My little wrasse

[iwishtofish]

My McCosker's is acting differently. He does a single, sudden head jerk occasionally, and often quickly bumps or rubs his mouth against an available surface. He is still eating pretty well, but seems to "go with the flow" in the tank a bit more, instead of dominating it. In other words, he doesn't look like he is having fun anymore.

I've seen no sign of ich or flukes. Doesn't mean they aren't present, of course.

Diagnosis? Treatment?

 

[rosemoondust]

If you are not already adding vitamins to his meals than I would suggest doing so. Some good products is garlic guard for immune system and selcon for vitamins. Right now you don't have any absolute idea of what it is...so treating something you are not 100% sure might hurt the fish. It would be best just to pump it full of vitamins and hope it will help with his immune system. If you don't have any predatory fish you might want to look into getting a cleaner wrasse. They eat any parasites that can be on the fish.

 

[iwishtofish]

If you are not already adding vitamins to his meals than I would suggest doing so. Some good products is garlic guard for immune system and selcon for vitamins. Right now you don't have any absolute idea of what it is...so treating something you are not 100% sure might hurt the fish. It would be best just to pump it full of vitamins and hope it will help with his immune system. If you don't have any predatory fish you might want to look into getting a cleaner wrasse. They eat any parasites that can be on the fish.

Good idea! I just started feeding him mysis to go with cyclopeeze, and he can only eat like three or four pieces before his tiny stomach fills up. He's the only fish, so nobody is bothering him. Maybe better food variety and the products you mentioned will really help!

 

[iwishtofish]

The wrasse looks better to me today, and has ever since I started feeding mysis. Yesterday he had two feedings of mysis, and today he had three. I drop the shrimp via a straw, and he fills his belly to capacity after rapidly eating 4-5 of them.

Is it possible to do harm through overfeeding? I'm afraid a lot of his problem was not enough of the correct food, and I want to fatten him up to boost his immune system.

 

[rosemoondust]

As I mentioned before you should soak his food in garlic guard (for immune system) and selcon (vitamin). There are different types of vitamins it is best to research, which is best for your fish and what is available at your location. I soak my fishies food for about an hour. Yes, over feeding can hurt your fish. You need to put your fish on a feeding schedule. I feed my lionfish every 2 days at 10pm and my eel every 4 days at 10pm. They know as soon as 10pm it is feeding time (wither it is their feeding day or not ). Target feeding is the best way to insure all your fishies get food ^^.

 

[iwishtofish]

As I mentioned before you should soak his food in garlic guard (for immune system) and selcon (vitamin). There are different types of vitamins it is best to research, which is best for your fish and what is available at your location. I soak my fishies food for about an hour. Yes, over feeding can hurt your fish. You need to put your fish on a feeding schedule. I feed my lionfish every 2 days at 10pm and my eel every 4 days at 10pm. They know as soon as 10pm it is feeding time (wither it is their feeding day or not ). Target feeding is the best way to insure all your fishies get food ^^.

Yes, I had planned to take your advice on the garlic guard (is garlic effectiveness still such a topic of debate?) and vitamin soaks, as soon as I make an order from BRS.

I hope it's not hard to find good data on a feeding schedule for a tiny wrasse, particularly since the tank has no other fauna/algae yet on which he can forage.

 

[rosemoondust]

Feeding schedule all depends on when you can feed your fish. The lionfish and zebra eel generally eat in the early morning or dusk. Since, I work nightshift I feed them before I go to work at 10pm. They eventually learned their feeding schedule. Everyone morning my cat is waiting for me at the door for her breakfast at 7:00am and if it is my day off she will wake me up at 7:30am. She does not know what the word 'sleep in' means . You can also try tying nori to a rock with an elastic band. I use a hair elastic band since I have nothing else available

 

[iwishtofish]

Feeding schedule all depends on when you can feed your fish. The lionfish and zebra eel generally eat in the early morning or dusk. Since, I work nightshift I feed them before I go to work at 10pm. They eventually learned their feeding schedule. Everyone morning my cat is waiting for me at the door for her breakfast at 7:00am and if it is my day off she will wake me up at 7:30am. She does not know what the word 'sleep in' means . You can also try tying nori to a rock with an elastic band. I use a hair elastic band since I have nothing else available

Thanks for all your advice!

Btw, the fish looks much healthier (and fatter - is it possible?) after a few days feeding mysis. Maybe it was still stressed from shipping. It's color seems better, as well.

 

[C0rp]

My wrasse frikin loves NLS pellets. But don't all fish lol