How to quarantine a wrasse?

Orm Embar · Oct 10, 2017

Wrasse quarantine question - how would y'all quarantine a wrasse? I've read conflicting comments about how wrasses are unusually sensitive to copper. I generally follow Advanced Aquarist's quarantine protocol (http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/quarantining-marine-fish-made-simple) - PraziPro day 2, start copper day 7 with a 2nd dose of PraziPro, and finish day 21 (14 days of copper). The big difference is that since the QT already has therapeutic levels of copper, the wrasse wouuld be geting coppered on day 1.

Would you QT as usual, or do something different? Pink streaked wrasse, if it matters.

I should add - the wrasse arrives in 48 hrs, and I do not have chloroquine.

Thanks!

Ocelaris · Oct 11, 2017

I took all of my wrasses through copper, it's very hard to test accurately, but just bring the levels up slowly. There should be a good thread in the disease forum (where you might get better results too). Prazi and/or metrodozanol is my standard with either copper or tank transfer. With sand burrowing wrasses, ttm was not reasonable to do.

cmcoker · Oct 11, 2017

No fish should be added to a tank alreeady at therapeutic copper level, it needs to have time to adjust, ideally several days to bring it to therapeutic level unless velvet is present then you want to raise it quicker but still not at once.

Set up a separate tank for the wrasse at least until it's settled and slowly raise the copper level. After it's at therapeutic copper level you could probably add it to the main quarantine.

Oh and 30 days copper would be standard, unless you are transferring to a sterile quarantine after 14 days

mfinn · Oct 11, 2017

@Humblefish
@melypr1985
@eatbreakfast

Salty.Reefer · Oct 11, 2017

I feel like my method isn't proven so sorry I can't help but I am interested to see everyones responses!

Zack K · Oct 11, 2017

@evolved

4FordFamily · Oct 11, 2017

Same as usual but increase copper much more slowly (over 5-7 day’s IMO)

tpack17 · Oct 11, 2017

I have 3 wrasses in QT right now. I first fattened all of the fish up for two weeks. Then added coppersafe over 4 days. Been 2 weeks and everyone is same as they were before copper. Healthy. Good luck.

Humblefish · Oct 11, 2017

4FordFamily said:
Same as usual but increase copper much more slowly (over 5-7 day’s IMO)

+1 Treat with copper for 30 days, and then Prazipro either before or after. I wouldn't combine both medications unless it is necessary - especially on a wrasse.

tpack17 · Oct 11, 2017

Humblefish said:
+1 Treat with copper for 30 days, and then Prazipro either before or after. I wouldn't combine both medications unless it is necessary - especially on a wrasse.

When you do the prazipro make sure you have good air exchange.Seems that is the key with prazi to not kill fish.

Orm Embar · Oct 12, 2017

Thanks everyone! Someone also forwarded https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/fish-and-treatment-guidelines-with-chart.283450/ as a link, which was very helpful! I'm a bit peeved, as I've been quarantining with Cupramine (http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/quarantining-marine-fish-made-simple) thinking that it was better than chelated copper. Apparently not . . . and the optimal QT duration of copper is now at an absolute minimum 14 days (more of a tank transfer than killing ich outright) and ideally 28 days for longer lived strains . . . yecch. I also need to figure out if I need a dish of silica sand for my wrasse (I'm assuming not, as it isn't a leopard wrasse - if I'm wrong, please feel free to let me know).

leahfiish · Oct 12, 2017

Pink streaked wrasses don't need sand.
For cuprimine vs coppersafe, from what I've read they are both fine, some fish tolerate one or the other better but individual fish can also react poorly to either. In my experience the most important thing is to increase the copper very slowly and test every day with a reliable kit. Watch for adverse reactions such as loss of appetite or lethargy and have cuprisorb on hand to remove copper quickly if needed. Also make sure you have adequate biological filtration and an ammonia alert badge.

cmcoker · Oct 12, 2017

"About Pseudocheilinops
A genus which contains a sole species; P. ataenia – the pink streak wrasses. A sister genus to that of Pseudocheilinus, but the attitude could not be any more divergent. The species is exceptionally peaceful and remains under 2.5”; very suitable for 20 to 30 gallon systems. Sometimes shy, and does not need a sand bed as they will sleep within the rockwork in a mucus cocoon. Category 1 in terms of reef-safeness."
From: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/all-about-reef-safe-wrasses-in-aquaria.28/

Orm Embar · Oct 12, 2017

Biofiltration is good (it was spotty until I added a bag of MarinePure ceramic biomedia balls with a powerhead on top, which has done an excellent job of maintaining ammonia at very low to undetectable levels even with overfeeding). I had an Ammonia Alert, but it was so inaccurate that I threw it out. CupriSorb is around (as is activated charcoal). Will be ordering chelated copper and an API high range test kit to arrive in the next 48 hrs.

eatbreakfast · Oct 13, 2017

Brand and type of copper hasn't mattered much IME, bringing the copper up slowly(as mentioned by others) is very important.

4FordFamily · Oct 13, 2017

eatbreakfast said:
Brand and type of copper hasn't mattered much IME, bringing the copper up slowly(as mentioned by others) is very important.

Agree.

I have a hypothesis that cupramine is actually safer on wrasse — I feel that I’ve anecodtally had more trouble, particularly with halichoeres — in chelated copper (coppersafe and copper power) than I have in ionic copper (cupramine).

I’m using cupramine now on a radiant and a melanarus — two Fish I’ve not yet successfully passed through coppersafe (except where the halichoeres wrasse were well established for quite some time beforehand in which case copper seemed to have little to no effect which is so strange)

Kyl · Oct 13, 2017

I do tank-transfer with prazi, and observe for velvet / bacterial / internal signs for ~6 weeks in observational QT afterwords. 4/4 with wrasses so far using this method;

New:
C. cyanopleura
C. lubbocki
C. rubeus

Existing:
P. ataenia

While trying chelated copper (coppersafe), I've lost a C. rubeus and H. chrysus. I can't 100% blame it on copper, but that's my experience thus far with that method.

I had velvet hit through a dottyback at the start of this year, so I know what to look out for now and give them a long proper stint in observation QT.

Humblefish · Oct 13, 2017

Kyl said:
I do tank-transfer with prazi, and observe for velvet / bacterial / internal signs for ~6 weeks in observational QT afterwords. 4/4 with wrasses so far using this method

^^ This is probably the safest way to QT a wrasse. But as you mentioned, one must observe closely for signs (including behavioral symptoms) of velvet for 4-6 weeks afterwards.

Forsaken77 · Oct 13, 2017

Orm Embar said:
Biofiltration is good (it was spotty until I added a bag of MarinePure ceramic biomedia balls with a powerhead on top, which has done an excellent job of maintaining ammonia at very low to undetectable levels even with overfeeding). I had an Ammonia Alert, but it was so inaccurate that I threw it out. CupriSorb is around (as is activated charcoal). Will be ordering chelated copper and an API high range test kit to arrive in the next 48 hrs.

The ammonia alert badge didn't work??? They usually work great for me, but I use a small tank and change almost all of the water as soon as it changes color the slightest. The badge also takes a few hours to reset back to zero. You can take a Q-tip, dip it in Ammonia and put it by the badge out of the tank and watch it turn color. If it doesn't turn, it's defective. But I've never had a bad one yet.

Also, I believe Cuprisorb may only remove ionic copper, like Cupramine, but you should look into that. I use Cupramine because it's easier to remove from the tank. Also, like someone else said, aerate the tank heavily with an air stone when using Prazipro.

If the Wrasse is a burrower, I usually put a small bit of aragonite sand in one of the corners for it to sleep. But if it's not a burrower, then don't worry about that.