Melanurus Wrasse Laying on Sand Bed

[Seek&Reef]

I bought a Melanurus wrasse along with a McCosker and Exquisite on Friday from a Pre QT vendor. All acclimated fine and everyone ate Saturday and Sunday. Monday and Tuesday the Melanurus hid in the sand. This morning I found him laying on top of the sand on his side. He has no visible signs of disease or parasites. The tank is cycled and has a pair of clownfish (also QT'd) that lived in the tank for over a month before introducing the wrasses. Tank is 180g system volume. Not detecting any ammonia and nitrates are at 25ppm and phosphates .1ppm as I've been battling dinos. Please help.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Pics and/or video under white lighting will be helpful with assessment. Need to assure its not moribund
Is fish breathing rapidly?
Is it eating?
How is swimming behavior?

I bought a Melanurus wrasse along with a McCosker and Exquisite on Friday from a Pre QT vendor. All acclimated fine and everyone ate Saturday and Sunday. Monday and Tuesday the Melanurus hid in the sand. This morning I found him laying on top of the sand on his side. He has no visible signs of disease or parasites. The tank is cycled and has a pair of clownfish (also QT'd) that lived in the tank for over a month before introducing the wrasses. Tank is 180g system volume. Not detecting any ammonia and nitrates are at 25ppm and phosphates .1ppm as I've been battling dinos. Please help.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

@Jay Hemdal

Jay needs a video made in white lighting. Salinity? Any bullying going on?

 

[Seek&Reef]

He seemed to breathe rapidly at points. I cannot take a video as I had to go to work. I took these before I left. I tried to feed him before I left but he was not interested. I have a ton of Copepods and Sphaeromatids so he could be eating those. He seems like he has a hard time swimming as he stayed bent on one side. He got startled at one point this morning as I was looking at him and darted behind a rock rather efficently

 

[Seek&Reef]

@Jay Hemdal

Jay needs a video made in white lighting. Salinity? Any bullying going on?

I can't take a video till around 4pm CST. Salinity is 1.025 and no bullying. He is 5" long and everyone else is much smaller than him. He ruled the tank Saturday and Sunday when he was out and about. I have been battling SCA dinos but the last sample I took from the sand bed showed only diatoms as I've been silicate dosing. Silicate has been between 2-3ppm. Also running carbon through a reactor just in case my SCA was toxic but never seen anything struggle from it and it seems to be defeated anyways.

 

[Zigma]

Pretty sure that's what they do. He, or she sleeping/resting.
I've got 2 of them. They sleep like that and they also like to burry in the sand sideways. They come out to eat, sometimes they swim around, other times they just do that type of behavior. I don't think it's anything out of the ordinary.

 

[Seek&Reef]

Pretty sure that's what they do. He, or she sleeping/resting.
I've got 2 of them. They sleep like that and they also like to burry in the sand sideways. They come out to eat, sometimes they swim around, other times they just do that type of behavior. I don't think it's anything out of the ordinary.

I really hope so. This is my favorite fish that I have wanted since I started this hobby. I did not realize these wrasses would behave so strangely till researching when he hid for a whole day

 

[SlugSnorter]

params? do you use tap water?

heavy breathing? other symptoms? not eating normally?

if no, and params are good, probably just resting.

 

[MEPAWN35]

I really hope so. This is my favorite fish that I have wanted since I started this hobby. I did not realize these wrasses would behave so strangely till researching when he hid for a whole day

Honestly kinda seems normal to me. I have both a Melanurus and Leopard wrasse. The melanurus hid for 3 days when i got him and my leopard hid for a week. The leopard will still hid and sleep anytime after 3pm lol. The melanurus i had would occasionally lay around as well.

 

[Seek&Reef]

params? do you use tap water?

heavy breathing? other symptoms? not eating normally?

if no, and params are good, probably just resting.

I do not use tap water. 7 stage rodi. Had a icp test not long ago and only thing strange was slightly elevated tin. I think from new pvc

80F
25ppm NO3
.1PPM PO4
1.025 Salinty
0ppm Ammonia
9dkh alk
8.3ph
All solid parameters

 

[MEPAWN35]

I do not use tap water. 7 stage rodi. Had a icp test not long ago and only thing strange was slightly elevated tin. I think from new pvc

80F
25ppm NO3
.1PPM PO4
1.025 Salinty
0ppm Ammonia
9dkh alk
8.3ph
All solid parameters

Same parameters mostly for me as well. I kept my tank at 78 and just recently raised my alk to 11. I think you are good and just keep an eye on him.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I bought a Melanurus wrasse along with a McCosker and Exquisite on Friday from a Pre QT vendor. All acclimated fine and everyone ate Saturday and Sunday. Monday and Tuesday the Melanurus hid in the sand. This morning I found him laying on top of the sand on his side. He has no visible signs of disease or parasites. The tank is cycled and has a pair of clownfish (also QT'd) that lived in the tank for over a month before introducing the wrasses. Tank is 180g system volume. Not detecting any ammonia and nitrates are at 25ppm and phosphates .1ppm as I've been battling dinos. Please help.

Take a look at the file in the sticky section - listed as UNWD. Some aspects of what you are describing align with that issue.
Jay

 

[Seek&Reef]

Melanurus

youtube.com

 

[Seek&Reef]

Take a look at the file in the sticky section - listed as UNWD. Some aspects of what you are describing align with that issue.
Jay

I think you are right

 

[Seek&Reef]

Melanurus 2

youtube.com

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I think you are right

It isn’t 100% identical, but most of the signs are there.
Jay

 

[Seek&Reef]

It isn’t 100% identical, but most of the signs are there.
Jay

Any suggestions or other ideas of cause

 

[matthew_coletta]

I do not use tap water. 7 stage rodi. Had a icp test not long ago and only thing strange was slightly elevated tin. I think from new pvc

80F
25ppm NO3
.1PPM PO4
1.025 Salinty
0ppm Ammonia
9dkh alk
8.3ph
All solid parameters

I think just resting as well. Mine did that like two weeks ago and is now back to himself

 

[Seek&Reef]

I think just resting as well. Mine did that like two weeks ago and is now back to himself

Did you watch the videos?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Not resting- Looks like a fish that suffered blunt force trauma from being startled and may have spinal cord damage and headed to point of being moribund. Unfortunately there is no treatment other than providing good water quality and oxygen and hope for the best