Problem with Scotts Fairy Wrasse

[Breakthecycle2]

I don't know what to do. I started noticing my Scotts was eating like a pig, but seemed to be getting skinny. He was also scratching on rocks. Yesterday I picked up some Doctors G's food, but of course know he won't eat. He's just hanging out at the top of the tank almost vertically. I don't know what other information I can give, except he has no visible spots on him.

 

[4FordFamily]

I don't know what to do. I started noticing my Scotts was eating like a pig, but seemed to be getting skinny. He was also scratching on rocks. Yesterday I picked up some Doctors G's food, but of course know he won't eat. He's just hanging out at the top of the tank almost vertically. I don't know what other information I can give, except he has no visible spots on him.

I've had two of them. The first one had a swim bladder issue and did this, it was too severe and he did not make it.

The second did this too exactly as you describe (although he ate better) and he recovered and is doing fine.

IMO I would run prazi to rid him of internal parasites and flukes. Ich doesn't seem to bother many wrasses, but it can affect fairy wrasses significantly more than others because they don't bury under the sand. However, the mucous coating they produce to sleep in helps keep the parasite at bay and wrasses are seemingly hardier against velvet and ich both.

That said, I would run prazi pro. Do some reading on it. It's reef safe I use in both of my reef tanks without issue. It can curb appetite, but my next advice should help. Also, take the cup off of your skimmer and let it overflow back in to the tank to keep O2 levels high. Skimmers will remove prazi if you leave the cup on.

Next, change what you feed. Wrasses LOVE Blackworms and live brine. I've never had any wrasse ever refuse BOTH of those for more than a week. I have 8 leopard wrasses that are notoriously difficult to get eating.

My wrasses go completely haywire for black worms. They're a fantastic nutritional food for all fish.

Also soak several mixed frozen foods in garlic guard or kent garlic, selcon, and cod liver oil. To do this, I mix a small cup full of 10 different types of frozen foods of all different types. I microwave it for 2 mins, and use a very small hole "strainer" from the grocer to drain out he nastiness and excess water so that the food can better absorb the above agents. Then, I mix it all back in that cup and refrigerate. I use it for 1-2 weeks depending on feeding frequency. You can also add pellets and some flakes.

This greatly varies your food offerings and a fish is sure to find something it likes. Don't do this with live black worms though, when they die (and they will in those ingredients) they foul up water VERY fast. Feed those sepearately. Same with live brine.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Alright. Im going to go try to find some prazi at one of the stores. Thank you.

 

[Humblefish]

Wrasses and angels are very susceptible to flukes. You could perform a FW dip to confirm this. If no little white worms (flukes) fall out of him during the FW dip and you aren't seeing any stringy white poop (internal parasites), I would assume an external parasite is ailing him such as ich.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

That was my next question. How do I do a freshwater dip? I've read on the subject, but I really need a step by step from someone with experience. I know the PH needs to be raised as well.

 

[Humblefish]

That was my next question. How do I do a freshwater dip? I've read on the subject, but I really need a step by step from someone with experience. I know the PH needs to be raised as well.

Freshwater Dip: Provides temporary relief for Brooklynella, Flukes, Marine Velvet disease (Amyloodinium); possibly even Ich & Uronema marinum (both unproven). Can be used to confirm the presence of Flukes.

How To Treat - Fill a bucket with RODI water, and use a heater to match the temperature to the water the fish is coming from. Aerate the water heavily for at least 30 minutes prior to doing the dip, then discontinue aeration while performing the dip. Fish aren’t overly pH sensitive for short durations like this, but you can squirt a little tank water into the dip just before the fish goes in to help bring it up.

Place the fish in the freshwater (FW) dip and observe closely. It is not unusual for them to freak out a little at first. Also, tangs are notorious for “playing dead” during a FW dip. The important thing is to watch their gills; they should be breathing heavily at all times during the dip. If breathing slows, it’s time to exit the dip. Dip the fish for no longer than 5 minutes. Multiple dips may be done, but it’s important to give your fish a day to recuperate in-between dips.

For flukes, use a dark (preferably black) bucket so you can see if tiny white worms fall out of the fish (especially out of the gills) at around the 3-4 minute mark. The worms will settle to the bottom, so you can use a flashlight to look for them there as well.

Pros - Provides temporary relief for a wide range of diseases in a chemical free environment. Can “buy you more time” until a proper treatment can be done.

Cons/Side Effects - Not a permanent “fix” for any disease, as FW dips are not potent enough to eradicate all of the parasites/worms afflicting the fish. Some fish can have an adverse reaction to a FW dip by appearing unable to maintain their equilibrium once returned to the aquarium. If this happens, hold the fish upright (using latex, nitrile or rubber gloves), and gently glide him through the water (to get saltwater flowing through the gills again). It is also a good idea to place the fish in an acclimation box until he appears “normal”.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

My only problem is aeration. Could I use a small power head?

 

[4FordFamily]

Yeah.

One more thing I would bring up - while Fw dips are very useful and temporarily effective, I am not sure I recommend performing them on a fish that is already struggling. I reserve Fw dips for fish I consider in moderate to good health (they may have flukes or ich but they're not lethargic or weak). The stress of Fw dip may finish a fish in a bad or declining state in my experience. OR, I reserve it for a fish in such a bad state that it is completely coated in parasites and really I have nothing to lose, it will die either way ateast with a dip it has a small chance- type of situation.

Because prazi affects most fish very little and is pretty safe, I wouldn't hesitate to use it regardless.

Ich is pretty easy to ID, my guess is that if he had ich you would know.

Velvet can hide, but I've never in my life lost a wrasse to velvet. I've had two bad cases two different times and it took a couple months for me to diagnose it in my most recent case and all of my wrasses were completely fine while the tangs and angels dropped dead. This is just my experience.

As said though, fairy wrasses are a bit more fragile than most others.

 

[maroun.c]

I would suspect internal parasites. Prazi is effective against those, external parasites and flukes...
Fresh water dip will give relief from flukes and external parasites but not internal ones...
No Harm running a freswater dip for immediate relief of any external parasites or flukes but the symptoms described would benefit more from a coule of prazi cycles. If you do see any flukes come off i would be more strict with the prazi treatments and verify cure with a freshwater dip before returning to tank. Is this a recent addition and is it in a Q tank or in DT?

 

[Breakthecycle2]

SO, Im confused now. He came out and actually ate today, some mysis and a bite or two of the Dr G's. Should I skip the dip and just use prazi?

 

[Triggreef]

SO, Im confused now. He came out and actually ate today, some mysis and a bite or two of the Dr G's. Should I skip the dip and just use prazi?

I would skip the dip and use prazi. If he's still eating you can save him.

Great responses btw Ford and Humble!

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Thanks guys. One more thing...for a 200 gallon tank, how much should I use? I should use take the collection cup off the skimmer for extra aeration?

 

[Triggreef]

as well as remove carbon/gfo

I believe its a capful per 20g but it should say on the bottle.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

Im running ROWA, should I stop that too?

 

[4FordFamily]

Im running ROWA, should I stop that too?

Yes. Remove all gfo, carbon, any media at all. Leave skimmer ON but remove the collection cup. This will keep your O2 levels high without removing the prazi.

Many say to turn off the skimmer but I do NOT recommend that. Prazi can lower O2 levels a bit, and people underestimate how effective skimmers are at raising dissolved oxygen levels. I would dose every 3 days 2 or three times. This will kill any flukes emerging from various life cycles.

 

[4FordFamily]

Thanks guys. One more thing...for a 200 gallon tank, how much should I use? I should use take the collection cup off the skimmer for extra aeration?

I might also add many have used up to 5x recommended dose seemingly without issue.

I personally have doubled it without any negative impacts. So in this case, more is better than less.

 

[Humblefish]

My only problem is aeration. Could I use a small power head?

A small power head pointed towards the surface of the water is even better for oxygenating the water than using an air stone.

If you decide to skip the dip and just dose Prazipro; the dosage is 1 teaspoon per 20 gallons. Discontinue skimmer and running carbon while treating. In 5-7 days you'll want to dose Prazi again, but do a 20-25% WC beforehand.

 

[Breakthecycle2]

So, do I need to keep the skimmer and carbon off every day util treatment is done?

 

[Humblefish]

So, do I need to keep the skimmer and carbon off every day util treatment is done?

For at least 3 days, yes. Praziquantel (the active ingredient found in Prazipro) only remains active in the water for 72 hours max. Be warned your skimmer will likely go nuts once you turn it back on (due to the Oxybispropanol - solubilizing agent - found in Prazipro.)

 

[4FordFamily]

I would still not turn the skimmer off, IMO. It won't hurt anything if it runs as long as it cannot collect the medication and remove it in the cup. I've done this with success many times. Just my .02