8 line wrasse dying

[DrMMI]

Purchased this fish yesterday from a LFS. I drip acclimated slowly for about an hour and a half and then put him into the tank. He immediately went into hiding. The first time I saw him today and I found him laying on his side with the clean up crew starting to pick at him. I don't see any visible diseases. My sailfin tang was being aggressive with the other wrasse I also added yesterday. After some chasing throughout the night, the sailfin seems to be fine with the melanarus wrasse. I didn't specifically see the tang go after this one. Like I said he was hiding the whole night and only just came out now. Is he too far gone to save? Is it worth trying a freshwater dip or will that do him in?

 

[DrMMI]

Sorry, he's actually a red line wrasse, not 8 line

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Sorry, but you probably won't be able to save that fish. Assuming the fish wasn't sick when you bought it, the most common thing that takes new fish out this fast is an particular acclimation issue - many dealers hold their fish at lower salinity, says 1.020. People then buy fish from those systems and try to acclimate them to their reef tank at 1.025. Drip acclimation is a very tricky process, did you measure the salinity at the start and at the end? Fish do not handle rises in salinity well at all (although they are fine with a drop in salinity).

If that isn't the issue, then you should probably contact the dealer, as the fish may have had an issue when you bought it.

Jay

 

[DrMMI]

Thanks for your input Jay. Unfortunately it didn't make it. The salinity was 1.020 at the start and knowing how sensitive wrasses are, I tried to do as slow of a drip acclimation as possible. In retrospect, I have a feeling it was sick to begin with as there was another red line wrasse in the bare bottom tank next to it that was laying on its side. I just thought it was stressed out and didn't have sand to bury in. I guess I thought wrong.