Fairy Wrasses Breathing Heavy on Arrival?

[PatrickMorris]

Is this normal shipping stress or should I expect to have to treat them for something? All three of the wrasses are heavy breathing. I temperature acclimated the bags until the water temp matched and then did a 2 hour or so drip acclimation to the QT tank water, going from 1.020 to 1.026. They are not swimming erratically or anything.

I tried feeding and they seemed kinda interested but were spitting some of the food out.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

For fish that are shipped that’s a long acclimation and ammonia very well could be the issue. Once the bag is opened the small amount of water with all of the waste in it turns to ammonia quickly. I usually float the bag to temp match, quickly check salinity in the bag and adjust my QT to it and then introduce them. This avoids potential ammonia burn which can cause extensive gill damage and heavy breathing. I would recommend a bath in Methylene blue to start.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/methylene-blue.257467/

 

[PatrickMorris]

OK I just finished a 30 minute methylene blue bath per the instructions you linked to. How soon should I expect to see results assuming this is the issue?

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

OK I just finished a 30 minute methylene blue bath per the instructions you linked to. How soon should I expect to see results assuming this is the issue?

The MB doesn’t heal any gill damage immediately but it helps transpire O2 across the gills and has antiseptic properties. Can you see any improvement?

 

[PatrickMorris]

Id say two look the same and the other one is same or slightly worse? He's just kinda sitting in the front of the tank watching me

 

[PatrickMorris]

So here we are starting the next evening, one has its mouth open all the time and is heavy breathing, the other two are opening and closing their mouths. Mild interest in food, i think they might be eating when i'm not around be cause i do see some fish droppings

 

[ngoodermuth]

Unfortunately, I agree that they likely suffered ammonia burns during acclimation which has damaged the gills.

Not much you can do since you’ve already done the MB bath... just keep the tank heavily aerated (powerhead at the surface and add an airstone for good measure), dim, quiet... and hope for the best.

 

[PatrickMorris]

I figured i'd post an update, the fish have been in a lights-out QT tank for over two weeks, they've gone through treatments of General Cure and Erythromycin. No heavy breathing, all three eating just fine, but they are all still pretty shy and not super active. They just kinda float around most of the day and then hide when I get near the tank. I'd say they are getting braver every day though.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I figured i'd post an update, the fish have been in a lights-out QT tank for over two weeks, they've gone through treatments of General Cure and Erythromycin. No heavy breathing, all three eating just fine, but they are all still pretty shy and not super active. They just kinda float around most of the day and then hide when I get near the tank. I'd say they are getting braver every day though.

Good to hear!