Solar fairy wrasee hardly moving

mujimran · Oct 3, 2021

I got a solar fairy wrasee and a pearscale butterfly 9 days back and put in my QT 40G. Both fish were doing well, eating and everything until today evening when I noticed my wrasse was just sitting there hardly moving. It was shy in the beginning and would hide but after like 3 days was pretty comfortable moving around.

Weird thing is the pearscale is next to it as if it’s protecting it or something.

Any idea whats going on? Its a QT tank so no live rock or sand. I do 10% water changes every 3 days.

mujimran · Oct 3, 2021

I think it won’t last the night.

What could have caused this?

Tamberav · Oct 3, 2021

Are there any good hiding spots?

Perhaps it spoked and crashed into the lid or such.

Treating with any meds?

Spieg · Oct 3, 2021

PVC pipes and elbows work well as shelter for some fish that get spooked. Also some wrasses need some sand to bury themselves in (not sure if fairy wrasses are in that category).

mujimran · Oct 3, 2021

Tamberav said:
Are there any good hiding spots?

Perhaps it spoked and crashed into the lid or such.

Treating with any meds?

Thats my QT. No meds. He used to be in the pineapple most if the time in the beginning and sometimes now. Never went through the pvc pipe as far as I know. Should get some smaller, longer pvcs.

He seems little better now (not tilting at all). One thing I did notice that it suddenly hits the bottom as if tryong to fight its reflection. Should I cover the bottom with some sand? Thought the QT shouldn’t have any live rock or sand as they absorb meds if needed.

Also, the pearscale still does the protective thing. Gets close to it and titls itself towards the wrasse as if conforting him. Cute if thats the case.

mujimran · Oct 3, 2021

Spieg said:
PVC pipes and elbows work well as shelter for some fish that get spooked. Also some wrasses need some sand to bury themselves in (not sure if fairy wrasses are in that category).

The LFS guy said they this one doesn’t bury in sand but like moving around rubbles

Tamberav · Oct 3, 2021

mujimran said:
Thats my QT. No meds. He used to be in the pineapple most if the time in the beginning and sometimes now. Never went through the pvc pipe as far as I know. Should get some smaller, longer pvcs.

He seems little better now (not tilting at all). One thing I did notice that it suddenly hits the bottom as if tryong to fight its reflection. Should I cover the bottom with some sand? Thought the QT shouldn’t have any live rock or sand as they absorb meds if needed.

Also, the pearscale still does the protective thing. Gets close to it and titls itself towards the wrasse as if conforting him. Cute if thats the case.

Sand hardly absorbs anything but I doubt he’s fighting his reflection. Sounds more like an injury or such to me since he’s laying like that. Also the tank is pretty bare for hiding spots. We wouldn’t set up a display tank with two small rocks on each end and call that adequate hiding.

Fish don’t like white PVC very much tbh so that’s probably why he preferred the pineapple. PVC is just so bright and artificial looking to them. Black PVC is a much better choice if it can be found.

Quarantine gets a lot of bad rap for killing fish because for whatever reason the examples of how to set them up are pretty terrible. Bare and little to no hiding spots that feel pretty artificial.

When I QT I fill mine up with lots of silk/plastic aquarium plants, fake log and rock hides or even have used clay bricks. Lots of hiding area and more natural looking hides to keep stress down.