Is this flashing?

[KMench]

I've recently noticed my ornate leopard wrasse striking her body against the sand. I only recently noticed this. Do you think it could be ich? Or is this normal behavior since she sleeps in the sand. Today I took this video of her behavior, and it occurred right before she buried in the sand to go to bed for the evening. She's fat and healthy otherwise, and I have not noticed any suspicious spots on her body. I couldn't figure out how to post the video on here, so I uploaded it to youtube. Here's the link

 

[Crabs McJones]

I've recently noticed my ornate leopard wrasse striking her body against the sand. I only recently noticed this. Do you think it could be ich? Or is this normal behavior since she sleeps in the sand. Today I took this video of her behavior, and it occurred right before she buried in the sand to go to bed for the evening. She's fat and healthy otherwise, and I have not noticed any suspicious spots on her body. I couldn't figure out how to post the video on here, so I uploaded it to youtube. Here's the link

It definitely looks like she's scratching at something. @Humblefish What Do you think?

 

[coweyes298]

Do you QT the fish? If he is flashing frequently it can be either fluke in gull or ich in gill.

I have a formosa wrasse and he does this but the frequency is very very low (once in several days.) Same as my midas blenny. My hippo tang rubs on rocks one or two times a day. Later two sleep in tight rock space so I am sure it is skin irritation (I qt everything so my tank is parasite free.)

 

[Flippers4pups]

How long have you had it? Any new additions to the tank?

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Yes,I would call that flashing.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

And yes, it is from irritated gills possibly from ich

 

[KMench]

She was quarantined for about two weeks. Was the first fish I added to my tank. She went through two rounds of prazi, but I couldn’t get her to eat any frozen foods.... So instead of letting her die I added her. Got her in October. No white spots on the body or anything. I certainly don’t see the flashing often, maybe twice this week I’ve seen it now.

 

[Flippers4pups]

She was quarantined for about two weeks. Was the first fish I added to my tank. She went through two rounds of prazi, but I couldn’t get her to eat any frozen foods.... So instead of letting her die I added her. Got her in October. No white spots on the body or anything. I certainly don’t see the flashing often, maybe twice this week I’ve seen it now.

So others added since? QT those as well?

 

[KMench]

Yes. Only fish in the tank are a tangaroa goby, mandarin, and the ornate leopard wrasse. The mandarin and goby stayed in QT longer since they were eating. (4 weeks)

 

[Flippers4pups]

Could be ich as previously stated.

Ich can be hard to see on a leopard, especially if in the gills.

Need some more eyes on this one:

@Humblefish, @4FordFamily

 

[4FordFamily]

Guessing ich, flukes, or velvet. Very tough to tell as leopards can mask spots and other outward symptoms for some time. I’d start with a freshwater dip in a dark bucket and see if anything falls off (dark bucket so you can see).

If nothing much falls off, I’d treat in copper.

 

[Maritimer]

Keeping in mind that if the leopard has ich, then all of your fish in the same tank do, as well.

~Bruce

 

[KMench]

Ughhh. Nothing should have flukes. They went through two rounds of prazi. And then another two rounds of it actually. I see no other signs of ich externally, or on any of the other fish. You don’t think it would’ve reared it’s head during the two weeks she wasn’t eating in QT? I wish I could’ve kept them all there longer, but she wasn’t eating an ounce and I didn’t want QT to kill her.

 

[4FordFamily]

Ughhh. Nothing should have flukes. They went through two rounds of prazi. And then another two rounds of it actually. I see no other signs of ich externally, or on any of the other fish. You don’t think it would’ve reared it’s head during the two weeks she wasn’t eating in QT? I wish I could’ve kept them all there longer, but she wasn’t eating an ounce and I didn’t want QT to kill her.

My leopards always eat well in QT, did you add focus and metroplex to food? Leopards are notoriously afflicted by internal parasites. Not that it’s what’s causing your issue, but as a side note.

With all of that prazi, I doubt it’s flukes..

 

[KMench]

No, I didn’t treat for internal parasites. I had read that flukes were the big problem for leopard wrasses, not internal parasites I literally started a whole thread on here about getting her to eat! I went through everything. Brine. Mysis. Cyclops. ROE. Blackworms. Bloodworms. Never got her to eat any of it. She spends all day picking pods off the rockwork, and I have a pod culture just to ensure I maintain an adequate population. Are you quite certain she has a problem? I don’t want to remove and treat all the fish unnecessarily lol. I’ve noticed this behavior now twice in the last week, and it always seems to be just before she buries in the sand to go to sleep.

 

[coweyes298]

Did you treat ich with them? Either ttm copper cp

 

[Flippers4pups]

Not eating sounds on the surface internal parasites, but leopards can be picky eaters. Have you seen any stringy white poop from her?

Flashing like @4FordFamily said sounds ich, velvet. Leaning towards ich, velvet usually is very quick and deadly. Not weeks.

 

[KMench]

No stringy poop. Just coincidence that she’s flashing shortly before burying in the sand?

 

[Maritimer]

Possibly.

Flashing is essentially scratching an itch - some itches are symptoms of disease, some are the result of parasites ... some are just itches.

~Bruce

 

[KMench]

I think currently I’ll keep an eye on them all and see if she starts flashing more frequently. If she does or any other s/s occur with her or any of the rest I’ll deal with the issue! Thanks everyone