The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[homer1475]

The lower jaw may not be an issue, just make sure it's eating.

I once had a M. melagris hit the sand so hard she broke her lower jaw. She would nibble bits of mysis, which kept her alive for about a year. Then one day she just stopped eating and she quickly became emaciated and literally wasted away to nothing. I found my CUC taking care of the body one day.

 

[homer1475]

Low oxygen , they can bounce back from. Broken jaw is more then likely a death sentence. If she eats, then her jaw may be fine, but it does not look good to me. They don't typically swim around with their beak open.

If your referring to the prazi and wrasses in general, yes. Once they are out of the prazi, they bounce back pretty quickly. But that is not your issue at the moment.

 

[JoJosReef]

Doesn't look good. Mouth damage on a leopard can be a death sentence :frowning-face:

Any protocol for this? Do you try to feed her in the bucket? Will this be a slow death? Euthanize?

 

[homer1475]

Any protocol for this? Do you try to feed her in the bucket? Will this be a slow death? Euthanize?

If it were me, I would get this fish into an established tank ASAP regardless of salinity. Turn the lights down, and watch her hit the sand.

A sand sleeping wrasse will hit the sand when spooked or stressed. Right now in a bucket there is no sand so it is super stressed.

I would just keep an eye on it. Once it hits the sand, you unfortunately may never see it again if the lower jaw is damaged beyond healing. But being in an established tank where there are pods(their natural food source), will at least give it a fighting chance.

 

[SaltyT]

Any protocol for this? Do you try to feed her in the bucket? Will this be a slow death? Euthanize?

Best thing is to try to minimize her stress. If you can put some rock in there with her to help her feel secure that's a start. If she stops bobbing at the surface and begins to swim normally we can reassess her and attempt a feeding. With her jaw in that condition she may not be capable of burying in sand. She probably tried burying in the bottom of the bag the entire trip which caused the jaw damage.

 

[JoJosReef]

Best thing is to try to minimize her stress. If you can put some rock in there with her to help her feel secure that's a start. If she stops bobbing at the surface and begins to swim normally we can reassess her and attempt a feeding. With her jaw in that condition she may not be capable of burying in sand. She probably tried burying in the bottom of the bag the entire trip which caused the jaw damage.

Went right to the rock when I put it in. I'll try to get her into the tank and into the sand as soon as I can. Fast drip right now (in a large volume).

 

[SaltyT]

Went right to the rock when I put it in. I'll try to get her into the tank and into the sand as soon as I can. Fast drip right now (in a large volume).

She looks upside down again. I wouldn't move her into the tank just yet... too much stress if she can't defend herself against the other fish or bury. Let her chill in the bucket for a bit and let's see how she does.

 

[JoJosReef]

Unfortunately, she didn't make it :worried-face:

I might set up my Evo as a QT tank for wrasses so I can just drive them over--hopefully less stress and less chance of injury. Another option is OceandevotionLA, but their QT'd M. bipartitis is $220...

 

[JoJosReef]

In other news, I just found the first live bristle worm in my system. During the transfer, I began to see small ones that were dead and thought they were either dead worms from the Fiji Mud or eggs from the Fiji Mud that hatched and died without much in the tank to sustain them. Now a live one! And not tiny!

Do the Macropharyngodon eat bristle worms, or maybe Helichoeres?

 

[Slocke]

In other news, I just found the first live bristle worm in my system. During the transfer, I began to see small ones that were dead and thought they were either dead worms from the Fiji Mud or eggs from the Fiji Mud that hatched and died without much in the tank to sustain them. Now a live one! And not tiny!

Do the Macropharyngodon eat bristle worms, or maybe Helichoeres?

They'll both eat small ones but I'd say a halichoeres is more likely. If you really want a good hunter though I'd check out a seagrass wrasse depending on your current stock. They are great hunters and will even get ones well hidden under rocks from what Ive seen. Though I'd ask why you want them gone. Bristle worms are not bad just ugly CUC.

Unfortunately, she didn't make it :worried-face:

I might set up my Evo as a QT tank for wrasses so I can just drive them over--hopefully less stress and less chance of injury. Another option is OceandevotionLA, but their QT'd M. bipartitis is $220...

I'm sorry about that and I recently went through similar with a shipped tamarin. Honestly I try and buy sensitive wrasse only from a LFS where I can see them eat successfully.

 

[Slocke]

I see Scott doesn’t like the geographic….
But then included some very pretty photos

 

[EliMelly]

Sounds like they drop ship. Now their drop shipper may have good conditioning practices, or not. We don’t know. Lack of clarity would make me uncomfortable purchasing from them. Who knows. With increased sales they may obtain more space to condition and ship fish themselves.

I’ve ordered from them, the packaging was amazing. The fish had some Ich though.

Next fish I get from them is going into an observation tank for a month.

 

[Crabby48]

A little birdie in the sky saying I found two diamond tails. I found out 12 hours late but have a call in to see if sold or mine. Also redtail. Fingers crossed I can check off both. That diamond tail is the only fish I can never grab and only had a couple chances.
ITS THE DIAMOND TAIL. Lve it on wrasse like the pintail.

 

[AZReef13]

A little birdie in the sky saying I found two diamond tails. I found out 12 hours late but have a call in to see if sold or mine. Also redtail. Fingers crossed I can check off both. That diamond tail is the only fish I can never grab and only had a couple chances.
ITS THE DIAMOND TAIL. Lve it on wrasse like the pintail.

Hope you get them. Very awesome looking fish

 

[Tcook]

Unfortunately, she didn't make it :worried-face:

I might set up my Evo as a QT tank for wrasses so I can just drive them over--hopefully less stress and less chance of injury. Another option is OceandevotionLA, but their QT'd M. bipartitis is $220...

Sad to hear. I don’t think that it is entirely that leopards ship poorly. I think they are also poorly shipped. A tip I got from @Crabby48 is to make sure they don’t inflate the bag like a squeeky tight balloon where the wrasse goes ballistic off the hard walls of the bag. Pack it with O2 but leave the bag soft. I will also not buy from a seller that won’t put an inch of sand in the bag for any hali or leopard.

Same vein with buckets to acclimate. I put a beach towel in the bucket then a large bag of water to put the fish in. I made the mistake of transporting a hooded flame wrasse, that I had for 4 months, in a bucket. It freaked and hit the side breaking its spine.

 

[Petcrazyson]

Unfortunately, she didn't make it :worried-face:

I might set up my Evo as a QT tank for wrasses so I can just drive them over--hopefully less stress and less chance of injury. Another option is OceandevotionLA, but their QT'd M. bipartitis is $220...

I’m really sorry about the wrasse bud :worried-face: Next time! *hug*

 

[JoJosReef]

Bristle worms are not bad just ugly CUC.

No room for ugly CUC in this tank!

 

[Crabby48]

Sad to hear. I don’t think that it is entirely that leopards ship poorly. I think they are also poorly shipped. A tip I got from @Crabby48 is to make sure they don’t inflate the bag like a squeeky tight balloon where the wrasse goes ballistic off the hard walls of the bag. Pack it with O2 but leave the bag soft. I will also not buy from a seller that won’t put an inch of sand in the bag for any hali or leopard.

Same vein with buckets to acclimate. I put a beach towel in the bucket then a large bag of water to put the fish in. I made the mistake of transporting a hooded flame wrasse, that I had for 4 months, in a bucket. It freaked and hit the side breaking its spine.

Also having fish held in a less stressful environment before they ship to give time for fish to eat and settle.
Sand is ok in a bag but must be clean and not old sand. Best to keep sterilize bag for shipping as possible. I myself rather no sand as it’s messy.

 

[Slocke]

Well the timor is being a pain. It doesn't seem to mind if the Xeno is in a corner but as soon as it goes to the middle it chases it off. May have to do a tank swap. Its been getting aggressive anyway I guess I've just been lucky with the last few fish. Of course the Xeno is supposed to be in acclimation but it somehow broke out again this morning.
No sign of the geographic yet.

 

[SaltyT]

Well the timor is being a pain. It doesn't seem to mind if the Xeno is in a corner but as soon as it goes to the middle it chases it off. May have to do a tank swap. Its been getting aggressive anyway I guess I've just been lucky with the last few fish. Of course the Xeno is supposed to be in acclimation but it somehow broke out again this morning.
No sign of the geographic yet.

Timors are butts more so than melanurus IME. You moving it in with the dragon?