Moort82
New member
I have a whip fin fairy wrasse (Cirrhilabrus filamentosus) and have had it a couple of years. Its terminal phase male but not quite fully grown (around 3"). For the last ten days or so I've seen hardly anything of it. It was normally very bold and outgoing. It shares a tank with a Lubbock wrasse (2") and a yellow fin fairy (2"). There are other fish but none including the two mentioned have ever bothered it. I see they have a rep (whip fin that is) for being aggressive but this has never been anything but peaceful.
Nothing has been changed in the tank and the dynamic of the other fish seems exactly the same apart from the other two wrasse mentioned seem more active in the lower waters where the whip fin normally lived (what you'd expect really). I have seen it three times but only glimpses of it as it gently swims outside the rockwork before slowly heading back in. Its colour is good, there are no marks or signs of disease/damage. Basically apart from the shyness (was really bold and settled). I have no idea if its picking up food as it floats through the rockwork or hunting pods itself (I'm inclined to think that it isn't eating although it remains a good weight). When it has came out the other wrasse swam by and ignored it completely so I don't think there is any aggression. An illness is possible but there are no external signs and everything else is fine from the looks of things.
So basically I'm a little stuck, any ideas? I've seem elsewhere that wrasse can show similar symptoms when they are old but I'm not convinced its that old. Any help appreciated.
TIA
Nothing has been changed in the tank and the dynamic of the other fish seems exactly the same apart from the other two wrasse mentioned seem more active in the lower waters where the whip fin normally lived (what you'd expect really). I have seen it three times but only glimpses of it as it gently swims outside the rockwork before slowly heading back in. Its colour is good, there are no marks or signs of disease/damage. Basically apart from the shyness (was really bold and settled). I have no idea if its picking up food as it floats through the rockwork or hunting pods itself (I'm inclined to think that it isn't eating although it remains a good weight). When it has came out the other wrasse swam by and ignored it completely so I don't think there is any aggression. An illness is possible but there are no external signs and everything else is fine from the looks of things.
So basically I'm a little stuck, any ideas? I've seem elsewhere that wrasse can show similar symptoms when they are old but I'm not convinced its that old. Any help appreciated.
TIA