Salinity Shock from Acclimation

[PGT253]

I got a flame wrasse from LA yesterday. I did a 30 mins MB bath prior placing her into my QT. SG of bath and QT is ~ 1.019 - 1.020 and water from the bag the fish came in had ~ 1.018-1.019. I just scooped and dropped her straight into the new waters after temp acclimation. This morning the wrasse looked stressed (white marks + breathing hard). Is the 0.001 SG difference too harsh for the fish? What can I do at this point to help? Thank you.

 

[EmdeReef]

I got a flame wrasse from LA yesterday. I did a 30 mins MB bath prior placing her into my QT. SG of bath and QT is ~ 1.019 - 1.020 and water from the bag the fish came in had ~ 1.018-1.019. I just scooped and dropped her straight into the new waters after temp acclimation. This morning the wrasse looked stressed (white marks + breathing hard). Is the 0.001 SG difference too harsh for the fish? What can I do at this point to help? Thank you.

The difference shouldn't cause the problem. What does MB stand for? What kind of white marks are you seeing now? Able to post a pic?

 

[Big G]

Can we get a picture to help? Did you aerate the bath "heavily" before introducing the fish to the methylene blue dip?

 

[PGT253]

Oh pardon the abbrev, MB is Methylene Blue. I'll get a pic tonight but it's the common parallel white patches across the body when wrasses get stressed. The heavy breathing & laying on sides made me wonder if something else is at play

 

[PGT253]

Yes, I had an airstone in before & during the the bath. When I placed her into the qt, she hid but then swam up for food when I fed frozen, aggressive eater. It just looked worse this morning. I'll get pic tonight when I get home, hopefully nothing happened

 

[Big G]

Freshwater dip to rule out flukes and if there is a parasite like ich or velvet at work, it will help rid the gills of parasites and hopefully buy you some time.

Freshwater Dip: Provides temporary relief for Brooklynella, Flukes & "Black Ich", Marine Velvet disease (Amyloodinium); possibly even Ich & Uronema marinum (both unproven). Can be used to confirm the presence of Flukes.

How To Treat - Fill a bucket with RODI water, and use a heater to match the temperature to the water the fish is coming from. Aerate the water heavily for at least 30 minutes prior to doing the dip, then discontinue aeration while performing the dip. Fish aren’t overly pH sensitive for short durations like this, but you can squirt a little tank water into the dip just before the fish goes in to help bring it up.

Place the fish in the freshwater (FW) dip and observe closely. It is not unusual for them to freak out a little at first. Also, tangs are notorious for “playing dead” during a FW dip. The important thing is to watch their gills; they should be breathing heavily at all times during the dip. If breathing slows, it’s time to exit the dip. Dip the fish for no longer than 5 minutes. Multiple dips may be done, but it’s important to give your fish a day to recuperate in-between dips.

For flukes, use a dark (preferably black) bucket so you can see if tiny white worms fall out of the fish (especially out of the gills) at around the 3-4 minute mark. The worms will settle to the bottom, so you can use a flashlight to look for them there as well.

Pros - Provides temporary relief for a wide range of diseases in a chemical free environment. Can “buy you more time” until a proper treatment can be done.

Cons/Side Effects - Not a permanent “fix” for any disease, as FW dips are not potent enough to eradicate all of the parasites/worms afflicting the fish. Some fish can have an adverse reaction to a FW dip by appearing unable to maintain their equilibrium once returned to the aquarium. If this happens, hold the fish upright (using latex, nitrile or rubber gloves), and gently glide him through the water (to get saltwater flowing through the gills again). It is also a good idea to place the fish in an acclimation box until he appears “normal”.

 

[PGT253]

 

[PGT253]

Thanks guys. The wrasse doesnt look as bad as this morning so that's a relief. The white patches on the body were intensed this morning. Hopefully it's just a stressing moment, I'll check back tomorrow and keep yall posted

 

[reef lover]

most wrasses will show a stress response at night...paling of colors,white lines/blotches...

 

[PGT253]

So it's been 3 days since the wrasse arrived and it's still doing the same thing, sitting in a pvc, breathing slow but a little hard. No fins movement (pectoral or tail) & the stress response is barely visible during the day. I have it in my 10g qt with a HOB has seeded sponge + marine pure spheres, an air-powered sponge filters + an airstone. This tank was previously holding 2 other wrasses for 2 weeks & only one dose of GC was done 10 days ago. I did 20% WC after removing the other 2 wrasses to a different tank and before adding this flame wrasse. Any ideas?

 

[azreeftank]

Maybe put a container with a few inches of fine sand. Most wrasses like to dig themselves to sleep and when stressed. I have seen them go missing for 10 days and then come up healthy as ever. If there is no sand to bury it self it could be really stressed.

 

[Deinonych]

Cirrhilabrus sp. wrasses do not bury in the sand, so there is no benefit to adding it to the QT. I've had fairy wrasses act like this for upwards of a week. Terminal males are highly prone to shipping stress, so it's not all that unusual to have one sequester itself like this for an extended period of time. Has the fish eaten anything since you've had him?

 

[EddieJ]

I remember when I had my male Flame Wrasse in QT he did the slime cocoon thing first night , he looked terrible in the AM but was totally fine by evening..

 

[PGT253]

I bought mine as a female but could be it's a transitioning one. And yes, like immediately after arrival, she ate aggressively, chasing the food. Then the next few hours she looked terrible, more staying/laying at the bottom displaying those white streaks (tress response). She's less interested in the food now. No medicals has been added to the tank since she was in except for some remaining GC from the dose 10 days ago, but it was too long ago and I also did a 20% WC prior to the fish arrival. Ammonia is not present and SG is now 1.020 due to evaporation

 

[PGT253]

On a side note, the other 2 wrasses that were previously in this tank did have sign of flukes (yawning) and possibly ich (no spots, just flashing, but targeting head/gill area). They are now in a different tank for next treatment.

 

[saltyhog]

This isn't unusual for fairy wrasses, especially females/subordinate ones in my meager experience. I worry about males if they aren't out and feeding aggressively within a day of arrival.

For what it's worth I received a female flame from a different vendor yesterday and she's acting the same way. She is eating but waiting for the food to come to her rather than going after it. If I step away she comes out and explores. Have you observed the QT from a distance to see if she gets up and moves around?

 

[PGT253]

I havent had a chance to observe her more closely due to work schedule. But it looks like she didnt eat today as I just saw a few piece of food floating around and i fed very little in the morning. She was out and about the first few hours and has gone downhill since. I'm going to put her into a bucket with my dt in the morning to see if she reacts positive.

 

[PGT253]

Unfortunately, the flame wrasse didn't make it today. What a terrible experience to see a healthy fish went downfill in a couple days. I did a fw dip after it died today and only saw 1-2 flukes coming off from the body. I've posted a couple of pictures to see if anyone has an idea what mighr have caused the demise.

 

[Fishhands]

Bummer! That fish looks better dead than in qt. I have a female mccoskers that went pale for about a week now after i put her in. Plays dead all the time. I swear it goes upside down and floats to the top then darts wherever it goes next. Eats like a pig then hides for hrs. Only to dart out pale as ever.