Need help trying to diagnose sick wrasse

[Tim92G]

Yesterday morning I noticed my Melanarus wrasse laying on his side on the sandbed and breathing rapidly for a period of time then getting back up and swimming around again. His mouth is constantly wide open, but he still has an appetite and is eating normally. His stomach and sides looks full and he has normal poop. Physically, he looks completely normal. No signs of ich or velvet spots and his gills aren't inflamed. No other fish are sick and all parameters are normal. He woke up from beneath the sandbed a bit late today and seemed to be better. He was swimming around much more and was sitting upright on the bottom instead of on his side. He's still breathing faster than usual though and his mouth is still open. Does anyone have any advice? I have a QT ready and several medications but I have no idea what I should treat him for.

 

[CoralB]

Possibly might have ate a bristle worm that might have got caught on the way down . I had one that couldnt completely close his mouth for about a week because of a piece of bristle worm . It eventually worked its way either out or down and it was fine afterwards . Check to see if you can if this might be the issue .

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Yesterday morning I noticed my Melanarus wrasse laying on his side on the sandbed and breathing rapidly for a period of time then getting back up and swimming around again. His mouth is constantly wide open, but he still has an appetite and is eating normally. His stomach and sides looks full and he has normal poop. Physically, he looks completely normal. No signs of ich or velvet spots and his gills aren't inflamed. No other fish are sick and all parameters are normal. He woke up from beneath the sandbed a bit late today and seemed to be better. He was swimming around much more and was sitting upright on the bottom instead of on his side. He's still breathing faster than usual though and his mouth is still open. Does anyone have any advice? I have a QT ready and several medications but I have no idea what I should treat him for.

Tough to say without more specific symptoms to give us some leads. At this point, it’s just ADR - Ain’t Doin Right

How long have you had the fish?
Can you post a video?

Jay

 

[Tim92G]

Tough to say without more specific symptoms to give us some leads. At this point, it’s just ADR - Ain’t Doin Right

How long have you had the fish?
Can you post a video?

Jay

For about a year and a half. I will post a video tomorrow.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Agree on posting a video and pics under white lighting. Mouth open on wrasses are due to lockjaw or lack of oxygen. Not uncommon to see wrasses with jaw issues.

 

[Tim92G]

Possibly might have ate a bristle worm that might have got caught on the way down . I had one that couldnt completely close his mouth for about a week because of a piece of bristle worm . It eventually worked its way either out or down and it was fine afterwards . Check to see if you can if this might be the issue .

I know he hunts a lot in the sand usually for small snails so it's quite possible. I guess I'll try to shine a flashlight into his mouth to try to get a look.

 

[Tim92G]

Agree on posting a video and pics under white lighting. Mouth open on wrasses are due to lockjaw or lack of oxygen. Not uncommon to see wrasses with jaw issues.

What is most likely to cause a lack of 02? Gill flukes? I really don't think it could be velvet since all current fish in my tank have been quarantined and treated with copper power for at least 60 days although there is always a chance.

 

[vetteguy53081]

What is most likely to cause a lack of 02? Gill flukes? I really don't think it could be velvet since all current fish in my tank have been quarantined and treated with copper power for at least 60 days although there is always a chance.

You’ve had them in copper for 60 days?
O2 would be elevated temperature, elevated nitrate or ammonia, high metabolism, over feeding and heterotrophic bacteria

 

[Jay Hemdal]

For about a year and a half. I will post a video tomorrow.

The bristleworm/foreign body ingestion that was mentioned is a possibility. The fact that it is still eating kind of points away from that though. It is unusual for a long term captive like this to just develop a random disease.

Jay

 

[Tim92G]

Of course with my luck I dropped my phone and can't upload any pics or vids. Last night, I happened to see a white piece of something hanging from the anal area, but it was not like stringy poop. Unfortunately I can't upload it. HIs symptoms have not abated nor worsened. I think I should treat for internal parasites. The only medications I have right now are PraziPro, Copper Power, API general cure, and Ruby Reef Rally Pro. I have never treated an internal parasitic infection like this before so any help is greatly appreciated.

Edit: I also found Metroplex and Seachem Focus for medicating food forgot I had that

 

[Tim92G]

Also saw no bristleworms in his mouth.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Of course with my luck I dropped my phone and can't upload any pics or vids. Last night, I happened to see a white piece of something hanging from the anal area, but it was not like stringy poop. Unfortunately I can't upload it. HIs symptoms have not abated nor worsened. I think I should treat for internal parasites. The only medications I have right now are PraziPro, Copper Power, API general cure, and Ruby Reef Rally Pro. I have never treated an internal parasitic infection like this before so any help is greatly appreciated.

Edit: I also found Metroplex and Seachem Focus for medicating food forgot I had that

Sorry, I missed this post (I just saw your later one about there being no bristleworms)

How is the fish?
Is it still eating?

Of the medications you listed, the prazipro would be the first to try. Then, if you can mix up your own food, and if you have a gram scale, you can mix metroplex and focus. Don't follow the instructions though, you need to dose it more accurately. 10 mg per gram of food is the proper dose.

Jay

 

[Tim92G]

Sorry, I missed this post (I just saw your later one about there being no bristleworms)

How is the fish?
Is it still eating?

Of the medications you listed, the prazipro would be the first to try. Then, if you can mix up your own food, and if you have a gram scale, you can mix metroplex and focus. Don't follow the instructions though, you need to dose it more accurately. 10 mg per gram of food is the proper dose.

Jay

Sorry for the late reply. So I got him into quarantine Monday night and treated with General Cure for 2 doses. For the first 48 hours he didn't eat at all and was laying on his side all day
. I observed stringy looking round worms coming out of his anus, as well as his gills and eyes/nostrils. Yesterday I got him to eat PE mysis w/metroplex twice, butt only once today. He is now having trouble swimming and going upside down. I don't know if this is due to stress or because of a secondary bacterial Infection. Should I dose Metroplex into the QT since he didn't eat much today? I plan on getting Kanaplex from my LFS tomorrow.

 

[Tim92G]

I also thought maybe I should give him a bath in Ruby Reef Rally Pro for 60-90 mins tonight for possible sepsis although I have only ever used it for ich and velvet.

 

[Tim92G]

You’ve had them in copper for 60 days?
O2 would be elevated temperature, elevated nitrate or ammonia, high metabolism, over feeding and heterotrophic bacteria

Yes I once had several fish In copper for about 2 months because ich returned after copper concentration fell below 2 ppm.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Sorry for the late reply. So I got him into quarantine Monday night and treated with General Cure for 2 doses. For the first 48 hours he didn't eat at all and was laying on his side all day
. I observed stringy looking round worms coming out of his anus, as well as his gills and eyes/nostrils. Yesterday I got him to eat PE mysis w/metroplex twice, butt only once today. He is now having trouble swimming and going upside down. I don't know if this is due to stress or because of a secondary bacterial Infection. Should I dose Metroplex into the QT since he didn't eat much today? I plan on getting Kanaplex from my LFS tomorrow.

If you are seeing worms, I would resort to prazi Pro. General cure is Metro based but not as potent as metro itself but fish may have reacted to metro as you cannot just drop it on food, but needs to be done by weight which is .5 grams (about the amount on a pencil tip) but formalin based is most effective for the worms especially is Piscicolidae Worms.
If you go to Prazi, dose at 85% of recommended and apply initial dosage known as an interval for 8 days, do a water change and do one more 8 day dose interval
Use airstone with prazi as it does reduce both oxygen and appetite

 

[ianw163]

Probably internal parasites

 

[Tim92G]

If you are seeing worms, I would resort to prazi Pro. General cure is Metro based but not as potent as metro itself but fish may have reacted to metro as you cannot just drop it on food, but needs to be done by weight which is .5 grams (about the amount on a pencil tip) but formalin based is most effective for the worms especially is Piscicolidae Worms.
If you go to Prazi, dose at 85% of recommended and apply initial dosage known as an interval for 8 days, do a water change and do one more 8 day dose interval
Use airstone with prazi as it does reduce both oxygen and appetite

Dosing prazi after 2 rounds of GC won't be too much on him? I've had a hydra sponge filter running with an Eheim controllable airpump in the QT so there is plenty of aeration.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Dosing prazi after 2 rounds of GC won't be too much on him? I've had a hydra sponge filter running with an Eheim controllable airpump in the QT so there is plenty of aeration.

I would do water change and switch over.

 

[Tim92G]

I treated with prazipro last night and saw a lot more worms coming out this morning. He's also starting to eat a little more. Could I add a measure of Neoplex to his food to treat a possible internal bacterial infection or sepsis? I don't have Kanaplex yet which I know is much better.