Melanurus Seems Like Its Dying!

[Cole_Voeller]

Can we get a better pic of his mouth? under whites if possible? I am curious if it is injured.

These fish sleep in sand and not in a cocoon so the mucus is something else imo.

This first picture is of when he was at the lfs, second is now.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hi Jay, thanks for the input. Your concerns match mine exactly, good to see that I didn’t worry for no reason.
I just woke up, and slowly turned the lights on, the Melanurus is up against the glass in the corner, right side up. He’s breathing and his eyes have moved some, but I’m not going to try to get him to move or anything, I’m just going to let him be while I go to class.
Regarding the specific gravity, I actually always make sure the salinity and ph match the tank water and store water before I even start drip acclimating. Half of the water was from the store as well, and everything was 1.025.

-I checked on him once more now right before I leave. He was swam from the corner, has started falling over again and then “waking up” again. He’ll just slowly start falling on his side, and then snap back upright and swim around. Pictures are from this update.

-Okay stayed a little bit longer to keep an eye on him, I’m totally gonna be late for class, haha. He is now zooming around the bottom, picking at gunk and searching for food it seems. Perhaps the first commenter was 100% right, and this dude just sleeps in a super weird way?

So - we can rule out acclimation issues. That it is eating well today rules out most major issues. With new fish, the first thing that tends to go with acute issues is the fish's appetite. I'll chalk this up to being startled in the middle of the night - I know I don't like that (grin).

The mouth issue may just be superficial - again, if it was serious damage, the fish wouldn't want to eat.

Jay

 

[Cole_Voeller]

So - we can rule out acclimation issues. That it is eating well today rules out most major issues. With new fish, the first thing that tends to go with acute issues is the fish's appetite. I'll chalk this up to being startled in the middle of the night - I know I don't like that (grin).

The mouth issue may just be superficial - again, if it was serious damage, the fish wouldn't want to eat.

Jay

I will update this thread again regarding his mouth if he starts closing it, but as of now it is still open. I also just got sand and bowls, so I’m gonna give him his sand tray soon.

Also, interestingly enough, while he is way more active now, swimming around and eating, I put my hand in again now that he’s awake and if I’m very slow and gentle, he will still just sit in my hand, no care in the world.

 

[Dierks]

I put my hand in again now that he’s awake and if I’m very slow and gentle, he will still just sit in my hand, no care in the world.

I can actually do this with a small portion of the fish I have at the shop. I have a powder blue that would all but let me scoop him out of the water. Other fish, like 99% of them like Jay said there is no way you are touching them. As you shouldn't be able to... Fight of flight.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I can actually do this with a small portion of the fish I have at the shop. I have a powder blue that would all but let me scoop him out of the water. Other fish, like 99% of them like Jay said there is no way you are touching them. As you shouldn't be able to... Fight of flight.

I have a clownfish in my home tank that will sit in my hand ... while it is busy biting down on my fingertips.

Jay

 

[Cole_Voeller]

I have a clownfish in my home tank that will sit in my hand ... while it is busy biting down on my fingertips.

Jay

Hey Jay! Question for you!
Melanurus is doing great, and I’ve been looking at pictures of Melanurus wrasses online, and honestly I believe that my dudes mouth is nornal.
Anyway, so tomorrow I am doing the first transfer (I don't count the first introduction as 1), but because of how he behaved introducing him on the first day, I want to be more cautious. Obviously temp, ph, salinity matched. But here’s what I’m thinking. I take a bowl/bucket of water from the current tank he is in now, with him inside. Then steadily add water from the new tank until at least 75% is from the new tank. Then take another bowl from the new tank, and place the wrasse into the new bowl for a minute, then into the new tank, transferring as little water possible of course. Is this an okay way of going about the transfers? Or should I continue to just place fish in a clean bowl, then into the clean tank?

 

[Dierks]

Hey Jay! Question for you!
Melanurus is doing great, and I’ve been looking at pictures of Melanurus wrasses online, and honestly I believe that my dudes mouth is nornal.
Anyway, so tomorrow I am doing the first transfer (I don't count the first introduction as 1), but because of how he behaved introducing him on the first day, I want to be more cautious. Obviously temp, ph, salinity matched. But here’s what I’m thinking. I take a bowl/bucket of water from the current tank he is in now, with him inside. Then steadily add water from the new tank until at least 75% is from the new tank. Then take another bowl from the new tank, and place the wrasse into the new bowl for a minute, then into the new tank, transferring as little water possible of course. Is this an okay way of going about the transfers? Or should I continue to just place fish in a clean bowl, then into the clean tank?

That won't work, you can't bring anything from the tank except the fish into the other tank or it don't do anything for you. Glad to hear the wrasse has settled in a bit for you. I would give him an extra day or two and then start your HTTM or TTM whatever you plan on doing. Again NOTHING but the fish can get moved to the next tank without it being completely beached/sanitized/dried.

 

[Dierks]

Or should I continue to just place fish in a clean bowl, then into the clean tank?

This

 

[Cole_Voeller]

That won't work, you can't bring anything from the tank except the fish into the other tank or it don't do anything for you. Glad to hear the wrasse has settled in a bit for you. I would give him an extra day or two and then start your HTTM or TTM whatever you plan on doing. Again NOTHING but the fish can get moved to the next tank without it being completely beached/sanitized/dried.

I wouldn’t be bringing anything from the old tank besides the wrasse. I’d just like to somewhat properly acclimate him to the new water before transferring tanks, to make it as stressfree as possible.

 

[Dierks]

I wouldn’t be bringing anything from the old tank besides the wrasse. I’d just like to somewhat properly acclimate him to the new water before transferring tanks, to make it as stressfree as possible.

You can do that, but you could do that also by simply emptying half your old tank and adding clean saltwater/new water so its 50/50 old water vs new water and then do the transfer. This is how I do it for doing transfers when they have just arrived as it helps adjust the PH as well.

But yes, than if you are only bring over the wrasse from the second bowl you are all good!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hey Jay! Question for you!
Melanurus is doing great, and I’ve been looking at pictures of Melanurus wrasses online, and honestly I believe that my dudes mouth is nornal.
Anyway, so tomorrow I am doing the first transfer (I don't count the first introduction as 1), but because of how he behaved introducing him on the first day, I want to be more cautious. Obviously temp, ph, salinity matched. But here’s what I’m thinking. I take a bowl/bucket of water from the current tank he is in now, with him inside. Then steadily add water from the new tank until at least 75% is from the new tank. Then take another bowl from the new tank, and place the wrasse into the new bowl for a minute, then into the new tank, transferring as little water possible of course. Is this an okay way of going about the transfers? Or should I continue to just place fish in a clean bowl, then into the clean tank?

This will not work with bowls. With the tank transfer method, you have to move the fish between 2 different tanks every 2-3 days and sterilizing the tanks in between each transfer to prevent the movement of anyparasites from each tank to the next. YOU MUST monitor the clock (number of days) and transfer the fish no later than every 3 days which CAN'T be overlooked. In essense, you are stopping life cycles with this method before they progress.
Requires a lot of patience in mixing new water and sterilizing tanks each time

 

[vetteguy53081]

You can do that, but you could do that also by simply emptying half your old tank and adding clean saltwater/new water so its 50/50 old water vs new water and then do the transfer. This is how I do it for doing transfers when they have just arrived as it helps adjust the PH as well.

But yes, than if you are only bring over the wrasse from the second bowl you are all good!

50/50 riskd transferring any parasite which may be present. It has to be entire as I just posted the TTM method

 

[Cole_Voeller]

This will not work with bowls. With the tank transfer method, you have to move the fish between 2 different tanks every 2-3 days and sterilizing the tanks in between each transfer to prevent the movement of anyparasites from each tank to the next. YOU MUST monitor the clock (number of days) and transfer the fish no later than every 3 days which CAN'T be overlooked. In essense, you are stopping life cycles with this method before they progress.
Requires a lot of patience in mixing new water and sterilizing tanks each time

Sorry, I guess I just didn’t explain this well enough. I know how to properly transfer and sterilize the old tank. What I am saying, is that I would take water FROM THE NEW TANK, and use it to acclimate the wrasse in the OLD TANK WATER. I would then transfer the fish to the new tank, without transferring the water. I understand how to properly do TTM, I just want to know if it’s okay to acclimate them somewhat to the brand new water.
(Caps just so no confusion haha)

 

[vetteguy53081]

Sorry, I guess I just didn’t explain this well enough. I know how to properly transfer and sterilize the old tank. What I am saying, is that I would take water FROM THE NEW TANK, and use it to acclimate the wrasse in the OLD TANK WATER. I would then transfer the fish to the new tank, without transferring the water. I understand how to properly do TTM, I just want to know if it’s okay to acclimate them somewhat to the brand new water.
(Caps just so no confusion haha)

Ahhh- good to go