Red head solon fairy wrasse stressed?

Acros · Sep 10, 2020

I moved around the rocks today to add some corals and tweak my rockscape. My read head solon fairy wrasse is laying on the sand ever since and is breathing heavy. It is the only fish affected.

I have a six-line wrasse (1"), longfin fairy wrasse (2"), lawnmower blenny (4"), and a new chalk bass(1") who are all doing fine. There are no signs of aggression in the tank. No chasing around.

My parameters are looking good:

Ammonia - 0 ppm
Nitrites - 0 ppm
Nitrates - Can't really tell from the API test kit, looks 0 to me.

The tank is 3+ months old.

I did a 20% water change today before moving the rocks around.

I see some white spots on the fish's head. I have seen them before when this fish got stresses and it fades away after some time. As of the time I am posting this message, the spots have disappeared. My camera couldn't do any better.

Under blue lights.

Under white lights.

WIReefer · Sep 10, 2020

Could possibly be ich, if you see white dots present when stressed. Could you possibly get a better picture of the fish so we can see spots? I’ll see if anyone else with more experience can chime in!

Acros · Sep 10, 2020

I will create a new post with better pictures and use the emergency tag. #MODS please close this.

eatbreakfast · Sep 10, 2020

Seems just scared. Ich wouldn't normally manifest itself so quickly, though the stress can make it more susceptible. I would bet it got scared during your activity and darted into the side of the tank trying to escape. Just keep things calm around the tank and it should settle.

WIReefer · Sep 10, 2020

#Fishexperts

Acros · Sep 10, 2020

I made a new thread using the emergency tag and added a new pic.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/white-spots-appear-and-disappear-on-wrasse.757217/

evolved · Sep 10, 2020

eatbreakfast said:
Seems just scared.

Agree; the coloration is simply a stress response.

Acros · Sep 10, 2020

The white patterns have faded significantly. The fish is still staying in the corner. Thank you everyone for commenting on this thread.

Acros · Sep 11, 2020

The fish is still very stressed and the white patterns have returned. The fish is breathing a lot heavier/faster now, stay on the sand bed and has stopped eating.

I did a water test today:

salinity: 1.025
ph: 8.0
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: looks like 0 to me.

Should I check any other parameters?

Acros · Sep 11, 2020

The fish is progressively getting worse.

Will it help to move this fish to quarantine? I do not see any fish or inverts bothering this wrasse.

All my torchus snails (6) suddenly dies as well. The bumblebee snails are doing well. All other fish are doing well.

Acros · Sep 13, 2020

Update: The fish has started to eat again. The stress coloration has fully vanished. The fish still stays on the sand bed most of the time tho.

mattzang · Sep 13, 2020

how big is your tank? i noticed after awhile i had an orangeback fairy wrasse in a 20g QT tank and it kinda would just lounge around, i don't think it was happy. it'd kinda hang under a rock like a goby

could also be getting bullied by the sixline when it goes to swim around

or it got injured in the way eatbreakfast mentioned and so hopefully it's healing

Acros · Sep 13, 2020

The tank is a 29g. That is not great for the fish. I think the 6-line is not yet sexually mature and hence does not bother any other fish. I know the peace won’t last long. I am considering re-homing the red-headed solon wrasse. I want it to heal/feel less stressed before I do anything.

evolved · Sep 13, 2020

jamesdomini4 said:
The tank is a 29g. That is not great for the fish. I think the 6-line is not yet sexually mature and hence does not bother any other fish. I know the peace won’t last long. I am considering re-homing the red-headed solon wrasse. I want it to heal/feel less stressed before I do anything.

Oh, there's the source of the issue. Way too small of a tank, I'm afraid.