Longfin Ruby Wrasse Fins curling

[vaguelyreeflike]

I dont have pics at the moment but what would cause a fish’s fins to literally curl at the edges and otherwise shorten? Our ruby longfin fairy wrasse was living in our copper/low salinity systems for a good few months, we were expecting him to sell faster, I eventually moved him to the normal salinity (1.025) tower, and its been a couple more months but no fin re-growth. Did the copper do immune damage or something?
its coppersafe at 1.5 therapeutic levels.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I dont have pics at the moment but what would cause a fish’s fins to literally curl at the edges and otherwise shorten? Our ruby longfin fairy wrasse was living in our copper/low salinity systems for a good few months, we were expecting him to sell faster, I eventually moved him to the normal salinity (1.025) tower, and its been a couple more months but no fin re-growth. Did the copper do immune damage or something?
its coppersafe at 1.5 therapeutic levels.

Pictures would really help, I'm struggling to think what this looks like. Are the fins curving in the same direction? Is the caudal fin also affected?

I typically avoid treating copper and low salinity at the same time, that could be a wild card. However, 1.5 ppm is low for coppersafe, the full treatment level is 2.5 ppm. What salinity was the system at that time?

Jay

 

[vaguelyreeflike]

Pictures would really help, I'm struggling to think what this looks like. Are the fins curving in the same direction? Is the caudal fin also affected?

I typically avoid treating copper and low salinity at the same time, that could be a wild card. However, 1.5 ppm is low for coppersafe, the full treatment level is 2.5 ppm. What salinity was the system at that time?

Jay

Our treatment towers at work have 1.020 salinity and 1.5 copper, its what our wholesaler keeps their copper tanks at so transfer is much easier on the fish during shipments. Our regular salinity tanks have no copper and 1.025 salinity.

I will try to get pics today but its very difficult to see and looks like he is just simply missing fins altogether. It includes his elongated dorsal ray and one ventral fin, none other are effected.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Our treatment towers at work have 1.020 salinity and 1.5 copper, its what our wholesaler keeps their copper tanks at so transfer is much easier on the fish during shipments. Our regular salinity tanks have no copper and 1.025 salinity.

I will try to get pics today but its very difficult to see and looks like he is just simply missing fins altogether. It includes his elongated dorsal ray and one ventral fin, none other are effected.

You should not dose partial / low dose copper. All reports are that Amyloodinium and some strains of Cryptocaryon simply aren’t stopped except at a full dose. There is also the concern of possibly producing resistant strains, although that is more common with fast reproducing species like bacteria. Since there is no up side for partial copper, you should just go full dose. To a certain extent the same applies to hyposalinity - there are levels you need to hit for an effective treatment.
Jay

 

[vaguelyreeflike]

You should not dose partial / low dose copper. All reports are that Amyloodinium and some strains of Cryptocaryon simply aren’t stopped except at a full dose. There is also the concern of possibly producing resistant strains, although that is more common with fast reproducing species like bacteria. Since there is no up side for partial copper, you should just go full dose. To a certain extent the same applies to hyposalinity - there are levels you need to hit for an effective treatment.
Jay

I will raise our copper levels, thank you for that info! For the salinity levels our wholesaler has the exact same salinities in their tanks so we try to keep it the same for fish transfers. I will ask them more about their salinities and why its at 1.020

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I will raise our copper levels, thank you for that info! For the salinity levels our wholesaler has the exact same salinities in their tanks so we try to keep it the same for fish transfers. I will ask them more about their salinities and why its at 1.020

It is really common for dealers to maintain lower salinities: 1) lower osmotic stress, 2) lower sea salt costs and 3) disease control. IMO, 1.020 works for the first two reasons, but not so much the third. You can easily dose copper at 1.020 to catch the disease control aspect.
Jay