Mystery wrasse stopped eating today.

[Jade5051]

So got home all my fish seem happy then feeding came and the mystery wrasse didn't eat. I've tried feeding 3 times today and he hasn't had a bite. It ALWAYS eats this is the first time I've ever seen it not eat. It's being bullied by all its tank mates but it's been like that for weeks nothing new there. It's not showing any significant signs of fighting or struggle. It's swimming around the tank and seems to be normal maybe a little less active or more sluggish than usual but nothing to alarming. His breathing seems heavy and more labored than usual. Seems like there should be a reason for the sudden loss of appetite. Everything else is eating and active with normal behavior. No signs or symptoms of anything else. Pictures below.

What do you do? Chalk it up and say it's only one day? Check my water parameters?

 

[Deinonych]

Maybe constipation? My male clownfish has become constipated on at least 3 occasions over the two years I've had him. Symptoms were similar to what you describe - somewhat heavier respiration, no interest in food, slightly less vigor in swimming behavior. The blockage usually passes after a few days.

 

[Guygettnby]

My mystery wrasse did the same thing. Later on I see it try to poop out a peppermint shrimp and I mean the whole shrimp shell! I felt sorry for the wrasse, but after a day swimming around with half the shrimp hanging out of it the fish went back to normal.

Few weeks later my top broke and it decided to go carpet surfing with my cat before I had my new top made.

Not sure if this is what's wrong with yours, but with luck it might just be the problem and it will go away soon.

 

[zooman72]

Do not discount the effects of long-term constant stress, as it can be cumulative.

That being said, hopefully it recovers...

 

[Jade5051]

I'm keeping a very close eye on him and hoping he turns around in the next day or two. I'll be really sad if this guy dies on me. It would be my second large loss in just a couple weeks. My white tail bristletooth tang decided to commit suicide and jumped out of the bucket fell 6 feet onto the concrete fatality injuring itself. I was so frustrated my coworkers made a sympathy card for me...HAHA! So many people signed it they had to move to the back of the card. It was very funny and nice of them to think of it.

 

[CoralsAddiction]

Mystery wrasse stopped eating today.

Didn't you have a white tail tang that came down with ich in your tank? The wrasse probably got it too.

 

[Jade5051]

Mystery wrasse stopped eating today.

Didn't you have a white tail tang that came down with ich in your tank? The wrasse probably got it too.

I'm not sure if the white tail had ich or not. It may have I was being cautious because I know they are very susceptible to it. The other day I was at a LFS saw a goby with ich and I said to myself my tang looked nothing like that. It's been 16 days since I removed the tang. The wrasse looks clean but I understand the parasite can attack the gills and may not show up in the skin. How long do I need to monitor this before I can decide if ich is in the tank? When do I know if I have to QT all the fish and go fallow for 60 days?

Maybe I should attach this to the white tail tang thread...

 

[Jade5051]

I moved part of this thread to the white tailed bristletooth tang thread so we could continue the discussion there. The link is below.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2488742&page=2

 

[evolved]

Uh, was its jaw recently broken or has it always looked that bad?

 

[Jade5051]

It's always looked like that. I saw him eat a pod today and a couple flakes. Still not as much as he usually eats but at least it was something.

 

[wayne in norway]

Mine looked like that too. I'm voting stress - it is very odd for it to be bullied - mine killed several hundred dollars worth of fish in its time as it was a real beast

 

[pktech]

I'm not sure if the white tail had ich or not. It may have I was being cautious because I know they are very susceptible to it. The other day I was at a LFS saw a goby with ich and I said to myself my tang looked nothing like that. It's been 16 days since I removed the tang. The wrasse looks clean but I understand the parasite can attack the gills and may not show up in the skin. How long do I need to monitor this before I can decide if ich is in the tank? When do I know if I have to QT all the fish and go fallow for 60 days?

Maybe I should attach this to the white tail tang thread...

I would assume ALL of your fish have it & QT them all. If you're committed to QTing some, do ALL & be done with it. If your wrasse is resistant, it still could sustain the parasite & your 60 days will be worthless because you never killed it off.

You said the tang got bullied & the wrasse is getting bullied ... do you see a possible trend here?

 

[Jade5051]

So, it's been 5 days since I started this thread. They mystery wrasse is still struggling. Seems to be very stressed, labored breathing, not very active but also not worsening, appetite is pretty much gone. I feed about 3 times a day. Day one didn't eat at all. Day two ate two flakes. Day three ate 2 flakes. Day 4 didn't eat at all. Have no seen him eat yet today. Before posting this he was a voracious eater taking whatever was in range and super active swimmer. Not showing any external signs of disease. All other fish are 100% healthy. Thoughts on treatment? Put him in QT by himself? Let him sweat it out in the DT? Seems like it's just cumulative stress from about 2 months of being bullied but could be something else. The bullying is to a minimum compared to what it once was he was being harassed, chased and getting his fins nipped. His fins are recovering he isn't being harassed or chased nearly as much as he once was. His tankmates are pretty much ignoring him. Ich, I don't know, doesn't have white spots, not scratching, etc. Intestinal parasite, I've never had to deal with one so I'm clueless. Medications? Recap of symptoms...spends most of it's time hanging out in the corner by the overflow and powerheads (some free open water swimming but nothing like it once was), slightly lethargic, heavy/labored breathing and loss of appetite. I did a 15% water change yesterday. Salinity is 1.025, PH is good 8.0 - 8.3ish, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate, forget what alkalinity was but it was really good.

 

[Jade5051]

I almost wish this was for sure ich at least that way I'd know what I'm dealing with.

 

[Sense of nature]

Sounds more like an internal thing, maybe intestinal blockage?
Hope he gets better