Flasher wrasse wasting away..

Quick · Jan 11, 2016

Hey guys,

The past couple of weeks I have noticed my blue flasher wrasse starting to look a little skinny. I bumped my feedings a bit but that hasn't seemed to help much. I usually feed 2-3 times per day. He seems to grab a couple of pieces of food and then stop eating. He will continue to chase food around the tank but not grab any. The other 2 wrasses in the tank are fat as can be, especially now after the heavier feeding. The fish has already gone through 2 rounds of prazi, I have tried garlic with the food, I have tried live foods, nothing seems to be helping. Any other thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks

Duke4Life · Jan 11, 2016

What are the other wrasses? How big of a tank?

Quick · Jan 11, 2016

Naoko fairy wrasse and carpenters flasher, tank is 40 gallon breeder. No aggression between the wrasses.

steve&mari · Jan 11, 2016

Have you tried black worms or fish eggs maybe.

Duke4Life · Jan 11, 2016

Quick said:
Naoko fairy wrasse and carpenters flasher, tank is 40 gallon breeder. No aggression between the wrasses.

How long have you had? What order were wrasses placed in? Any other fish?

evolved · Jan 11, 2016

You should consider treatment with metro.

Quick · Jan 11, 2016

steve&mari said:
Have you tried black worms or fish eggs maybe.

I did try black worms, no fish eggs though. Might be worth a shot at this point.

Duke4Life said:
How long have you had? What order were wrasses placed in? Any other fish?

Have had the fish going on 3 months. He was the placed into the tank the same time as my naoko and the carpenters came later. Other fish are a pair of clowns.

evolved said:
You should consider treatment with metro.

Will look into it, from what I gather with a quick search, this is administered with food?

Duke4Life · Jan 11, 2016

Have a pic of your tank? Sometimes this can help.

Quick · Jan 11, 2016

Duke4Life said:
Have a pic of your tank? Sometimes this can help.

Don't have any current pics and lights are out right now. Will try to get some tomorrow.

Breakthecycle2 · Jan 11, 2016

FIsh eggs and black works or live brine. I do think he might have an internal parasite or at least he could.

melypr1985 · Jan 11, 2016

Quick said:
Will look into it, from what I gather with a quick search, this is administered with food?

If you have a QT it would be better to treat that way. You can indeed put it in his food (using a binder like Focus with it), but if he's not eating then it probably wont help much. But metro is good for intestinal worms, which is what it sounds like he has.

Quick · Jan 11, 2016

melypr1985 said:
If you have a QT it would be better to treat that way. You can indeed put it in his food (using a binder like Focus with it), but if he's not eating then it probably wont help much. But metro is good for intestinal worms, which is what it sounds like he has.

Thank you for your advice. Getting him out of my display tank would be one heck of a task. He has a hiding spot that I can't even find when he gets spooked. I will go to one of my local stores tomorrow and purchase metro and focus and try that out. Like I said, he does eat, just not as much as I would like to see. Hopefully this will get him headed in the right direction!

evolved · Jan 11, 2016

melypr1985 said:
If you have a QT it would be better to treat that way. You can indeed put it in his food (using a binder like Focus with it), but if he's not eating then it probably wont help much. But metro is good for intestinal worms, which is what it sounds like he has.

Agree; best in a QT tank.

Quick said:
Getting him out of my display tank would be one heck of a task.

Fish trap!

melypr1985 · Jan 11, 2016

A fish trap could work. I know how much of a pain it is to have to catch fish out of an established tank with corals and all. I've done it too. You know? I've heard of people using a tiny perch hook and fishing line to catch fish out of a tank... dont know if that's a joke or not, but I've seen it a couple times. Good luck though!

evolved · Jan 11, 2016

melypr1985 said:
I've heard of people using a tiny perch hook and fishing line to catch fish out of a tank

Admittedly, I've done it, but not something I'd recommend to someone who knows nothing about fishing.

A fish trap is far more universal.

jetmaker · Jan 11, 2016

You can use prazi in the dt

Quick · Jan 11, 2016

melypr1985 said:
A fish trap could work. I know how much of a pain it is to have to catch fish out of an established tank with corals and all. I've done it too. You know? I've heard of people using a tiny perch hook and fishing line to catch fish out of a tank... dont know if that's a joke or not, but I've seen it a couple times. Good luck though!

Well, I am an avid fisherman so it could be worth trying. If it works, it'd probably be the easiest way to get him. Better go dig through my fishing stuff for a tiny barbless hook.

evolved · Jan 11, 2016

Or make a tiny fly fishing hook become barbless. Best be quick but also gentle!

Quick · Jan 11, 2016

I've had to file down plenty of barbs before. I should have some small fly hooks that I can do that to.

robert · Jan 11, 2016

Everyones pretty much covered the bases...still one other thing that I've found to work for some...try feeding in reduced light. This works particularly well for deeper water varieties and some of the more cryptic species...I think some of the flashers are found in moderately deep water ~90+ feet.

Not saying it will work - but its just one of those thing I've learned (the hard way) to try...