Yellow wrasse - issue?

[carriej]

Hi folks,

I recently (Saturday) added a yellow wrasse to my DT. He did fine in QT. Was out and about.

Anyway; I put him in the DT (I used water from the DT for QT, so no differences there) and he seemed fine Saturday. Yesterday it took him a long time to come out of the sand; and when he did I noticed two booboos (of course, as soon as QT is over...) A white smudgey looking thing on his tail; and a spot/bump on his back end.

He's acting weird.. He came out today for maybe 30 minutes - and when he did he just went around and around and around in circles for 15 minutes then buried himself again.

His mouth also seems slightly ajar? Maybe this is normal for a yellow wrasse - I have never owned one.

The booboos dont look serious... but the concern me. It looked white on Sunday, today it's flatter and more like a fleck of reddish but barely red... It would be easily missed.

It's impossible to get a picture of the booboos, but I'm more concerned about the circle behavior round and round.

Any ideas?

 

[HumbleFish]

Any ideas?

Coral/anemone sting, crab got to him, fish fight, bacterial infection are all possibilities.

 

[triggreef]

The two I have in qt are all over the place like any other wrasse but the circling thing could just be him getting used to the new surroundings, espescially if theres lots to look at.

 

[Ngoodermuth]

I would try to get a good look to make sure there is no injury to the mouth or jaw.

If your wrasse spent some time "freaking out" the night of the other injuries, it's possible it damaged its mouth which may or may not be serious. Or, it could just be adjusting still.

My leopard wrasse took some time to settle into both my QT and then my DT. The first night in my DT she was swimming around haphazardly, almost like she had been drinking lol. Bumping into rocks and all. I didn't see her at all the entire next day, but within a few days she was back to her old self.

My fairy wrasses were very skittish the first 4-5 days in QT and would hide anytime someone walked in the room. Now they swim up to the glass in my DT, looking for something tasty.

 

[carriej]

He has taken a few pieces of food; his mouth appears to open and close ok; but he seems to leave it open?

His mouth looks just like this guys.. Maybe it is normal?
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSPgDu6QNLuzZJRDYbaVPrFDyvpl3fG2DgpLhqbEoHs1dzJSZE88g

Also... I know where he is buried. Accidentally uncovered him last night; he's sleeping under my big green and red favia. Do I just let him alone? He has not come out in almost 24 hours.

But yeah; I'm worried about him He might only be a $20 fish but still..

 

[Ngoodermuth]

If he can eat than I wouldn't worry about his mouth. Try not to disturb him, and definately do not dig him up. This will cause the fish alot of stress. He will come out once he feels more comfortable, and by messing with him you may actually cause him to stay in there longer.

There have been many accounts of wrasses being buried for weeks and then coming out and hunting like nothing happened.

 

[SushiGirl]

My yellow coris circles like that when he first wakes up and when he's ready to go to bed. In the beginning he often bruised himself fighting his reflection in the glass and had red bruises. He's jumpy and has hit the lights in the canopy before (big jump). He disappeared for a month once, then showed back up much to our surprise. IMO the circling is normal upon waking and also before hitting the sand for bed.

 

[carriej]

Ugghh..

So he came out last night; I got a pic I will put it up later...

His top fin is mangled; like big time.. he looks like crap.

It almost looks like fin rot, but he literally came out for like 3 minutes and buried himself again. I just hope if he goes to die, he atleast comes out of the sand

 

[carriej]

He's not going to make it; I literally scooped him out with my bare hands.

What gives? Is there something in my sand that could have eaten away at him? he looked like he was ROTTING. How does that happen in only a few days when all other fish are fine???

 

[Ngoodermuth]

I'm sorry to hear that

Are you able to post the photo? It could have been a number of things; bacterial, fungal, viral, parasitic, environmental, etc.

More information about your system and other inhabitants would be helpful.

Also, how long was he in QT and what treatments were administered during that time.

 

[carriej]

Here is when I hauled him out; his scales were falling off; and his fins were frayed/dissolved...

Might be a stretch; but could there be something living in my sand that could have done this? I ask because his tankmate (another yellow wrasse) from the LFS who went with a friend of mine; is perfectly fine.

Here he is on Saturday when I added to the DT. He was in QT for two weeks in a BB tank. When he hit the DT he lost his mind, diving in the sand and having a great time. Anyway Saturday he cruised around the tank, had a feast of all the pods in my tank and other things. Sunday he didn't come out until supper time; and when he did I noticed a white speck on his side. I assumed he had a bump with a rock; and didn't worry too much.

Monday the white dot turned into a red bruise type thing; and it just verified my thoughts of a bump in with a rock. He seemed a bit weird (circling behavior, etc) but he did bury himself at night again. Yesterday I didn't see him until about 8pm; and he was only out for a very short time which is when I noticed his fins were all frayed.

Then today I seen his head poking from the sand when the lights came on. He was breathing heavy. I just reached in and scooped him out and he kind of whirled around a bit. I put him back in the QT and he whirled and did weird stuff and mostly just laid there. He died about 20 minutes after this. His scales all fell off in QT.

As for the tank; It's been running since Oct. It's a 130 gallon with a sump that is holding about 20 gals, so a 150 gal system. I have various LPS corals and some softies (brain, favia, frogspawns, torch, duncan, zoas, mushrooms, bubble, candycanes, etc), 2 hermit crabs, 30 or so snails, 2 ocellaris clownfish, one blue and pink spotted goby and one lone chromis. I know - pretty light on the fish stocking. It's because I keep spending all my money on corals.

 

[Ngoodermuth]

Red bruising can be a sign of an internal bacterial infection... kind of like the staph of the fish world.

It's possible that one of the other fish took a bite at him or he cut himself on a rock and the wound became infected. The fin rot could be attributed to an infection as well.

I'm sorry I can't be of more help, hopefully someone else can chime in with a more solid explaination.

 

[carriej]

Just happened so fast. He is gone to the ocean in the sky now; but man I feel guilty. This is the first marine fish I have lost other than a chromis who jumped and became a cat treat :s... I'm feeling the guilt.

 

[HumbleFish]

Red bruising can be a sign of an internal bacterial infection... kind of like the staph of the fish world.

+1 Generally speaking, gram negative bacterial infections are more deadly than gram positive. But who can tell the difference? That's why I always use a broad-spectrum antibiotic.

Red bruising can also be a symptom of Uronema marinum - a fast killing parasite that is difficult to treat.

 

[triggreef]

+1 Generally speaking, gram negative bacterial infections are more deadly than gram positive. But who can tell the difference? That's why I always use a broad-spectrum antibiotic.

Red bruising can also be a symptom of Uronema marinum - a fast killing parasite that is difficult to treat.

Hey just wondering what Broad spectrum antibiotic you use? I've lost a couple fish now very similar as this. An exquisite wrasse I had showed the same symptoms out of now where after about a week and died within 2 days. Also had a similar yellow wrasse (actually called a purple wrasse) very similar to this. I got it out and used maracyn plus and he started eating again but lost him a week later. Also got 2 green chromis from reefs2go, got the red tail rot next day and gone in two days, despite eating well the whole time. tried malachite green for those it did nothing.

I haven't won a battle with symptoms like this yet. Actually humble if you could pm a reply to me I'd appreciate that in case I dont see this thread again