Wrasse Emergency

DopeCantWin · 01/29/2012, 01:30 PM

My Melanurus Wrasse is lying on the sandbed breathing fast. Is there anything I can do, or is too late? Some background info. I've had him for over a year. For the last few months he's been pretty fat. Yesterday I got two smallish fish, so everybody in the tank was pretty ****ed. He's lying on quite a few pieces of Birdsnest, the sharp one. Not sure if they're the cause somehow or just a coincidence.

mroccoralman · 01/29/2012, 02:56 PM

That very weird is there anythig that could have stressed him out.

DopeCantWin · 01/29/2012, 03:23 PM

My guess it was the additions. He's pretty old. On advice from the LFS, I've turned off the lights.

rssjsb · 01/29/2012, 04:48 PM

I'm not sure I understand - is he on your sandbed or on your corals?

What were the two new fish?

DopeCantWin · 01/29/2012, 04:53 PM

He's on the sandbed, but there are broken pieces of coral there too for some reason.

The new fish are a tiny Longnose Hawk and a small Butterfly. The wrasse is 5".

rssjsb · 01/29/2012, 04:57 PM

I should have also asked how big your tank is.

Longnose hawkfish have been known to get nasty, but I would be surprised if a tiny one could cause the problem you're describing unless it was constant enough that you could observe it. What kind of butterfly and how big?

Are the wrasse's fins damaged/cloudy? When was the last time you saw it swimming around and/or eating?

DopeCantWin · 01/29/2012, 05:03 PM

The tank is a regular 90. The Hawk is maybe 2", but skinny as a toothpick, would have no chance against the wrasse. The Butterfly is a Copperband, also about 2". He was swimming around yesterday, but dove into the sand when the newcomers came. The only damage I see on the wrasse is a single white spot on his side. Maybe a mm in diameter. Seems too big to be itch.

DopeCantWin · 01/29/2012, 07:12 PM

Some good news. I turned the lights on because I couldn't find him. After looking for a few minutes I saw him swim around and then bury himself in the sand.

rssjsb · 01/30/2012, 09:17 AM

Good news indeed.

DopeCantWin · 01/30/2012, 08:08 PM

He was swimming around okay this afternoon. I was sitting watching and a Tang that's been ****ed off since the new additions hit him hard. After that he was on the ground breathing hard again. I instantly turned off all the lights. I'm thinking I'm going to try and take out the Tang with a trap.

humaguy · 01/31/2012, 06:23 AM

leave lights off for a few days...rearrange the aquascaping...

01/29/2012, 01:30 PM	#1
DopeCantWin Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Buffalo Grove Posts: 2,193	Wrasse Emergency My Melanurus Wrasse is lying on the sandbed breathing fast. Is there anything I can do, or is too late? Some background info. I've had him for over a year. For the last few months he's been pretty fat. Yesterday I got two smallish fish, so everybody in the tank was pretty ****ed. He's lying on quite a few pieces of Birdsnest, the sharp one. Not sure if they're the cause somehow or just a coincidence.

01/29/2012, 04:48 PM	#4
rssjsb Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 3,243	I'm not sure I understand - is he on your sandbed or on your corals? What were the two new fish? __________________ Robin

01/29/2012, 04:57 PM	#6
rssjsb Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 3,243	I should have also asked how big your tank is. Longnose hawkfish have been known to get nasty, but I would be surprised if a tiny one could cause the problem you're describing unless it was constant enough that you could observe it. What kind of butterfly and how big? Are the wrasse's fins damaged/cloudy? When was the last time you saw it swimming around and/or eating? __________________ Robin

01/30/2012, 09:17 AM	#9
rssjsb Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 3,243	Good news indeed. __________________ Robin

01/29/2012, 02:56 PM	#2
mroccoralman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Cypress Posts: 280	That very weird is there anythig that could have stressed him out.

01/29/2012, 03:23 PM	#3
DopeCantWin Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Buffalo Grove Posts: 2,193	My guess it was the additions. He's pretty old. On advice from the LFS, I've turned off the lights.

01/29/2012, 04:53 PM	#5
DopeCantWin Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Buffalo Grove Posts: 2,193	He's on the sandbed, but there are broken pieces of coral there too for some reason. The new fish are a tiny Longnose Hawk and a small Butterfly. The wrasse is 5".

01/29/2012, 05:03 PM	#7
DopeCantWin Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Buffalo Grove Posts: 2,193	The tank is a regular 90. The Hawk is maybe 2", but skinny as a toothpick, would have no chance against the wrasse. The Butterfly is a Copperband, also about 2". He was swimming around yesterday, but dove into the sand when the newcomers came. The only damage I see on the wrasse is a single white spot on his side. Maybe a mm in diameter. Seems too big to be itch.

01/29/2012, 07:12 PM	#8
DopeCantWin Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Buffalo Grove Posts: 2,193	Some good news. I turned the lights on because I couldn't find him. After looking for a few minutes I saw him swim around and then bury himself in the sand.

01/30/2012, 08:08 PM	#10
DopeCantWin Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Buffalo Grove Posts: 2,193	He was swimming around okay this afternoon. I was sitting watching and a Tang that's been ****ed off since the new additions hit him hard. After that he was on the ground breathing hard again. I instantly turned off all the lights. I'm thinking I'm going to try and take out the Tang with a trap.

01/31/2012, 06:23 AM	#11
humaguy Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Western Ct, NYC Posts: 8,218	leave lights off for a few days...rearrange the aquascaping...