Wrasse spinal injury?

Frtdrmrose7 · Jan 3, 2019

so my new wrasse (red fin fairy) in QT has started swimming head up tail down. I am suspecting a spinal injury. I don’t know if it tried to jump and hit the cover or what. Will this heal? If not I don’t see how it could survive in my DT with any flow. He’s already working hard to swim as it is. He isn’t Having any issues eating or anything else at the moment.
@4FordFamily i think I saw an older post where you had a similar isssue. Did yours recover?

Frtdrmrose7 · Jan 3, 2019

Here is a video of him going after Mysis. I guess he’ll have enough spunk in the big tank. Could the small QT just be causing him to be lazy? Does this look normal or spine injury? I guess I just wasn’t paying too much attention idk.

Humblefish · Jan 3, 2019

The best you can do is put him in an acclimation box and hope for the best.

Most of the time spinal injuries do not self correct, but I've seen a few exceptions. But because this is cause by internal physical damage (i.e. spinal column), there's not much you can do except hope it heals on its own.

Frtdrmrose7 · Jan 3, 2019

Humblefish said:
The best you can do is put him in an acclimation box and hope for the best.

Most of the time spinal injuries do not self correct, but I've seen a few exceptions. But because this is cause by internal physical damage (i.e. spinal column), there's not much you can do except hope it heals on its own.

He is in a 10G QT and the yellow is definitely submissive to him. I have a fishless running 65G I could put him in if he needs his own space. If this does not heal I’m assuming it would not be good to add him to my 150G with other fish after QT?

Humblefish · Jan 3, 2019

Frtdrmrose7 said:
If this does not heal I’m assuming it would not be good to add him to my 150G with other fish after QT?

No, the flow will just blow him all over the tank causing further damage. He needs to remain in an acclimation box until/if he ever returns to normal. You can also spot feed him more easily this way.

Butuz · Jan 3, 2019

Wow, must be an epidemic. I had the same issue two weeks ago, see my post on that. Moved this little guy to the refugium, he did not survive.

Humblefish · Jan 3, 2019

Butuz said:
Wow, must be an epidemic. I had the same issue two weeks ago, see my post on that. Moved this little guy to the refugium, he did not survive.

I get wrasses in with spinal injuries all the time.

Frtdrmrose7 · Jan 3, 2019

Humblefish said:
I get wrasses in with spinal injuries all the time.

I’ll put him an acclimation box and spot feed but if he doesn’t recover what is the best course of action? Euthanize?

Humblefish · Jan 3, 2019

Frtdrmrose7 said:
I’ll put him an acclimation box and spot feed but if he doesn’t recover what is the best course of action? Euthanize?

Yes; MS-222 time: https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/11/fish

Frtdrmrose7 · Jan 3, 2019

Humblefish said:
Yes; MS-222 time: https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2010/11/fish

Would waiting until the end of QT be fair or should I look to do ASAP since he has a poor prognosis?

Humblefish · Jan 3, 2019

Frtdrmrose7 said:
Would waiting until the end of QT be fair or should I look to do ASAP since he has a poor prognosis?

I would wait until he stops eating before considering euthanasia.

Frtdrmrose7 · Jan 3, 2019

Humblefish said:
I would wait until he stops eating before considering euthanasia.

Ok thanks for the advice

Butuz · Jan 3, 2019

Frtdrmrose7 said:
Would waiting until the end of QT be fair or should I look to do ASAP since he has a poor prognosis?

By day two in the refugium, even with super low flow, he could not even control and move himself to grab food.

Frtdrmrose7 · Jan 3, 2019

Butuz said:
By day two in the refugium, even with super low flow, he could not even control and move himself to grab food.

Mine is still moving well and eating extremely well. I have hope I just saw him flick his tail once. We will see fingers crossed!

Frtdrmrose7 · Jan 5, 2019

Sad to say today I euthanized the fairy wrasse due to his injury. He stopped eating and had lost more function to swim.

Humblefish · Jan 5, 2019

Sorry for your loss

saltyhog · Jan 5, 2019

Sorry for the loss. I know they occasionally recover but I've never had one do it. Depending on the location of the injury they either seem to swim like yours did or in circles in one direction. Early on they will still eat well but will gradually weaken to the point they can't IME.

Frtdrmrose7 · Jan 5, 2019

saltyhog said:
Sorry for the loss. I know they occasionally recover but I've never had one do it. Depending on the location of the injury they either seem to swim like yours did or in circles in one direction. Early on they will still eat well but will gradually weaken to the point they can't IME.

Pretty much spot on

4FordFamily · Jan 5, 2019

Sorry for your loss, I didn’t see this tag. Yes, that’s a spinal injury. I’ve had about a dozen over the years with this injury and two of them came out of it. One to jump out of the tank, imagine that.

Sorry for your loss

Frtdrmrose7 · Jan 5, 2019

4FordFamily said:
Sorry for your loss, I didn’t see this tag. Yes, that’s a spinal injury. I’ve had about a dozen over the years with this injury and two of them came out of it. One to jump out of the tank, imagine that.

Sorry for your loss

My 8 yr old says we have to get a McCoskers now! I had to explain to her why I had to do it and that we have to finish QT on the yellow and purple wrasse first.