Why ?

[Newb_reefer1]

So frustrated right now...... Have no idea what's going on in my tank and it's ******* me off. Last week I bought 3 wrasse and added them to the tank the exquisite died the next morning but I'm assuming it was because it was fresh off the shipping to the store, the red head solan wrasse went Mia after I used a net to catch a clownfish in the tank and haven't seen it since, but this is what really blows my mind the tanks at the store are all plumbed together and I bought the fish from the same place at the same time but only the mcoskers flasher wrasse survived. After talking to the manager she agreed to exchanging the dead exquisite out for a fish I wanted. I ended picking up a red velvet wrasse who was at the store for a few weeks and looked great, swimming around eating no nipped fins or anything that would affect the health of the fish. After introducing the fish into the tank my mcoskers was chasing it around for a little but the aggression quickly died down after I cut the lights the velvet wrasse went into a rock crevice as expected. Fast forward to this morning I wake up and turn on the lights to find my happy wrasse swimming around just like any of my other healthy wrasse in the tank ie potters leopard and mcoskers. But this is where it gets wierd... 3 hours go by since I turned on the lights and the whole time the velvet wrasse was out and about swimming around then I go downstairs for about an hour and then when I went back upstairs and the wrasse is dead !!

I literally don't know what the heck is going on I tested my water and the store tested my water also both test came up great ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrate 0 so I know it's not my water killing the fish but I don't know what else it could be. My question is how the heck can my mcoskers and potters leopard be perfectly fine but the exquisite and velvet wrasse died the next day after looking perfectly fine when first introduced and the morning of the next day then just out of nowhere die ? I just don't understand the velvet wrasse was looking 100% healthy and happy for hours and when I leave the room for just an hour and come back to check on it and it's laying on the sand bed dead ??

 

[Marshall O]

First, I would recommend you QT your new fish, regardless of how long your LFS has them. You are adding Wrasses into a tank with existing Wrasses. There will be some chasing, nipping, flashing, etc. All of these should be avoided with new fish. So second, I recommend using an acclimation box for any new Wrasse additions. Keep them in there for at least a day. Release them at night just before the lights turn out after all other Wrasses stop paying them any attention. Finally, if you aren't getting replacements from that LFS, I would suggest finding an alternate source. Do you know the salinity of their water vs. yours? How do you acclimate the new ones?

 

[Newb_reefer1]

First, I would recommend you QT your new fish, regardless of how long your LFS has them. You are adding Wrasses into a tank with existing Wrasses. There will be some chasing, nipping, flashing, etc. All of these should be avoided with new fish. So second, I recommend using an acclimation box for any new Wrasse additions. Keep them in there for at least a day. Release them at night just before the lights turn out after all other Wrasses stop paying them any attention. Finally, if you aren't getting replacements from that LFS, I would suggest finding an alternate source. Do you know the salinity of their water vs. yours? How do you acclimate the new ones?

Are you sure on the qt with wrasse ? I researched it and found a few articles saying that puttin them through qt is more stressful than just acclimating and putting them in the tank. I am definitely going to buy an acclation box tired of loosing wrasse out of nowhere weather it be from stress from changing tanks or from tank mates I don't know, they did replace the exquisite wrasse that didn't make it with the red velvet which was nice but he didn't make it either for reasons I can't find. What's really ironic is that I have a potters leopard wrasse in there and liveaquaria rates them on expert care only and the velvet being easy to care for yet that's the one tht didn't make it and the potters and mcoskers are fine. Another wierd thing is I bought the mcoskers from the same place as the velvet and exquisite but the more sensitive to stress fish survives no problem and the easy "beginner" wrasse dies the next morning I don't get it.... I would believe the salinity is very close to that of the fish store since I buy all my saltwater from them aswell

 

[Newb_reefer1]

Oh and the way I acclimated them was with a drip set at 2 drops per second for about an hour but the guy at the lfs told me to just float the bag to temp acclimate the velvet then release it, I did that to no avail.... Whereas the drip had a 2/3 survival rate

 

[gpdno]

IMHO I would never put any fish into my tank without a 3-4 week quarantine period. I need to make sure the fish is healthy, disease and parasite free and eating before I ever introduce it to my DT.
Fish stores, whether local or online are not in business to QT fish, they are in the business to sell fish as fast as they can.

 

[Mmsetta]

How old is your tank?

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Qt is definitely recommended for wrasses (all livestock in general, but wrasses in particular). If done right, it shouldn't be as stressful as it is beneficial. I have several in QT right now. It helps to observe and make sure they're healthy, but it also allows you to get them used to your schedule and food preparation. QT is important in getting them used to tank life with you.

 

[Newb_reefer1]

Got all the saltwater in the tank 8/21/13 so it's been running for a while now

 

[RafasReef]

First, I would recommend you QT your new fish, regardless of how long your LFS has them. You are adding Wrasses into a tank with existing Wrasses. There will be some chasing, nipping, flashing, etc. All of these should be avoided with new fish. So second, I recommend using an acclimation box for any new Wrasse additions. Keep them in there for at least a day. Release them at night just before the lights turn out after all other Wrasses stop paying them any attention. Finally, if you aren't getting replacements from that LFS, I would suggest finding an alternate source. Do you know the salinity of their water vs. yours? How do you acclimate the new ones?

+1 on this....you have to build a relationship with LFS. i have had LFS hold fish for some time and till take him home if it all pans out then QT then acclimate.
LFS holding = 1approx 1 week
Acclimate = floating bag in DT water for approx. 1 hr. and slow drip into LFS store pack. then after slow drip for approx. 1 hr then gently place in QT. Keep there for 2, 3 even 4 weeks (1 month). Feed, and this is where you pay attention to body fins, breathing eating...etc etc.
then after everything is to your satisfaction place in acclimation box inside tank. let the other tank mates visually see him and get use to him. since he is in a acclimation box all you then have to do is pull interior box out and slowly place fish in DT water, since you aren't using net you wont stress out fish.

patience is the key...

 

[Marshall O]

Are you sure on the qt with wrasse ? I researched it and found a few articles saying that puttin them through qt is more stressful than just acclimating and putting them in the tank. I am definitely going to buy an acclation box tired of loosing wrasse out of nowhere weather it be from stress from changing tanks or from tank mates I don't know, they did replace the exquisite wrasse that didn't make it with the red velvet which was nice but he didn't make it either for reasons I can't find. What's really ironic is that I have a potters leopard wrasse in there and liveaquaria rates them on expert care only and the velvet being easy to care for yet that's the one tht didn't make it and the potters and mcoskers are fine. Another wierd thing is I bought the mcoskers from the same place as the velvet and exquisite but the more sensitive to stress fish survives no problem and the easy "beginner" wrasse dies the next morning I don't get it.... I would believe the salinity is very close to that of the fish store since I buy all my saltwater from them aswell

As others have already said, yes I am sure about QT'ing Wrasses. I have personally QT'd ~20 Wrasses, from the Cirrhilabrus, Paracheilinus, Halichoeres, Macropharyngodon , & Wetmorella genera. I have lost two during the QT process. One was a M. chaoti which have very low survival rates as it is, and the other was an order from an online vendor of 3 Fairy Wrasses. 2 of the 3 had Ich. Treated them all, but one did not make it through the treatment. If I did not QT them, I would have had a serious problem on my hand with the other fish in my 125.

A big part of your problem is likely your existing Wrasses with new fish. A 6-8 week QT period along with using an acclimation box will make all the difference IMO.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

As others have already said, yes I am sure about QT'ing Wrasses. I have personally QT'd ~20 Wrasses, from the Cirrhilabrus, Paracheilinus, Halichoeres, Macropharyngodon , & Wetmorella genera. I have lost two during the QT process. One was a M. chaoti which have very low survival rates as it is, and the other was an order from an online vendor of 3 Fairy Wrasses. 2 of the 3 had Ich. Treated them all, but one did not make it through the treatment. If I did not QT them, I would have had a serious problem on my hand with the other fish in my 125.

A big part of your problem is likely your existing Wrasses with new fish. A 6-8 week QT period along with using an acclimation box will make all the difference IMO.

+1 an acclimation box is easy to make (or can be bought) and is an extremely useful (if not vital) tool for acclimating wrasses.