What's wrong with my wrasse?? (swimming/stuck vertical)

[TonysReef]

So, video below, at the moment it's swimming vertically. Eating a little and otherwise seems perfectly fine. But clearly isn't. I would assume it's a swim bladder thing, but the issue started about two days ago with the fish swimming horizontally and seemingly having a paralyzed side and pectoral fin not working. I have a long spine urchin in the tank and assumed he maybe got stung overnight? And the effects would subside. Now all his fins work fine, but he's swimming head up all the time and doesn't seem to be able to get sideways comfortably.

What does everyone think? Plenty of other fish in the tank and everyone else is fine. I've had this wrasse for 3 weeks and he's been healthy until the last few days. Worst case I think I can catch him and bring him to a trusted LFS to go through their treatment process as a precaution.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Highgrade]

Either a swim bladder issue or a spinal injury from hitting the glass most likely. I've have a few wrasses that have recovered from both but in most cases it is a downward spiral from here unfortunately. Is the fish capable of eating or does it try to eat but misses the food?

 

[TonysReef]

Either a swim bladder issue or a spinal injury from hitting the glass most likely. I've have a few wrasses that have recovered from both but in most cases it is a downward spiral from here unfortunately. Is the fish capable of eating or does it try to eat but misses the food?

I think it may have snagged some food this morning. I just fed again and it looked like he wanted to, but didn't seem to have the dexterity to get to food before all the other pigs in the tank got to it. He's kind of bobbing. Maybe I'll try to catch him and put him in the refugium to spot feed?

 

[Highgrade]

I think it may have snagged some food this morning. I just fed again and it looked like he wanted to, but didn't seem to have the dexterity to get to food before all the other pigs in the tank got to it. He's kind of bobbing. Maybe I'll try to catch him and put him in the refugium to spot feed?

This is how I was able to get my Radiant wrasse and Earmuff to recover in a similar situation. Usually they don't stand a chance of eating well if they're bombarded with other fish snatching up the food. Also I was adding selcon/vita-chem to the food to help with giving the fish a fighting chance of recovering with their limited food intake. Best of luck. Hoping the fish recovers for you.

 

[Sam816]

get him to a QT if you can with minimal flow. see if bobbing stops in slower flow. also dim down the light. It is looking straight at the lights.
live food is best to get him feeding. use nutrient dense pellets and add fish vitamins. i hope its swim bladder and hope it recovers soon.

 

[ReefBeta]

I have a wrasse that's in way worse situation that I have to hand feed it. https://humble.fish/community/index.php?threads/taking-care-of-paralyzed-wrasse.3217/

Probably will need to house in a QT for quite a while for yours to recover.

 

[juarec0201]

Did your wrasse ever recover? I have the same wrasse showing the same symptoms

 

[AZReef13]

It is, Unknown Neurological Wrasse Disease (UNWD). Also Ask @ Icantthink, and @ Stoke on Wrasses lovers tread. plus other. From my understand not much we can do. Sorry for the bold ​

 

[AZReef13]

Unknown Neurological Wrasse disease (UNWD)

There is a disease that afflicts newly acquired wrasses, usually Cirrhilabrus fairy wrasses or flasher wrasses, Pseudocheilinus, but occasionally other species as well. The gross visual symptoms are always the same; the fish shows a rapid onset of neurological symptoms where it either cannot swim well, swims tail down or swims with a bent spine. The other key symptom is that despite this, these wrasses will still attempt to feed. Most aquarists attribute the symptoms to some sort of an injury, such as running into the side of the tank. The trouble with that diagnosis is that these fish do not show external damage (bumped snouts, etc.) that would be expected from such an injury. Other hypothesis include barotrauma from deep water collection, or the use of cyanide to collect these fish. The trouble with these possible causes is that symptoms in other types of fish are known, and are different; emaciation in cyanide collection and swim bladder issues in cases of barotrauma. Mycobacterium has also been implicated, but that issue is more often present in long term captive fish, not newly acquired ones as in these instances.

Eventually, the affected fish becomes weaker and either needs to be euthanized, or dies spontaneously. To date, there is no known cure and the mortality rate seems to be 100%. All that can be said is that it is an unknown peripheral neurological disease. It does not seem to be highly contagious from wrasse to wrasse. The causative agent is possibly viral, but could also be nerve damage from nematodes or from microsporidians. Since the fish still tries to feed, it is unlikely the brain is affected, more likely only the spinal column or muscle nerves.

I recognized my first case of this syndrome in a Carpenter's wrasse in 2018. In 2020, I began noticing a trend of similar cases in other people's aquariums. It is unclear if this issue is newly developing, or had just gone unnoticed prior to this time.