease out there (besides the known wrasse neuro disease). Aggression seems the most likely. Your quarantine protocol is not great - but again disease is unlikely. I wonder is it possibile you have a more aggressive hitchhiker? I would put the crab int the sump. Additionally, I might not add so many types of wrasse to a tank so quickly. I would start with 1. and wait 3-4 months and see how it does.

Any input would be greatly appreciated. I am just at a complete loss and totally frustrated with losing these fish.

Unfortunately it is frustrating. Sorry you're going through this

 

[cmcimino]

I apologize haven't had time to review other responses - so if repeated , apologies again.

This is not considered an adequate quarantine protocol, i.e. Ich, etc can still be present.

It seems like you have at least an aggresssion/stress problem. And it's common not to observe aggression. As Vetteguy has suggested previously in other posts, stand away from the tank. or Try a video camera

Unclear - assuming you didn't see any spots or other disease - but with the hermits, etc - it's hard to tell. also assume there was no neurological issue noted. Also would help to know when this fish was put in the tank

I would assume this aggression. Turning off lights and rest will not help if there is aggression/an injury and a possible infection.


True. It is unlikely that the crabs are doing this to the fish - but it's possible.

The fact that none of the non-wrasses/larger fish are having problems mitigates against disease - but there may be a wrasse disease out there (besides the known wrasse neuro disease). Aggression seems the most likely. Your quarantine protocol is not great - but again disease is unlikely. I wonder is it possibile you have a more aggressive hitchhiker? I would put the crab int the sump. Additionally, I might not add so many types of wrasse to a tank so quickly. I would start with 1. and wait 3-4 months and see how it does.


Unfortunately it is frustrating. Sorry you're going through this

Appreciate the response on this! My tank is roughly 9 months old. I moved my clowns and the blenny in first as they came from my previous tank. Tang, goby and wrasses were all added fairly spread out (at least a month between).

I was also ruling out disease as the other fish seem to be unaffected. Also, my wrasse have been dying one by one at a time. I'll remove the hermit in case he's causing the problem. I can't think of any larger hitchhikers that would be in the tank. I started with all dry rock and dry sand. I havent added any rock work of size to the system since I started it. Could the pistol shrimp be attacking the fish? I wouldn't think this is likely it, but could definitley incapacitate a fish. The pistol shrimp is definitley most active at night so it would line up with timing of deaths.

 

[helmsreef]

How big is your blenny? From personal experience, I had a 5" Starry blenny and that guy was absolutely relentless when it came to his territory. He would chase fish all over, I eventually had to re-home him. Not sure if that is the case but sometimes you have some mean butt blennies

 

[cmcimino]

How big is your blenny? From personal experience, I had a 5" Starry blenny and that guy was absolutely relentless when it came to his territory. He would chase fish all over, I eventually had to re-home him. Not sure if that is the case but sometimes you have some mean butt blennies

He's every bit of 4 to 5 inches. Hes can defintiley get aggressive. I've seen my wrasses missing scales multiple times, and I've caught him with a scale stuck in his mouth.

 

[helmsreef]

He's every bit of 4 to 5 inches. Hes can defintiley get aggressive. I've seen my wrasses missing scales multiple times, and I've caught him with a scale stuck in his mouth.

Maybe you got a murdering blenny lol

 

[cmcimino]

Maybe you got a murdering blenny lol

not my meeps!

 

[56longroof]

It definitely sounds like the blenny is stressing new additions. Stress can be just as detrimental to fish health as disease.

 

[MnFish1]

Appreciate the response on this! My tank is roughly 9 months old. I moved my clowns and the blenny in first as they came from my previous tank. Tang, goby and wrasses were all added fairly spread out (at least a month between).

I was also ruling out disease as the other fish seem to be unaffected. Also, my wrasse have been dying one by one at a time. I'll remove the hermit in case he's causing the problem. I can't think of any larger hitchhikers that would be in the tank. I started with all dry rock and dry sand. I havent added any rock work of size to the system since I started it. Could the pistol shrimp be attacking the fish? I wouldn't think this is likely it, but could definitley incapacitate a fish. The pistol shrimp is definitley most active at night so it would line up with timing of deaths.

Thanks - at least it's not a hidden mantis shrimp, (I had one once). Usually hermit crabs are pretty benign - but I can see one going rogue. There are reports of both wrasses killing crabs and vice versa