new wrasse - lying on side and breathing heavily - HELP

[spiraling]

Hi all,
I had a hooded wrasse shipped to me today form LA. I was honestly not expecting it but was able to get 5 gallons matched for salinity and temp, floated the bag then opened the bag and put her in the tank. (10 gal BB) I'm making more water now. I added prime.

No signs of interest of eating mysis or blood worms

She hid in a tube since lunch ( a few hours ago), then swam around for a few minutes looking OK. she does have a big fluke (?? off white 1/8 inch attachment) on her head. She is breathing rapidly (but not super frantic) and is now lying on her side. I don't see any white spots. Color is good except for white stress marks in regular patterns.

I have the prazipro ready as soon as I can add the new water. will that be enough?

Hard to get a good shot as she is propped against the side an I didn't want to move her.

 

[Gablami]

When I get wrasses into a QT tank where there's no sand or rock, they will often cram in a corner and act dead. This could be normal for a new arrival.

 

[saltyhog]

Agree with Gablami. They will often "play dead" when first introduced. The stress marking are almost always visible when mine have done that.

Turn off any lights on the tank and just have subdued ambient lighting and leave him undisturbed for a while. I would wait a while before trying to feed him again as they usually aren't receptive to food when they're doing this.

 

[spiraling]

Thanks for the reassurance. No lights on the tank. I will suck out the food.
good news, the seachem ammonia badge I ordered for this tank also arrived today. Ammonia is 0.

 

[4FordFamily]

I also agree that new wrasse act dead when stressed a lot. Can you post a pic of the parasite you mention?

 

[spiraling]

I also agree that new wrasse act dead when stressed a lot. Can you post a pic of the parasite you mention?

hhmmmm - no. Its not there. Now I'm wondering if it was a little piece of mysis. We both saw it (so I'm not imaging it on the new fish!)
It did rub against the rocks when we saw it, so I assumed fluke. Maybe it knockd it off? Either way I'll dose prazi tonight.
Now its playing dead / swimming / breathing air at the top / playing dead
There is an airline in the tank and a heater. Its gone to the top for air several (10+) times. Might just be exploring, might be gasping for air, hard to tell.
there is no PH or filter on the tank.

 

[4FordFamily]

hhmmmm - no. Its not there. Now I'm wondering if it was a little piece of mysis. We both saw it (so I'm not imaging it on the new fish!)
It did rub against the rocks when we saw it, so I assumed fluke. Maybe it knockd it off? Either way I'll dose prazi tonight.
Now its playing dead / swimming / breathing air at the top / playing dead
There is an airline in the tank and a heater. Its gone to the top for air several (10+) times. Might just be exploring, might be gasping for air, hard to tell.
there is no PH or filter on the tank.

I would get it eating and established in qt before dosing prazi, personally. They don’t do well to transport nor meds — necessary evil (both), but allow for some recovery time, say a few days to a week.

 

[spiraling]

I would get it eating and established in qt before dosing prazi, personally. They don’t do well to transport nor meds — necessary evil (both), but allow for some recovery time, say a few days to a week.

So hold off on prazi until it eats for a day or two? Will do. It certainly rubbed on the rocks (as did the flasher I got from LA last week) so I would like to get prazi in there soon.

 

[spiraling]

holy cow. suddenly dead.
no ammonia, no visual signs of velvet (as far as I can tell)... nothing.
just gone.

 

[Humblefish]

holy cow. suddenly dead.
no ammonia, no visual signs of velvet (as far as I can tell)... nothing.
just gone.

Drop the body in freshwater (tap is fine) to check for flukes. Within 5 minutes you should see little white sesame seed looking things drop off if this fish had flukes.

 

[saltyhog]

Something catastrophic then. Ich and flukes don't kill that fast usually. I bet it was velvet.

So sorry for your loss! I don't think it was anything you did, just an unhealthy fish.

 

[Humblefish]

Flukes will look like this in the FW dip:

 

[4FordFamily]

Something catastrophic then. Ich and flukes don't kill that fast usually. I bet it was velvet.

So sorry for your loss! I don't think it was anything you did, just an unhealthy fish.

Agree.

Scratching for a wrasse may be velvet— they’re not particularly susceptible to ich, or impacted by it as severely as other fish.

However flukes are just as possible, as humble said.

 

[4FordFamily]

How long was the bag open before the fish was in the qt?

 

[spiraling]

How long was the bag open before the fish was in the qt?

less than 5 minutes. I had the water to 1.018 and tested the bag and it was the same. Netted her into the tank

Here are pictures. I did not see any 'seasame seed' type things after a tapwater dip. I think there are small white things in the water though. very small, less than salt. Velvet??

 

[4FordFamily]

less than 5 minutes. I had the water to 1.018 and tested the bag and it was the same. Netted her into the tank

Here are pictures. I did not see any 'seasame seed' type things after a tapwater dip. I think there are small white things in the water though. very small, less than salt. Velvet??

You wouldn’t be able to see velvet after a dip. It may have had internal parasites or just poorly shipped, too. Sorry for your loss!

 

[spiraling]

You wouldn’t be able to see velvet after a dip. It may have had internal parasites or just poorly shipped, too. Sorry for your loss!

thanks, it really really sucks. I had one arrive dead last week and its taking a toll on me.

 

[Gablami]

Awww man, that sucks. Sorry for your loss. Wrasses and gobies can be really touchy.