Rhomboid not eating and hiding

Orly20 · Feb 14, 2017

Ok so I bought this Rhomboid from a local reefer who was taking a break from the hobby and he had the fish in his system with a few other wrasses for over a year. I then purchase the Wrasse and drip acclimated him and had in in an acclimation box for about 3 days. Since he went in the tank he ate everything from pellets to nori, you name it.

I then tried about two weeks later I tried Lanthanum Chloride by diluting 3ml in a gallon of LC slow dripped in a 5 micron sock over 6 hours.

My Rhomboid and Bruneus are well that night but for the next three days they were hidden. The Bruneus came out and is good now but the Rhomboid has not eaten I'd say in about over a week. He is looking skinny and swims around sometimes but bumps against rock work and side glass, looking lost and confused. When I try to feed the tank he swims by the food but I can tell he responds to the food in the water.

Not sure what to do. Any help would be appreciated

I can see like a small black mark under his skin in a couple of the pics. I see no spots or anything really out of the ordinary

Thank you

Humblefish · Feb 14, 2017

@evolved @eatbreakfast

melypr1985 · Feb 14, 2017

Yup. Definitely going to need the wrasse experts in on this one.

Orly20 · Feb 15, 2017

Here are a couple of more pics

Excuse the cyano I've been trying out bp lol

eatbreakfast · Feb 15, 2017

It seems as though the Lanthanum chloride had an adverse affect. I am unfamiliar with the effects LC has on a fish. Does it deplete O2? Can it damage the lateral line or eyes? I don't know, but it certainly seems something is up with the wrasses' sensory perception.

Orly20 · Feb 15, 2017

That's exactly my suspicions as well.
I had read up very lengthy threads reference LC and the only fish known to have issues were tangs with the flocculant getting stuck to their gills. I am stumped with this wrasses behavior

eatbreakfast · Feb 15, 2017

Orly20 said:
That's exactly my suspicions as well.
I had read up very lengthy threads reference LC and the only fish known to have issues were tangs with the flocculant getting stuck to their gills. I am stumped with this wrasses behavior

Tangs and wrasses are both active fish with high oxygen needs. If the wrasses became O2 deprived during that time it would explain the change in behavior.

Orly20 · Feb 15, 2017

Agreed but the LC was done almost two weeks ago. I thought he would get passed it by now but I have a feeling it's not.
I'd catch and treat in qt only if I can be given a good cure regimen but I'd prefer not to stress him out
I really appreciate everyone's help

eatbreakfast · Feb 15, 2017

If there is gill damage, methylene blue can soothe that.

melypr1985 · Feb 15, 2017

I like the methyline blue dip is an excellent idea. The fins look a little torn up as well, so if you put him in QT then you'll want to punch up the O2 in there (and in the dip) and dose kanaplex for the fins.

Orly20 · Feb 16, 2017

Hi Guys,
I really appreciate the help!

Update:
I saw him out and about clumsy as always and disoriented. I was able to snatch him out of the water but before that I did see a tankmate take a swipe at him.
I already have a qt up and running that has a small convict tang which has gone through two rounds of prazi pro(all this is thanks to you guys!) and is eating like a little pig.
I didn't acclimate the wrasse I just popped him in since the water parameters are the same as dt. I see him after an hour swimming around but still what I can describe as maybe weak looking. Again I have not seen him eat in two weeks.

So I will look into methyline blue locally and research on a proper dip.

@melypr1985
Reference the Kanaplex, which I have on hand, makes me worried a bit dosing with the convict tang in the qt. I have read they have some type of bacteria in their stomachs that helps them digest food and is the main reason as to why they wither away and die in months in captivity. Thoughts?

I can post pics again if needed.

Thanks again!

Orly20 · Feb 16, 2017

Could it be an intestinal blockage? So frustrating!!!!!

I fed the tank just now and the qt and the convict ate all the Hikari Mysis and the Rhomboid came out and looked around, again showing interest when the tank is feed but NOT FEEDING!

Here's a short video, I had the lights off with ambient light but only for today just to give the wrasse sometime to adjust. You know I just looked at the video again and I noticed a very thin stringy poop coming out of the Rhomboid. Can you see it? Blockage? What do you guys think?

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To be honest I have been watching the wrasse for the last hour and it looks like its acting a little better in the qt. It was probably getting harassed by the other wrasses in the tank.

Humblefish · Feb 16, 2017

@Orly20 Is the stringy poop white?

Orly20 · Feb 16, 2017

Humblefish said:
@Orly20 Is the stringy poop white?

I tried to look at it as closely as possible and it looked very very thin, so thin it looked almost transparent.

It definitely didn't look like a healthy poop

Humblefish · Feb 16, 2017

Orly20 said:
I tried to look at it as closely as possible and it looked very very thin, so thin it looked almost transparent.

It definitely didn't look like a healthy poop

Probably intestinal worms: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/internal-parasites-intestinal-worms.267419/

melypr1985 · Feb 16, 2017

Agreed. ^^

Orly20 · Feb 16, 2017

Humblefish said:
Probably intestinal worms: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/internal-parasites-intestinal-worms.267419/

I'd rather use prazipro since I have it already but would it be ok if the convict Tang go through another two rounds of prazipro w no ill effect?

4FordFamily · Feb 16, 2017

Orly20 said:
I'd rather use prazipro since I have it already but would it be ok if the convict Tang go through another two rounds of prazipro w no ill effect?

Prazipro is not likely to help with internal parasites, you really need metroplex and focus to bind it to food and feed for at least 10 days but the longer the better.