Fairy Wrasse

[JKL3542]

We purchased a wrasse floating straight up and down to see if we could help. Been in a hospital tank with antibiotics but still not much better. I spot feed it and it is still eating fine but can’t swim. It just lays upside down on the bottom of the tank. I have started making it swim around in hopes it builds strength. So swim and gets food, repeat. Anyone with a thought on what else I could try?

 

[vetteguy53081]

We purchased a wrasse floating straight up and down to see if we could help. Been in a hospital tank with antibiotics but still not much better. I spot feed it and it is still eating fine but can’t swim. It just lays upside down on the bottom of the tank. I have started making it swim around in hopes it builds strength. So swim and gets food, repeat. Anyone with a thought on what else I could try?

Sounds like a buoyancy issue.
What antibiotics are you using ?

Struggling to maintain a normal swimming position is relevant to swim bladder infection or similar iternal issue/symptom.
If severe buoyancy problems exist, the fish may not be able to feed normally or even reach the surface of the water. This disorder is sometimes caused by compression of the swim bladder, which may involve a distended stomach from rapidly eating, overeating, constipation, or gulping air, which is thought to occur with floating foods. Eating freeze-dried or dry flake food that expands when it becomes wet can also lead to an enlarged stomach or intestinal tract.
Other causes are :

• Trauma/Injury
• Bacterial infection
• Parasitic infection
• Stress/rapidly changing water parameters
• Poor water quality

Water change(s) may help and antibiotic should also help. Kanamyacin or neomycin should help great and best done in a quarantine tank

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

We purchased a wrasse floating straight up and down to see if we could help. Been in a hospital tank with antibiotics but still not much better. I spot feed it and it is still eating fine but can’t swim. It just lays upside down on the bottom of the tank. I have started making it swim around in hopes it builds strength. So swim and gets food, repeat. Anyone with a thought on what else I could try?

Can you post a short video?
What species of wrasse is it?

With the wrasse laying on the bottom, it is unlikely to be a swim bladder problem.

I just posted a sticky on a mysterious wrasse disease that is becoming more common for some reason:

Unknown Neurological Wrasse Disease (UNWD)

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...

www.reef2reef.com

Jay

 

[JKL3542]

Hey! Thank you for the help. He is a red head fairy wrasse. These are the two meds we have. We have only tried the erythromycin. Also I attached a video of how he is acting. I tapped him a little just to show his movement.

 

[JKL3542]

Sounds like a buoyancy issue.
What antibiotics are you using ?

Struggling to maintain a normal swimming position is relevant to swim bladder infection or similar iternal issue/symptom.
If severe buoyancy problems exist, the fish may not be able to feed normally or even reach the surface of the water. This disorder is sometimes caused by compression of the swim bladder, which may involve a distended stomach from rapidly eating, overeating, constipation, or gulping air, which is thought to occur with floating foods. Eating freeze-dried or dry flake food that expands when it becomes wet can also lead to an enlarged stomach or intestinal tract.
Other causes are :

• Trauma/Injury
• Bacterial infection
• Parasitic infection
• Stress/rapidly changing water parameters
• Poor water quality

Water change(s) may help and antibiotic should also help. Kanamyacin or neomycin should help great and best done in a quarantine tank

Oh yes he has been in quarantine since we decided to get him. Just did another 100% water change. Trying the maracyn now.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hey! Thank you for the help. He is a red head fairy wrasse. These are the two meds we have. We have only tried the erythromycin. Also I attached a video of how he is acting. I tapped him a little just to show his movement.

Sorry - I can't see a video....

Jay

 

[JKL3542]

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youtube.com

 

[JKL3542]

Sorry - I can't see a video....

Jay

Sorry about that….can you see it now?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

- YouTube

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I can see the video. Yes, this is that unknown wrasse disease - the symptoms are inability to swim normally, but the fish still feeds (at least at first).
Im really sorry, but there isn’t a known treatment for this.
Jay

 

[JKL3542]

I can see the video. Yes, this is that unknown wrasse disease - the symptoms are inability to swim normally, but the fish still feeds (at least at first).
Im really sorry, but there isn’t a known treatment for this.
Jay

That makes me sad. Do you think I should keep trying or would it be kinder to euthanize?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

That makes me sad. Do you think I should keep trying or would it be kinder to euthanize?

As long as it is eating, and not getting picked on, I would keep trying.
Jay

 

[JKL3542]

Ok he is and he is isolated in a 5 gallon hospital tank. I’ll keep trying! Thank you for your help.

 

[mcgullen]

So my LFS gave me a probably sick yellow coris wrasse for free as I was shopping for corals.

It shows the same symptoms starting day 2 in QT.

1. Curled up in a “S” shape while swimming.

2. Rotating and flipping oddly, as if unable to keep its belly down.

3. Tail fin closely gathered.

4. Still feeding.

5. Symptoms progressively get worse. Now lying sideways on tank bottom.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

So my LFS gave me a probably sick yellow coris wrasse for free as I was shopping for corals.

It shows the same symptoms starting day 2 in QT.

1. Curled up in a “S” shape while swimming.

2. Rotating and flipping oddly, as if unable to keep its belly down.

3. Tail fin closely gathered.

4. Still feeding.

5. Symptoms progressively get worse. Now lying sideways on tank bottom.

That sounds like the same issue. I ended doing a write up on it:

Unknown Neurological Wrasse Disease (UNWD)

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...

www.reef2reef.com

Jay