Wrasse QT dilemma and Future Stocking List

Alchemy · Aug 27, 2019

Sorry for this long post. Back on 7/24/19, I received a Vrolik’s Wrasse and a Pink Margin Fairy Wrasse. The Vrolik wrasse never made it thru Acclamation – The Pink Margin went into my Fluval EVO 13 for Quarantine. I ordered a second Vrolik's which arrived 7/26/19 and it went into the EVO with the Pink Margin. I was observing both and both were eating just fine. I saw nothing on either fish. The Pink Margin slept either just under or in the PCV fitting and the Vrolik’s buried in the 2 inch sand Tupperware storage container I had in the tank. On day 15 of the quarantine the Fairy wrasse was dead. I could see the Vrolik wrasse was not doing so well either. Both had basically stopped eating on day 12 of quarantine. And around day 12 Vrolik had his mouth open and tried but did not eat. The Vrolik died on day 18 after struggling along for about 5/6 days. What is odd is that the Vrolik's caudal fin was split/broken and one of the pectoral fins was missing/rotting away. About 3 months ago I bought an Orange Back fairy wrasse from the LFS which died after about 7 or 8 days in EVO 13 quarantine. He stopped eating and swimming around and died. I had 3 springeri damsels in the same QT which were fine and are now in the DT. I am beginning to think that the Fluval EVO is cursed L. I’m not sure what I could have done --- other than the above none of the wrasses showed any signs of disease (no spots or sores etc. and no aggression observed), except for the fins on the vrolik wrasse, which I tried to treat with Dr G’s anti-bacterial caviar… but he wasn’t eating and there was no white film or fungus-looking growth on the fins.

Although I have read the fish treatment scenarios I hesitate to treat with anything fearing that the cure maybe worse than the disease… that’s me. Should I have treated with Prazi after day 2 or 3 when they were eating??? Or should I have started Copper after 3 or 4 days. I did try a fresh water dip a day before the Vrolik died but there were no flukes or anything. It could have been bacterial so maybe I should have tried Metro …. I’m not sure how to tell what they had and what to treat... other than ick, velvet, soars or something you can see.

My QT tanks are a 20 gal and the EVO 13 … no more room at the inn for anything larger. I think the lights on the EVO may be too intense and may be heating the water (temp runs at 78) and thus a lack of oxygen? The returns are breaking the water surface. I take water to the LFS for testing weekly and all is normal. I do 10% WC weekly all tanks – no exception. I also test mid-week for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate and change water if needed (only needed once on the 20 gal QT for nitrate).
Currently in the DT (XL 525)