New Girdled Fairy Wrasse swimming a bit oddly. Cause for concern?

[GroktheCube]

I got a fair of Girdled Fairy Wrasses from LA DD last week, and had been doing TTM. They were both producing copious amounts of white, stringy poo but not showing signs of any other illness, so I gave them a dose of Prazi monday evening.

The male has been swimming a bit oddly. He spends far more time than I would expect oriented almost vertically, and seems slightly unsure on his "feet" for lack of a better term. Every now and then, he will swim up to the surface oriented vertically, and "peck" at it, as though trying to get a piece of food sitting on the surface, and then swim back down. He tends to remain oriented fairly vertically, or at least at a 45* angle relative to the water's surface, but is clearly in control of the descent. His fins are not clamped, he is moving around, he is looking around, he is breathing normally, he is showing no signs of ich or other protozoal parasites, and he is at least somewhat interested in food, though his appetite has waned a bit since I started the Prazi. He is getting PE Mysis soaked in selcon and Zoe 3x daily. I wouldn't say he eats it enthusiastically, but he eats enough that I'm not worried that he'll starve, and I think suppressed appetite is normal with Prazi. He doesn't show much interest in NLS .5mm pellets.

He has a small wound on his side that does not appear infected that I believe he got thrashing about at some point after a transfer. He also has a mild abrasion on his lip from attempting to swim through the bottom glass. I put some cardboard under the glass to convince him that there wasn't anything interesting down that way.

I spent years working in an LFS when I was younger, and I have lots of experience with FW fish, so I'm pretty familiar with what fish with severe swim bladder issues look like and fish that are so sick/damaged/oxygen deprived that they can't swim normally look like, and he really does not look like that. Something is definitely a bit off though, and I'm not sure what.

The QT is a 10g tank kept at 77-78*F, with sg of 1.026.

He has seemed slightly off since I got them, but only in the past day or two has he settled in and gotten comfortable enough to be out and swimming most of the time.

I've never kept Fairy Wrasses before, so I'm unsure what "normal" swimming behavior is, but his behavior is markedly different from the female, who is behaving exactly like I'd expect any other fish that is somewhat uncomfortable in their new surroundings to ac.

He seems to be completely in control of his actions, so I don't think it's a do or die emergency. It's almost like he's a little bit confused about which way "up" is. All of his actions seem to be shifted about 45* vertically from a neutral swimming position. I've never seen him go upside down, do barrel rolls, turn so far vertically that he tips over, or do circles oriented in a random direction.

What do you think is going on? Mild swim bladder issues, possibly related to intestinal parasites? Something else?

 

[triggreef]

This is the second or third thread I've seen lately regarding flasher/fairy wrasses with swim bladder issues. I've been searching a little because I'm dealing with a mccoskers with the same but more severe then yours. Not much help, but I had the chance to speak with a marine biologist recently about mine & she said try maracyn 2 for a swim bladder infection. I just finished the 5 days of dosing & no changes. Mine has been doing this now for about 2 months. Maybe even longer. Still eats like a champ several times a day. I've tried feeding peas, metro on his food, marcyn plus & 2, & he has gotten prazi & copper done with already. Running out of ideas. little guy is strong though for sure.

 

[GroktheCube]

I was planning on using enrofloxacin or azithromycin as far as antibiotics go if deworming with prazi and some rest and general condition doesn't do it. Both have reasonably good tissue penetration and kill just about everything, so if the cause is bacterial, I'd expect that to do the trick.

 

[gsiegel]

I had a xmas wrasse with swim bladder that unfortunately did not make it.

Is he eating? - I was recommended to try boiled peas with the skin off (and of course chopped enough so he can fit in his mouth). They are said to relieve gas/bloat. Mine was not eating by the time I tried it. You may also want to consider medicated food which may help with internal parasites. Dr. G's makes one with with Chloroquine Phosphate (yellow packaging).

I would also immediately call LA and let them know the issue for warranty/guarantee purposes. They would likely extend that 14 day time period as long as you are doing what you can and they are kept in the loop.

Hope this helps and good luck!

 

[GroktheCube]

I emailed LA, but the poor guy doesn't look good this morning, he seems to have taken a turn for the worse overnight. Clamped fins now, lying on the bottom upside down, rapid breathing and somewhat pale look from excessive mucous production. I doubt he'll survive the day today, but you never know.

Female still looks fine. A bit shy still, but acting normally and taking NLS .5mm pellets.

 

[GroktheCube]

I started treatment with amoxicillin at 250mg/10g twice a day on the tenth, as amoxicillin was the best broad spectrum that I had on hand. His progress is up and down. He was trying to eat last night, but was just lying on the bottom today. The wound on his side is definitely infected.

If I don't see progress by the 15th, I'll start with enrofloxacin in place of the mix, and cross my fingers.