Wrasse sick, what should I do?

Crashjack · Nov 14, 2017

If it were me, I would feed the medicated food but not dose the tank. Every time I quarantine fish, I do 2 rounds of GC, and it always suppresses appetite. The food will treat better than adding medication to the water anyway. You might also want to add Garlic Guard to the food/GC/Focus mixture, which should help stimulate feeding (works for me).

TroyHoot · Nov 14, 2017

Day 7 hungry wrasse. He ate 3 times yesterday. Used Larrys reef frenzy for the last feeding. Changed 5 gallons of water with display water. Fed him larrys just a little bit ago. Plan to feed him 2 or 3 more times today. Just little amounts each time. If he keeps eating I dont plan to redose the QT tank. He is still swimming upside down. But he is more active now. Going to continue to feed the Display for the 10 days with medicated food. No other fish in the display have shown any signs of parasites yet.

Hopefully he keeps his appetite and kicks these parasite. Then to see if he has any permanent swim bladder damage from this.

TroyHoot · Nov 15, 2017

Day 8 He ate very aggressively around noon. Was going to feed him again around 2 but he was asleep. Waiting for him to wake to feed again. Still mostly upside down. He is getting around better though.

TroyHoot · Nov 16, 2017

day 9 Wrasse is still eating good. Swimming better but still upside down. Lost a fire shrimp in the display. He had a bad molt 2 nights ago and came out with most whiskers way short. Was being picked on by other fire shrimp yesterday. This morning he was dead. Not sure if its from the medicated food or just a bad molt. Either way this is day 7 of medicated food for the display. Did a 5 gallon fresh saltwater change on the QT tank.

Going continue feeding medication to the wrasse in QT. Stopping medicated food in the display. Have seen no parasite signs in the display and 7 days should be good for them.

Brew12 · Nov 16, 2017

TroyHoot said:
day 9 Wrasse is still eating good. Swimming better but still upside down. Lost a fire shrimp in the display. He had a bad molt 2 nights ago and came out with most whiskers way short. Was being picked on by other fire shrimp yesterday. This morning he was dead. Not sure if its from the medicated food or just a bad molt. Either way this is day 7 of medicated food for the display. Did a 5 gallon fresh saltwater change on the QT tank.

Going continue feeding medication to the wrasse in QT. Stopping medicated food in the display. Have seen no parasite signs in the display and 7 days should be good for them.

Good to see he is still hanging on. Honestly, I'm surprised. Normally it is hard to bring them back once they get this bad. You've done a great job to get him to this point!

As for the shrimp, some shrimp will not tolerate others of their species. When one molts it leaves it in a weakened state where it can be attacked by the other. Sometimes this isn't a problem but it can be.

TroyHoot · Nov 16, 2017

I'm very surprised too. I think he has about kicked the parasites. I just hope he can overcome his swimming problem. I assume the parasites have damaged his swim bladder in some way. I don't know if its even possible for him to get over that part. I hope he does. I really like this guy.

Brew12 · Nov 16, 2017

TroyHoot said:
I'm very surprised too. I think he has about kicked the parasites. I just hope he can overcome his swimming problem. I assume the parasites have damaged his swim bladder in some way. I don't know if its even possible for him to get over that part. I hope he does. I really like this guy.

If he is still swimming and eating anything is possible. You may want to try and feed him a boiled pea. Not sure if he will eat it but it might help clean out the digestive track a little.

Any sign that his poo is returning to normal?

4FordFamily · Nov 16, 2017

Brew12 said:
If he is still swimming and eating anything is possible. You may want to try and feed him a boiled pea. Not sure if he will eat it but it might help clean out the digestive track a little.

Any sign that his poo is returning to normal?

Great idea! Thanks for updating this thread so often, op!

TroyHoot · Nov 16, 2017

I havent caught him pooping yet. No stringy stuff hanging though. I have seen him eat 4 days now. So im sure he has. I will have to get some peas. My wife and daughter both dont like them so I never have them at the house lol.

TroyHoot · Nov 17, 2017

Day 10 Still kicking. Ate once yesterday then slept most of the day. Think he ate some of the food off bottom last night. Tried to feed peas today. Think he tried one.

Took a video of the current state. Put a white light on for this. Been running a blue light normally so not over bright for him.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dMNd0UhANX3LIAlbx_A-2f3hgX5oNGVk/view?usp=sharing

TroyHoot · Nov 18, 2017

Day 11 He was dead this morning.

Humblefish · Nov 18, 2017

TroyHoot said:
Day 11 He was dead this morning.

Brew12 · Nov 18, 2017

TroyHoot said:
Day 11 He was dead this morning.

I'm sorry, you gave it a great shot!

You really did well keeping him going this long. Hopefully you never have to deal with this again but you will be much better prepared if you do. Both in how to identify the problems and how to treat.