Need help with my radiant wrasse

[lomi]

Hi. I got this radiant wrasse from LFS on sunday and up until now he wont eat. I tried mysis shrimp and brine shrimp but he doesnt look like he is interested. I noticed that his mouth is always slighty open and have not seen it closes (clue?) He has has white patch or something in his body near the tail and his dorsal fin is damaged.

can you help identify what the problem? Can you recommend medification so that he will start to eat? TIA

He is in QT btw

 

[lomi]

Here’s a short video of him......

 

[Jimmyneptune]

Are you medicating him? If you are I wouldn’t.

Do you have a dish of sand in the QT? If you don’t put a small or a dish of sand in the Qt.

Try to get some kind of live food. Or something like frozen black or blood worms or ROE. I wouldn’t worry about eating as much as the sand. He’s probably trying to get comfortable and the dish of sand can make a big difference.

 

[lomi]

Yes i do have it at the corner of the QT. Actually he is buried in the sand all day long and i got worried so i disturb the sand to wake him up. And he will swim and stay in the water column until lights goes off and he goes back to the sand.

he is not in medication yet because i want to him to eat first.

 

[Jimmyneptune]

Staying in the sand all day long is natural. They will develop their own routine.

If you disturb his sleep cycle, he could be delirious and that’s why it’s fin is scraped up. He may be trying to hide somewhere where he’s not gonna be bothered. it looks like it should heal.

What are your water parameters? Do you use water from your main display in your QT?

 

[lomi]

i did use my display tank’s water. His damaged fins and the white patch is already there when i bought it from the store. I took the risk because lfs seldom have this on sale plus i saw him very agile and not sick looking. And he swims normally in QT btw. Im just worried bec. He is not interested to take food. Not even a sniff.

So i shouldnt disturb him? Let him be so to speak? How long should i wait if he decides not to show up?

Water params:
nitrate 0.2
Phosphate 0.06
Alk 7.3
Sg 1.026

 

[Jimmyneptune]

I would wait a few days. But I still wouldn’t disturb him. Find something small and enticing to eat. But don’t feed him until he is out swimming around. Do you have any live rock in the QT? Having something for him to hunt peck at may be helpful.

 

[lomi]

Thats a good idea. A live rock. Thank you.

 

[Big G]

Beautiful fish. Can you tell us what foods you have been trying so far? And how those foods were introduced to the wrasse?

This when mixed with small chopped bits of fresh mussel, clams, shrimp and then smeared on a piece of rock or some area in the tank like the glass, etc. can often get them eating.