Wrasse woke up with fins destroyed?

[One Reefing Boi]

Went to bed last night and my McCoskers wrasse looked perfectly fine. Woke up this morning and it now looks like this. There is still a bristle worm attached to its top fin.

Any thoughts? It has been in there a month with zero issues. Only other thank mates are 2 pajama cardinals and a royal gramma in a 50gal. I have never seen any issues or aggression between anyone.

 

[Dom]

That is aggression by a tank mate.

I'd remove it to a separate tank and give it time to recover.

@vetteguy53081

 

[One Reefing Boi]

That is aggression by a tank mate.

I'd remove it to a separate tank and give it time to recover.

@vetteguy53081

That would be my guess, but no clue what would’ve done it. I guess the gramma? Again though this happened while lights were off and my gramma sleeps in a cave and goes to bed pretty early

Other than that there is just basic CUC (not even any crabs or hermits) just snails and a tiger conch. I do have about 8 billion bristle worms and there is one still attached to its top fin, but pretty sure they would only eat dead things and not actively attack it.

And both pumps have nem guards so pretty hard for a fish to get stuck in it

Edit: also I don’t have any other tank I can add it to

 

[OrchidMiss]

I would look to the gramma as being the bully. They have a reputation of becoming fairly aggressive.

 

[vdubers]

I would guess the gramma too. Maybe the wrasse tried to share the gramma's sleeping area? Do you have a sump you could house the wrasse in to recover? If not then you can buy acclimatisation boxes that might give him a safe space to heal.

 

[One Reefing Boi]

I would look to the gramma as being the bully. They have a reputation of becoming fairly aggressive.

Huh interesting, always thought they were peaceful. I thought the dottyback was the one that was aggressive.

 

[One Reefing Boi]

I would guess the gramma too. Maybe the wrasse tried to share the gramma's sleeping area? Do you have a sump you could house the wrasse in to recover? If not then you can buy acclimatisation boxes that might give him a safe space to heal.

I have one coming today from Amazon. Sadly no sump cause it’s an AIO.

I’d be surprised if the wrasse tried to sleep by it, the wrasse is usually on the sand in the corner and the gramma is in a cave fairly high up on the rock work but who knows what happens when the lights go out lol

 

[exnisstech]

I prefer to confine the bully not the fish being bullied.

 

[OrchidMiss]

Huh interesting, always thought they were peaceful. I thought the dottyback was the one that was aggressive.

They both are.

 

[vetteguy53081]

You want to identify aggressor and isolate it in the sump or acclimation box for a time out
Fins should grow back on their own as long as no further aggression

 

[Tcook]

the wrasse is usually on the sand in the corner

Because it is being bullied

 

[Dom]

Edit: also I don’t have any other tank I can add it to

(Your CUC isn't quick enough to catch your Wrasse. )

Then I would suggest that you get an internal acclimation box. If that is the amount of damage after one night, that fish doesn't have much time.

 

[One Reefing Boi]

You want to identify aggressor and isolate it in the sump or acclimation box for a time out
Fins should grow back on their own as long as no further aggression

Yeah I have never seen aggression but since it’s probably not the 2 pajama cardinals, I guess that leaves the gramma..

Because it is being bullied

No I mean to sleep it’s on the sand bed, during the day it’s swimming and cruising around the tank and never seen any aggressiveness toward it by the gramma. Even during feeding they never had issues.

(Your CUC isn't quick enough to catch your Wrasse. )

Then I would suggest that you get an internal acclimation box. If that is the amount of damage after one night, that fish doesn't have much time.

I know sometimes crabs may be optimistic if there is a fish sleeping and things.

I have a breeder box coming from Amazon later today so I just hope it makes it through the day when I’m at work

 

[merkmerk73]

I lost 4 wrasses before I gave up.

They would disappear entirely. One of them reappeared a week later with its fins ripped up and lots of body damage

It actually recovered fully

Then several months later I found its mangled corpse stuffed in between some rocks.

I didn't have any overly aggressive fish at the time - and certainly none showing aggression.

 

[One Reefing Boi]

I lost 4 wrasses before I gave up.

They would disappear entirely. One of them reappeared a week later with its fins ripped up and lots of body damage

It actually recovered fully

Then several months later I found its mangled corpse stuffed in between some rocks.

I didn't have any overly aggressive fish at the time - and certainly none showing aggression.

I’ve had that happen to my wrasse as well. Over the 4.5 years the tanks been up, I’ve probably lost 4-5 wrasse over that time. Some just disappeared completely - never a trace. Others woke up banged up and never saw them again after that, some would sort of gasp and act “drunk” and then be dead by the next morning, etc..

Even when the tank was without any aggressive fish whatsoever.

I saw something here about some sort of wrasse neurological disease or something and maybe chocked it up to that.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Yeah I have never seen aggression but since it’s probably not the 2 pajama cardinals, I guess that leaves the gramma..

No I mean to sleep it’s on the sand bed, during the day it’s swimming and cruising around the tank and never seen any aggressiveness toward it by the gramma. Even during feeding they never had issues.

I know sometimes crabs may be optimistic if there is a fish sleeping and things.

I have a breeder box coming from Amazon later today so I just hope it makes it through the day when I’m at work

Gramma can be the devil’s child
Also my suspect

 

[Biokabe]

I’ve had that happen to my wrasse as well. Over the 4.5 years the tanks been up, I’ve probably lost 4-5 wrasse over that time. Some just disappeared completely - never a trace. Others woke up banged up and never saw them again after that, some would sort of gasp and act “drunk” and then be dead by the next morning, etc..

Even when the tank was without any aggressive fish whatsoever.

I saw something here about some sort of wrasse neurological disease or something and maybe chocked it up to that.

What kind of lid do you have on your tank?

Before I switched to my mesh lid, I would see that happen to my fish sometimes. They'd be just fine, then they'd be acting insane before suddenly expiring. And it was always the fish that were known jumpers.

I suspect, but do not know (because I never did an autopsy, and I wouldn't know what to look for if I did), that they were ramming into the polycarbonate lid while jumping. Eventually, brain damage, act weird, die.

Since switching to a mesh lid I haven't seen that particular method of piscine mortality.

 

[One Reefing Boi]

Gramma can be the devil’s child
Also my suspect

Just got in a the wrasse is breathing heavy on the bottom of the tank. Keeping an eye on it and have a breeder box coming in a few minutes (Amazon says it’s out for delivery 10 stops away). Should I dip it in Hydroplex before breeder box or just let it go into the box? Anything I should put in the box with it to give it more comfort? Don’t think I can catch the gramma and so I’m going to put the wrasse into the box

What kind of lid do you have on your tank?

Before I switched to my mesh lid, I would see that happen to my fish sometimes. They'd be just fine, then they'd be acting insane before suddenly expiring. And it was always the fish that were known jumpers.

I suspect, but do not know (because I never did an autopsy, and I wouldn't know what to look for if I did), that they were ramming into the polycarbonate lid while jumping. Eventually, brain damage, act weird, die.

Since switching to a mesh lid I haven't seen that particular method of piscine mortality.

It’s a Reef Kraken lid so it’s mesh with the edges solid acrylic almost like a eurobraced tank would look.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Just got in a the wrasse is breathing heavy on the bottom of the tank. Keeping an eye on it and have a breeder box coming in a few minutes (Amazon says it’s out for delivery 10 stops away). Should I dip it in Hydroplex before breeder box or just let it go into the box? Anything I should put in the box with it to give it more comfort? Don’t think I can catch the gramma and so I’m going to put the wrasse into the box


It’s a Reef Kraken lid so it’s mesh with the edges solid acrylic almost like a eurobraced tank would look.

No hydroplex but add oxygen via air stone leave lights on lower intensity to keep it relaxed

 

[One Reefing Boi]

No hydroplex but add oxygen via air stone leave lights on lower intensity to keep it relaxed

Have it in the tank inside a breeder box and turned the lights off early tonight. Ate the 2-3 pellets I put in there so hopefully it can rest and start to recover

Thanks everyone for the help!