Sudden Melanurus Death?

[Dr Jimmy]

Picked up a melanurus yesterday afternoon. Came home, put through acclimation, 2.5 min freshwater dip, then into QT that just had water from DT freshly pulled. He handled this whole process just fine. I like to get fish acclimated to the water and eating before stressing them out too much. I have a couple fish going through this process right now. I fed a couple pellets and brine shrimp from 2 pm to 8 pm. He ate but wasn't overly excited about it. Around 9, he was swimming around head pointed down periodically. I put some aragonite in a bowl and placed it in the tank. Within a half hour, he had gone into the sand. I woke at 5 am to him still in the sand. Around 6, I noticed he was out of the sand but stiff as a board and floating upside down... I gave a few minutes then put a net in to see if he was responsive. Nothing. I'm not sure how he gets out of the sand if not under his own power. And if under his own power... How he suddenly drops dead. He still has good color even. Pics from this morning available, granted I don't typically like dead fish pictures unless they're helpful.

Really stumped and interested in thoughts. The fairy wrasse in the same QT is just fine.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Sounds like stress event or..... If it didn't show signs of parasite or disease.

 

[Dr Jimmy]

Sounds like stress event or..... If it didn't show signs of parasite or disease.

I'll include a picture as it might be helpful. I'm wondering if he popped out of the sand and got terribly scared at something? I'm just stumped. Was really looking forward to this fish and excited to get one with nice colors and a smaller size. I did scare the red and blue wrasse when I came in the room (he was still sleeping). Maybe my face is just that off putting in the morning. I even kept the lights off

 

[Flippers4pups]

I'll include a picture as it might be helpful. I'm wondering if he popped out of the sand and got terribly scared at something? I'm just stumped. Was really looking forward to this fish and excited to get one with nice colors and a smaller size. I did scare the red and blue wrasse when I came in the room (he was still sleeping). Maybe my face is just that off putting in the morning. I even kept the lights off

Looks okay to me. Post mortem pictures aren't always helpful, but sometimes they help.

I would guess stress. They need that sand right from the get go to hide when first introduced. Low light in a peaceful room. Screen top and plenty of PVC pipe sections to hide in.

How's the QT parameters? Ammonia?

 

[ca1ore]

If you are going to QT fish, I would skip the 2 1/2 minute FW. Seems completely unnecessary and and a major stress event. I’ve literally never done a FW dip in 30 years of reefing. Of course, sometimes new fish just die ....

 

[Flippers4pups]

My wrasse QT:

 

[Dr Jimmy]

Looks okay to me. Post mortem pictures aren't always helpful, but sometimes they help.

I would guess stress. They need that sand right from the get go to hide when first introduced. Low light in a peaceful room. Screen top and plenty of PVC pipe sections to hide in.

How's the QT parameters? Ammonia?

QT water came from DT... Where the fish were QT and corals are happy. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5 ppm nitrate. 78 degrees. Put brand new rinsed sand in QT tank within 4 hours of the fish getting in there. I had eggcrate top with this silicone sheet on top to prevent jumping. Airstone on a slow bubble to give oxygen. Small powerhead for water movement. Several PVC elbows and tee.

 

[Dr Jimmy]

If you are going to QT fish, I would skip the 2 1/2 minute FW. Seems completely unnecessary and and a major stress event. I’ve literally never done a FW dip in 30 years of reefing. Of course, sometimes new fish just die ....

I did search ahead and didn't really find any negatives for FW dipping melanurus. I do tank transfer instead of copper. But had no chance for any of that as he lived 12 hours. Had started eating and everything.

 

[Flippers4pups]

If you are going to QT fish, I would skip the 2 1/2 minute FW. Seems completely unnecessary and and a major stress event. I’ve literally never done a FW dip in 30 years of reefing. Of course, sometimes new fish just die ....

I agree. Temp and salinity match, in they go. Observe and feed for a couple days.

Some wrasses are sensitive. I lost a perfectly healthy redline years ago do to a freshwater dip. Lasted a day and died. I always just temp and salinity acclimate and in they go. Haven't lost a wrasse this way in years.

 

[ca1ore]

I did search ahead and didn't really find any negatives for FW dipping melanurus. I do tank transfer instead of copper. But had no chance for any of that as he lived 12 hours. Had started eating and everything.

Lots of things get perpetuated online that just make no sense to me. Doing a prophylactic FW dip is one of those things. May have had nothing to do with the fish dying. I’m just increasingly uncomfortable with the tendency to throw a whole bunch of treatments/meds at a new fish. I’ll stick with a nice and calm observational QT and treat symptoms as or if they appear.

 

[Dr Jimmy]

My understanding is that wrasse are more predisposed to flukes which aren't impacted by tank transfer.