Think my melanarus wrasse is dying

hawk82 · Dec 7, 2023

Ive had him 4 years. Hes looking skinny and he looks like hes confused... if that makes sense. Hes does not go for the food like he used to. Inface the past few weeks hes been getting less and less because everyone else eats it all before he realizes whats going on. And now for the past 2 days hes just been laying on the sand bed all day. He always went under the sand at night, but never layed on the sand during the day. He used to zoom around all the rocks all day. Hes the biggest fish in the tank out of 1 clownfish, 1 flame hawk, 2 firefish, and 1 banggai cardinal, and nobody ever bothered him anyway.

vetteguy53081 · Dec 7, 2023

hawk82 said:
Ive had him 4 years. Hes looking skinny and he looks like hes confused... if that makes sense. Hes does not go for the food like he used to. Inface the past few weeks hes been getting less and less because everyone else eats it all before he realizes whats going on. And now for the past 2 days hes just been laying on the sand bed all day. He always went under the sand at night, but never layed on the sand during the day. He used to zoom around all the rocks all day. Hes the biggest fish in the tank out of 1 clownfish, 1 flame hawk, 2 firefish, and 1 banggai cardinal, and nobody ever bothered him anyway.

May be moribund or have a common ailment known as UNWD which is a neurological issue that affects wrasses with no good outcome in many cases but will need video of at least 20 seconds to confirm

Jay Hemdal · Dec 7, 2023

hawk82 said:
Ive had him 4 years. Hes looking skinny and he looks like hes confused... if that makes sense. Hes does not go for the food like he used to. Inface the past few weeks hes been getting less and less because everyone else eats it all before he realizes whats going on. And now for the past 2 days hes just been laying on the sand bed all day. He always went under the sand at night, but never layed on the sand during the day. He used to zoom around all the rocks all day. Hes the biggest fish in the tank out of 1 clownfish, 1 flame hawk, 2 firefish, and 1 banggai cardinal, and nobody ever bothered him anyway.

It doesn't sound good, but a video could help us diagnose this.

Most chronic, internal fish issues like this (no external symptoms) are simply not treatable.....

Jay

Seansea · Dec 7, 2023

Believe wrasses live right around 4 years. Might just be old age but maybe just has something bothering him. Any new additions lately?

hawk82 · Dec 7, 2023

I just looked up that unwd. It sounds like that cause he looks bent.

hawk82 · Dec 8, 2023

For the past 2 days he is now refusing food all together. Just laying on the sand all day, i feel bad. Should I take him out and just put him in the freezer? I heard that was a somewhat human way to euthanize a fish.

FiveGallonSea · Dec 8, 2023

My Longnose did this at end of life. He had reached his lifespan with me. No outward signs of illness.

Jay Hemdal · Dec 9, 2023

hawk82 said:
For the past 2 days he is now refusing food all together. Just laying on the sand all day, i feel bad. Should I take him out and just put him in the freezer? I heard that was a somewhat human way to euthanize a fish.

Here is something I wrote up about fish euthanasia:

Fish Euthanasia

Euthanasia Euthanasia is a word derived from two Greek words that roughly translates to “good death”. In other words, euthanasia is the painless killing of an organism. In general usage, there is also the underlying understanding that euthanasia is performed on terminal patients only. This...

www.reef2reef.com

Jay

p.s. - I have only seen UNWD in newly acquired wrasses, so your fish probably has some other neurological issue.

hawk82 · Dec 10, 2023

Jay Hemdal said:
Here is something I wrote up about fish euthanasia:

Fish Euthanasia

Euthanasia Euthanasia is a word derived from two Greek words that roughly translates to “good death”. In other words, euthanasia is the painless killing of an organism. In general usage, there is also the underlying understanding that euthanasia is performed on terminal patients only. This...

www.reef2reef.com

Jay

p.s. - I have only seen UNWD in newly acquired wrasses, so your fish probably has some other neurological issue.

I think he hit the deck too hard one night when he was going under the sand... the more I look at him now, it looks like his face is bruised.