Help - Red Head Solon Fairy Wrasse

[Joel B in FL]

I am not sure what is going on or even if it normally happens but I came home from work today and my Solon fairy wrasse has lost probably 80% of its color. It's mostly on the lower to middle body on both sides of the fish. He is not showing any signs of weird or unusual behavior, he is eating like nor,al, swimming around like normal. He still has the blue strip in the very bottom of his belly, directly behind his head and most of the strip along his back but it's like his sides are just turning white. All of this came along suddenly as last night he looked fine. Is this a normal part of the wrasse maturing process or is something wrong? I do not have a very good camera but I will try to get a good pic and post.

 

[Diesel]

@Humblefish @melypr1985

 

[DracoKat]

Sometimes they'd change colors depending on their moods. Mine did this too.

 

[Duke4Life]

Feed a varied diet?

 

[melypr1985]

How long have you had him? No heavy breathing?

 

[Joel B in FL]

I have had him about five months or so. I haven't seen any heavy breathing, swimming into the current or anything that would suggest he is sick.

Yea I rotate between LRS, PE Mysis with PE Calanus, and Hikari freeze dried brine & plankton. I soak my food in a one of three items, Selcon, aquaforest fish vitamins, and aquaforest garlic.

If it was a mood swing I wonder what could have set him off. I have seen any weird signs or symptoms from anything. I haven't added any new fish in about two months so I wouldn't think it would be another fish aggregating him all of a sudden.

 

[Joel B in FL]

I do have several other wrasses in the tank and none of them are showing any signs of color loss.

 

[melypr1985]

@evolved @eatbreakfast

 

[Humblefish]

Sometimes they'd change colors depending on their moods. Mine did this too.

+1 Wrasses can be real tricky to diagnosis because of their color/mood swings. I would wait for one of the wrasse experts to chime in before taking any action.

 

[Joel B in FL]

It appears it might have been a mood swing as all of his color has returned. I appreciate everyone chiming in. I never knew fish could change color that quickly. It is kinda cool to know they can do it but it was scary to see it happen for the first time.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Without having seen the color, an accurate diagnosis would be difficult. With flasher and fairy wrasses color can change dramatically during displays. But thy can also drastically change colors if they are showing submission to a mre dominant wrasse.

 

[DracoKat]

@Joel B in FL Did he look similar to this?

my red-head just turned almost all white. he was normal 15 minutes prior to taking this photo and posting here. it isn't often I see him lose the color.. and I am aways wondering why he does this. Nothing's changed in the tank to cause him to change color like this.

@eatbreakfast @melypr1985 @Humblefish
Any ideas why?

 

[eatbreakfast]

Being bullied fighting somesort of parasite can cause that paling.

 

[DracoKat]

in my case, I doubt its parasite. he returned to normal in about 20 minutes or so since I noticed the change.

maybe he got spooked.

 

[Humblefish]

Being bullied fighting somesort of parasite can cause that paling.

^^This; very difficult to diagnose a wrasse without seeing visible physical symptoms (ex. white spots) of a disease. For this reason, I always prophylactically treat them for ich, velvet & flukes upon arrival.

 

[Joel B in FL]

@Joel B in FL Did he look similar to this?

my red-head just turned almost all white. he was normal 15 minutes prior to taking this photo and posting here. it isn't often I see him lose the color.. and I am aways wondering why he does this. Nothing's changed in the tank to cause him to change color like this.

@eatbreakfast @melypr1985 @Humblefish
Any ideas why?

That is exactly what mine looked like. After about an hour or so he was back to normal.

 

[Joel B in FL]

I am beginning he was bullied. I have noticed that my two clowns have been getting a lot more territorial since they started hosting the anemone in my tank so I am thinking maybe they bullied him a little right before I got home.

 

[evolved]

I am beginning he was bullied. I have noticed that my two clowns have been getting a lot more territorial since they started hosting the anemone in my tank so I am thinking maybe they bullied him a little right before I got home.

Sounds quite likely.