Fairy Wrasse - Weird Swimming

[tcmfish]

I figured I'd post here rather than the disease forum as this probably gets more traffic.

Anyways, I have a male condei wrasse and he is swimming either upright (head up, tail down) or upside down.

I got the fish 10 days ago and it was placed in the QT. It hide for the first few days but would eat from the cave. Then it started coming out and swimming normally and eating. After about a week it developed ICH so I medicated with cupramine. Ever since I medicated it started swimming like this. I figured the concentration may be too high so I did a 25% water change and no change in behavior. The weirdest part is the fish still eats. It will strike a miss at food sometimes but is still gets a good amount of food. There is a female condei and blue flasher wrasse in the QT with him so it isn't a wrasse thing I don't think.

I am unsure if the fish will make it so I dosed PraziPro today.

I am wondering if it might be a swim bladder/decompression issue and maybe it is untreatable.

Opinions welcome.

 

[reefjunkie42]

swim bladder issue is my guess. sometimes they arent decompressed properly. but im not sure that condi is a deep water species. Hey if you feel brave there is a link to a asian guy popping the swim bladder with a pin and healing the fish. If you can find the link it would help show the precedure. Although i wouldnt reccommend it.

 

[evolved]

It's most definitely a swim bladder issue. There's not much you can do, unfortunately. You may try treating with an antibiotic (erythromycin) in case of infection, but that's about it. Sorry.

 

[dwanner]

Unfortunately when a wrasse starts swimming like that it usually means its a swim bladder problem and the end is near.

 

[prop-frags]

We have treated new wrasses with erythromycin that show early signs of swim bladder/decompression issues with success. From our experience, the quicker the 10 day treatment is started, the better the odds for success.

 

[snorvich]

We have treated new wrasses with erythromycin that show early signs of swim bladder/decompression issues with success. From our experience, the quicker the 10 day treatment is started, the better the odds for success.

I agree. Worth a try.

 

[Fish Biscuit]

It's worth trying the erythromycin, it won't hurt at this point. I had that happen with my Yasha goby a few weeks ago, luckily he pulled through ok but it wasn't because of anything I did.

 

[Yurivd]

I also heard diamox can help with antibiotic

 

[tcmfish]

Thanks guys.

Seeing as it is going on 2-3 days of this behavior, I fear it is too late. But when I got home from work today the fish was still swimming so I haven't lost all hope.

I picked up some API erythromycin from the LFS and treated it. I'll will keep everyone posted.

 

[Fish Biscuit]

I noticed my yasha acting like that on a Monday & by the following Monday he looked perfect.

I felt terrible watching him try to swim like that & after a few days I went to catch him so I could put him out of his misery in the freezer, he was hauling *** to get to the bottom of the tank so I figured since he wasn't ready to go I would give him the chance to recover. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!

 

[tcmfish]

Well I fed tonight and his swimming and accuracy when going for food is worse, but he still was able to get some food.

 

[solitude127]

We have treated new wrasses with erythromycin that show early signs of swim bladder/decompression issues with success. From our experience, the quicker the 10 day treatment is started, the better the odds for success.

Do you think that it's worth treating with this medication whether you see signs or not?

 

[bullitr]

Good question mike


Also your tank is still the reigning features tank so it should be feature tank since October 2011

 

[prop-frags]

Do you think that it's worth treating with this medication whether you see signs or not?

That is a very good question and to be honest, I am not sure of the answer. I have certainly wondered the same thing, but have never done the treatment as a preventative myself.

Maybe Kevin from PIA will chime in with an opinion.

 

[evolved]

I say yes, if you're QT'ing. It won't do anything if a swim bladder was injured, but it would ward off the onset of an infection.

 

[revaltion131]

Are there any particular reasons why you wouldn't treat with antibiotics right away?

 

[tcmfish]

Well I wasn't expecting it to be alive when I got home from work, and it wasn't.

I think I was too late on treatment.

 

[prop-frags]

Well I wasn't expecting it to be alive when I got home from work, and it wasn't.

I think I was too late on treatment.

Sorry to hear this.

 

[solitude127]

Well I wasn't expecting it to be alive when I got home from work, and it wasn't.

I think I was too late on treatment.

I had a lineatus once that started swimming more and more vertical and I had to give him is final swim down the toilet because I knew he wasn't going to make it.