New Exquisite Wrasse in QT - gasping, upside down

[ZeeSparrow]

I just bought a pair of exquisite wrasse yesterday and put them into 5G tank to start TTM. The water had been mixed two days prior. I floated them for temp acclimation, opened bag, matched salinity with calibrated refractometer and put them into tank. This morning, they were still sleeping when I left for work so were not fed.

When I came home, they were both laying on bottom of the tank. The male was upside down. I thought for sure he was dead but he is not. Seachem ammonia alert shows 0 ammonia, while API ammonia test showed 0.5 -- way high! Immediately put in Prime just in case. I also put a small piece of polyfilter in... again, just in case. (It is still white - nothing absorbed.)

I moved the female to a 29G QT (which has been running for months with a couple snails in it but not cycled). She immediately swam to the bottom and hid. I turned off the lights on that tank and she remains there now. I see no gasping or other odd behavior from her.

I had water mixed for a 10G tank (for TTM) but it was not to temp. I brought it to temp, partially using water from the 29G. The male appeared to be a goner, but when I removed him from the 5G tank (with a cup - no net), he was responsive. I put him into the 10G. He swam around near the top of the tank, then eventually settled on the bottom again. Upside down, or laying on his side, gasping. He has been in the 10G for 2 hours now. I do not see spots, he has good color, was eating at the LFS yesterday.

Suggestions appreciated!

 

[JaihWill]

I want to say it seems to be that he is extremely stressed, especially since he is responsive to some degree.

Did you prime the 10g?

 

[ZeeSparrow]

Definitely stressed.

No Prime added to the 10G. Never had to before...

Ah, did not mention. Water is mixed using RODI with 0 TDS. Salinity on all QT tanks is 1.026. Temp on both 5G and 10G is ~76F.

 

[Ztous]

My API kit always shows ammonia even on fresh salt water. The API Ammonia test isn't reliable in my opinion.

 

[ZeeSparrow]

I do find it difficult to distinguish between 0 and 0.25, but have never seen it record 0.5 erroneously. Either way, the wrasse has issues. Might not be ammonia related. Maybe it's just being a wrasse....

What effects would high alk have on a wrasse (or any fish)? Or a swing of alk from say... 8.x or 9 to 12? I just tested alk on the QT water that the male has been in ... 12.1 dKH in the 5G and 9.6 in the 10G. I don't recall the exact Alk that the LFS keeps but I am sure it is in the range of 8-9.

Update: my HOB filter for the 10G tank (filter floss only) is now running. It wouldn't start before so I was using a powerhead, which was a LOT of flow. Now the wrasse is hiding behind the filter (upright). I've read that these wrasse sleep in a mucous cocoon... looks like remnants of that on the bottom of both tanks. Should those be siphoned out while in QT?

 

[Sk8r]

Don't siphon. Just keep the light dim and keep them quiet and hope.

 

[ZeeSparrow]

I looked in on them this morning but can't tell if they're sleeping. They're laying on the bottoms of their respective tanks. There's no harm in leaving them until ambient room light is greater. They'll wake up and start moving around on their own, if they're going to....

 

[ZeeSparrow]

He didn't make it. Picture if anyone cares to view for dx purposes (not sure everyone wants to see deceased fish so linked rather than posted directly).

Female is still hiding.

 

[gone fishin]

I can't see the pic at work. FWIW of the wrasses that I have the exquisite was one of the tougher ones to get through QT. I lost my first one in the QT. I could not see any visible symptoms but that does not mean nothing was there. I eventually chalked my loss up to shipping stress and weakness. It is really difficult to know the conditions the fish are are subjected to before we get them.

My current exquisite I got from the LFS. He was active and appeared healthy but still was rather sluggish through QT. Now that he has been in the DT for awhile he is pretty active. Good luck just my 2 cents.

 

[Reef908]

I didn't see in your original post if you have any form of water movement in with the fish or not. I use an air stone and then discard the used section of tubing and stone each transfer. For a package of 8 air stones and 6 ft of tubing its like 7 bucks or so at Pet Smart. There could be lack of oxygen in the tank if you are not running anything to provide gas exchange. Good luck!

 

[CStrickland]

Sorry for your loss sparrow

I think there might be something to the alk idea. I've often wondered if it's the final straw for a fish that's on the brink from stress. Our salts mix high in alk to make up for the tanks usage, but in a qt all the water is new so it's higher than optimum. Also, the filter would oxygenate the water so hiding by it might be a clue, if his gills were affected by disease or the water didn't have enough. Does the female have some PVC or something to hide in?

 

[ZeeSparrow]

Thanks Tony. My LFS owner offered to replace at cost; debating that now. Still waiting to see if the female makes it. Fingers crossed.

Reef908 - sure did. In the 5G I have an internal filter run by a small air pump that I put filter floss in. The other two tanks have HOB, also with filter floss. When I moved the male to the 10, I had a small powerhead running initially until the HOB was functional. Thanks for the thoughts.

 

[ZeeSparrow]

Sorry for your loss sparrow

I think there might be something to the alk idea. I've often wondered if it's the final straw for a fish that's on the brink from stress. Our salts mix high in alk to make up for the tanks usage, but in a qt all the water is new so it's higher than optimum. Also, the filter would oxygenate the water so hiding by it might be a clue, if his gills were affected by disease or the water didn't have enough. Does the female have some PVC or something to hide in?

Thanks. You posted while I was... it has been suggested in the past to NOT use freshly mixed water for QT, though I don't recall the reasoning. High alk sounds plausible. I usually do a WC on the DT and use that output for input to my QT... but did not do so this time.

Two PVC fittings (elbow or tee) are in all my QT tanks. The 29G also has a skull from my son's freshwater days. She spent the night in the skull and thus far has moved to a corner, then near PVC though not inside... and now she's back in the skull. I turned on the tank light for maybe 20 minutes this morning to see if she would eat; no response. Only ambient light on now.

 

[gone fishin]

I will ask anyway but I assume your trying a variety of foods.

 

[ZeeSparrow]

I will ask anyway but I assume your trying a variety of foods.

Yep. Small pellets, Rod's food... just tried mysis and brine shrimp soaked in Selcon with pumps and filters off. Zero interest. Laying on her side in the corner of the tank, breathing pretty hard.