Large Fairy Wrasse - Swimming Disoriented

[Overboard]

Hi,

I have a gorgeous, large C. rosefascia that I received yesterday. He seemed fine at first but is now swimming oddly. Almost disoriented or dazed. Most often head up, tail down attitude, but also other ways. Even upside down (which scares me). In a QT with a large pintail that is fine. The pintail is eating. No meds yet and the biofilter is working well, no ammonia per badge or Seachem test. Not really twirling, but some "floating" style of swimming. Disoriented is the best description.

Salinity at 1.018 (same as the bag he came in). I have a strong air stone working and have slowly lowered the temp to 73 to help with oxygen saturation.

My uneducated guess, is a decompression issue aggravated by the FedEx flight for delivery to me. I might see a very slight bulge at the anus.

Any ideas? What about Epsom Salt? I know it helps with Popeye, maybe here?

Thanks for the help!
Mark

 

[Big G]

Can you post a picture of the "bulge"?
@evolved
@Humblefish

 

[evolved]

Could be a swim bladder issue, in which case, use the tri-fecta of antibiotics.

 

[Maggie321]

Wrasses are also goofy sometimes! I'm not saying that it isn't sick, it may be, just keep in mind that wrasses can clown around a lot. (See what I did there)

 

[Humblefish]

Can you post a video showing the swimming behavior? You can copy & paste a YouTube URL right into the text box.

 

[Overboard]

Will try to get a video. I just came home and the room has been dark so he is in a pvc pipe.

 

[Overboard]

Let’s see if this link works. Shows his difficulty swimming. You can also see a small bulge by his vent.

 

[Maggie321]

Wrasses get constipated easily. Have you seen it poop?Try feeding it a pea without the shell if it has not pooped. That is like a stool softener for fish. It looks pretty thin too. But since wrasses are hogs, instead of increasing the volume of feedings, increase frequency. As far as actual sickness, I will let others chime in.

 

[Overboard]

I think he looks a little thin also. Unfortunately, he shows no interest in food yet.

 

[Maggie321]

Do you have garlic? That is supposed to entice them.

 

[Overboard]

No garlic on hand, but could get some in the morning. I’m afraid it’s something more than loss of appetite.

This is purely conjecture, but this fish was likely collected at depth. I am assuming it was handled properly but then within a relatively short time it was flown on one or two flights to the US. It was at the store for at least a month and doing well. Then it was flown from the store to me. I just wonder if the flying eventually might cause swim bladder irritation or complications stemming from the original collection depth. I don’t think the pressurized cabin areas are pressurized to sea level. Not saying anyone did anything wrong, but just a latent problem developing from stress and flying at altitude. Then again, I might be totally wrong and the fish had adjusted to sea level just fine. Trying to figure it out. 99% sure it is not a problem on my end with acclimation or the QT. I also think the fish was solid when shipped to me.

 

[Maggie321]

I am far from an expert. In fact I am a newb. So you likely have more experience and knowledge than I. I don't know anything about the facility it was held in, but I have heard that many holding facilities don't feed their fish. Add on top of that that it was handled and shipped, it is likely still very stressed. I had a blue cleaner wrasse that would over eat and swim very similarly. Hardly using it's tail, upside down, floating in the current. Imo, if it were my wrasse, I would try to get it to eat something. Anything. Throw a few life brine shrimp in there. Soak some mysis in garlic and put them near it when it seems to be a bit more alert. Before you can really treat anything, you have to get it to eat.

 

[Humblefish]

I think that’s a spinal injury.

@eatbreakfast @evolved What do you think from the video posted above?

 

[Overboard]

Another video from this morning with a clue perhaps. I see a distended bent and long stringy clear and white poop. Internal parasites? Not eating so maybe try General Cure?

 

[Deinonych]

It could be a spinal injury, but my guess is that it is suffering from some level of decompression sickness (DCS). C. roseafascia is a deepwater (30-100 msw) fish, so it needs to be properly decompressed during the ascent post-collection. If it was put on a plane shortly thereafter, DCS symptoms would be exacerbated. Short of taking the fish to a decompression chamber, the prognosis is not good.

 

[Overboard]

Not looking good. Distended vent with material expelling.

Could a decompression related issue result in long stringy poop (as he had this morning) and this condition? Or would internal parasites be more likely?

Thanks!

Long stringy

 

[Greenstreet.1]

Sad to see this as this is one of my fav wrasse. It looks like you have swim bladder issues and internal parasites I know GC is good is good for that also metro+focus but if he’s not eat that won’t work.
There’s a video on here of someone doing a decompression operation on there fish that had a swim bladder problem I will try and find it.

Here’s the thread.

Venting a Swim Bladder: Black Cap Basslet
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...adder:-Black-Cap-Basslet.219954/&share_type=t

 

[deedubz]

Man, I'm so sorry to see this. I've had a few wrasses succumb to swim bladder issues.

Side note, that's a gorgeous Exquisite wrasse in your avatar. Mine was my favorite, and most personable, fish.

 

[deedubz]

Not looking good. Distended vent with material expelling.

Could a decompression related issue result in long stringy poop (as he had this morning) and this condition? Or would internal parasites be more likely?

Thanks!

Long stringy

I think it's both a swimbladder and a parasitic issue. Almost every fish I've ordered, especially wrasses, has had internal parasites and/or flukes.

 

[Overboard]

Thanks for everyone’s input. Unfortunately, one of these conditions is at work and he continues to decline. Alive, but laying on the bottom. I love these guys and hate to lose him. There is a gorgeous pintail in with him (doing well) so I will follow the Focus+GC process with him.

Dwwataz, thanks for the compliment on my avatar! It was from years ago. Supposedly a variant from the Maldives. Got him from Live Aquaria (not DD) so he was just the luck of the draw.