Linneatus Wrasse skittish and hiding

[Orly20]

Hi Everyone,

I am back on here for some help and guidance.

I wrote a pm to @evolved to see if maybe he had some insight as to what steps I can take in getting this wrasse to come out and eat.

A little back story.
I walked into a lfs and I noticed they had just gotten a shipment from Aust. of Linneatus Wrasses. I quickly spoke to the store employ and told her which one I wanted. I asked her to let the wrasse settle the day and night in their system and I picked him up the following day. Before I picked him up she fed him live brine and he ate about a dozen brine before she bagged him up.

So, I acclimated the fish slowly to the qt water and for the next four days I observed and he ate just fine. The wrasse ate a few pieces of live brine and then it would go back into hiding in the back corner of the tank. I kept trying different foods but he only ate a few live brine and on the fifth day he ate lots of fish eggs. The following morning I tried to feed but noticed that he didn't come out and at night I fed him again and he did not eat. The next day I added a couple of cheap little firefish gobies in hope of making the wrasse a bit more comfy in its sterile qt environment. On the same day I noticed some white spots popping up around his fins and noticed some heavy breathing and it was doing some lite scratching as well. So I began to dose Coppersafe ramping up to therapeutic levels over five days. I kept the lights off in the tank, it only had ambient light coming from the windows. The fish is on its sixth day without eating and I am starting to get a little freaked out. I changed out five gallons of water to lower the copper to see if that helps. The firefish are eating and swim around pretty actively with no signs of ich or stress. I have pretty much removed most of the copper with water changes and polyfilters, the tank has always been aerated well and ammonia badges all over about three. lol

What should I do? Give the wrasse more time? Be patient?

Sorry for the long winded explanation, here's a couple of pics. The qt is a 34 gallons Solana

any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Orly20]

Here's another pic taken today when he switched sides moving things around in the tank. So frustrating and this only happens to me on the most expensive fish

 

[Highgrade]

That light appears to be pretty bright. May want to give him time. Lower the lights and maybe give him more places to hide. Do you have a copper test? He may need more time to acclimate to the environment.

 

[Orly20]

Yes I placed a piece of paper over the light and it had been off for five days. I had just started to turn it on for a few hours a day. I will be adding more pvc tomorrow as it cures from the acrylic glue I used on it.
Will it be ok if I turn off the lights completely and keep with the ambient window lights?
When he does come out he is freaking out looking for a place to hide. Even though when I had first got him he was swimming around the tank but cautiously thanks again

 

[Highgrade]

Yes I placed a piece of paper over the light and it had been off for five days. I had just started to turn it on for a few hours a day. I will be adding more pvc tomorrow as it cures from the acrylic glue I used on it.
Will it be ok if I turn off the lights completely and keep with the ambient window lights?
When he does come out he is freaking out looking for a place to hide. Even though when I had first got him he was swimming around the tank but cautiously thanks again

Ambient room light should suffice. I'd give him more time. Once comfortable then start your QT treatments again. Unless obvious signs of treatment is needed right away.

 

[melypr1985]

I agree. Get him eating and wait it out. You may need to run TTM on this guy. You can try copper again after he has eaten well for you a couple days in a row, but if he stops eating again and goes back to this behavior, you might need to consider alternative methods.

 

[4FordFamily]

I agree. Get him eating and wait it out. You may need to run TTM on this guy. You can try copper again after he has eaten well for you a couple days in a row, but if he stops eating again and goes back to this behavior, you might need to consider alternative methods.

agree 100%

 

[Humblefish]

Were you able to determine if the white spots were ich or velvet?

 

[Orly20]

Were you able to determine if the white spots were ich or velvet?

No Humblefish
It's so difficult to ID either one, I just reacted by dosing copper when I saw the white dots on the fins. He wasn't dusted completely just some random dots so might lean towards ich more then velvet.

 

[4FordFamily]

IMO wrasse rarely show noticeable ich, I'm more suspicious of velvet with wrasse than I am ich.

Either is certainly possible, especially with a compromised fish, however.

 

[Orly20]

I feel all the fish I have purchased this past year from every lfs has come in with some ailment, while showing no signs of infection and eating. It's a necessity to have a qt, at least in my neck of the woods.

 

[4FordFamily]

I feel all the fish I have purchased this past year from every lfs has come in with some ailment. It's a necessity to have a qt, at least in my neck of the woods.

Velvet is rampant right now. I haven't seen an LFS without it unless they keep trace levels of copper in the systems --- and those fish have it and mask it tragically only to have the parasite rear its ugly head a week or two later

 

[Orly20]

I'm going to test the copper one last time tomorrow to make sure it's all out and keep feeing the Firefish gobies live brine and black worms, with a prayer, that the Wrasse settles down again and starts to eat.

Seems like there isn't much else I can do.

If anyone thinks of anything else I should try and do please do not hesitate to suggest it.

 

[4FordFamily]

I'm going to test the copper one last time tomorrow to make sure it's all out and keep feeing the Firefish gobies live brine and black worms, with a prayer, that the Wrasse settles down again and starts to eat.

Seems like there isn't much else I can do.

If anyone thinks of anything else I should try and do please do not hesitate to suggest it.

Wrasse are tough - they can handle copper but the longer you get them eating in captivity before you try it the better.

Good luck, friend!

 

[Orly20]

Velvet is rampant right now. I haven't seen an LFS without it unless they keep trace levels of copper in the systems --- and those fish have it and mask it tragically only to have the parasite rest its ugly head a week or two later

That's exactly what most do here and justify it by saying they are giving you a "cleaner fish" but they were only subjected to meds long enough to mask the problems. I have tried to workout a deal were the store would qt for me and I'd offer to pay a premium for the service but to no avail.
They'd rather sell you garlic or a UV Sterilizer lol they don't even know what the public/customers know now a days. Lol sorry and sad

 

[4FordFamily]

That's exactly what most do here and justify it by saying they are giving you a "cleaner fish" but they were only subjected to meds long enough to mask the problems. I have tried to workout a deal were the store would qt for me and I'd offer to pay a premium for the service but to no avail.
They'd rather sell you garlic or a UV Sterilizer lol they don't even know what the public/customers know now a days. Lol sorry and sad

Absolutely true of many, unfortunately.

 

[Humblefish]

I'm going to test the copper one last time tomorrow to make sure it's all out and keep feeing the Firefish gobies live brine and black worms, with a prayer, that the Wrasse settles down again and starts to eat.

Seems like there isn't much else I can do.

If anyone thinks of anything else I should try and do please do not hesitate to suggest it.

You are doing what I would do, given the same situation.

 

[Orly20]

Thanks again everyone for the reassurance in my course of action. I'll stay the course and keep you posted

 

[Orly20]

Ok
Unbelievably the little guy started to feed on live brine today. What the heck?
He looks a bit more comfortable then the last few weeks, I wish I knew what made him turn for the better.
I'll repeat feed a couple more times today and see how it goes.
I'll keep paying back with updates