What's wrong with fairy wrasse? Please help

wrassereef · 11/06/2013, 04:34 AM

I've just posted this to another forum, but posting here as well in the hope of getting more responses.

We got a fairy wrasse just over a week ago, he was eating well and active. Monday evening we used milliput to secure some rockwork in the tank, thought it would be fine to use in the tank as were told it's inert. Used about half a pack and the water clouded up a lot. Didn't see the wrasse after moving the rock, assumed he had got a bit scared and was hiding. Was careful not to disturb any rocks he was near. Didn't see him all day yesterday and found him in the evening in his favourite cave laying on his side breathing fast with his mouth open. Searched on milliput and realised it takes oxygen out of the water as it cures. Put a powerhead on the top of the tank to try and get some air in to the water. Other fish (2 tiny clowns and blenny) acting fine. The wrasse stopped laying on his side but stayed on the bottom with his mouth open for the rest of the evening, and is still like it this morning. It seems to have some kind of scrape marks on it's side, although it could be disease. Possibilities I've considered are:
- it got oxygen starved and still hasn't recovered
- tank levels got disturbed from moving rock (although tested ammonia etc and all fine)
- it injured itself on the rocks, as a couple were in new places
- the marks on it could be signs of disease - ich/velvet? It seems to have a new mark since yesterday. It did have a couple of white marks on its tail a few days ago, but we thought it may be sand as they appeared then disappeared within days

Here are some photos if anyone can help. It's now in the sump hiding under a rock.

It seems to have a mark on its side in the middle, almost like a scrape or gouge out of it, a small white mark near its head, then on its other side a large white mark on its tail (this is new today).

Please help, is there anything we can do to save him?

iamarchitecture · 11/06/2013, 08:21 AM

usually its just a matter of time until the wrasse gets some oxygen back into its system. it will be fine. I had that happen to me when i epoxied some rockwork and my clowns would lay on the bottom of the tank. I pointed the powerhead towards the bottom to keep them moving and the next day they were back to normal.

the scratch/gouge is just from the wrasse wiggling through a rough piece of rock IMO.

should be fine.

wrassereef · 11/06/2013, 08:49 AM

Thank you for your reply, glad he doesn't seem diseased. There's a lot of bubbles in the sump so should be lots of air in there for recovery. He seems to be doing a little better since going in but is still resting on the bottom. In the main tank he kept hiding under a rock at the back where I worried he wouldn't get much oxygen to recover. I'll probably move him back to the main display tonight if he pulls through.

Will be much more conservative with the milliput in future, irony is we destroyed the glued rocks trying to get to the wrasse..

wrassereef · 11/06/2013, 01:08 PM

Pleased to report he's now swimming and eating again

11/06/2013, 04:34 AM	#1
wrassereef Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 4	What's wrong with fairy wrasse? Please help I've just posted this to another forum, but posting here as well in the hope of getting more responses. We got a fairy wrasse just over a week ago, he was eating well and active. Monday evening we used milliput to secure some rockwork in the tank, thought it would be fine to use in the tank as were told it's inert. Used about half a pack and the water clouded up a lot. Didn't see the wrasse after moving the rock, assumed he had got a bit scared and was hiding. Was careful not to disturb any rocks he was near. Didn't see him all day yesterday and found him in the evening in his favourite cave laying on his side breathing fast with his mouth open. Searched on milliput and realised it takes oxygen out of the water as it cures. Put a powerhead on the top of the tank to try and get some air in to the water. Other fish (2 tiny clowns and blenny) acting fine. The wrasse stopped laying on his side but stayed on the bottom with his mouth open for the rest of the evening, and is still like it this morning. It seems to have some kind of scrape marks on it's side, although it could be disease. Possibilities I've considered are: - it got oxygen starved and still hasn't recovered - tank levels got disturbed from moving rock (although tested ammonia etc and all fine) - it injured itself on the rocks, as a couple were in new places - the marks on it could be signs of disease - ich/velvet? It seems to have a new mark since yesterday. It did have a couple of white marks on its tail a few days ago, but we thought it may be sand as they appeared then disappeared within days Here are some photos if anyone can help. It's now in the sump hiding under a rock. It seems to have a mark on its side in the middle, almost like a scrape or gouge out of it, a small white mark near its head, then on its other side a large white mark on its tail (this is new today). Please help, is there anything we can do to save him?

11/06/2013, 08:21 AM	#2
iamarchitecture Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Miami Posts: 139	usually its just a matter of time until the wrasse gets some oxygen back into its system. it will be fine. I had that happen to me when i epoxied some rockwork and my clowns would lay on the bottom of the tank. I pointed the powerhead towards the bottom to keep them moving and the next day they were back to normal. the scratch/gouge is just from the wrasse wiggling through a rough piece of rock IMO. should be fine.

11/06/2013, 08:49 AM	#3
wrassereef Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 4	Thank you for your reply, glad he doesn't seem diseased. There's a lot of bubbles in the sump so should be lots of air in there for recovery. He seems to be doing a little better since going in but is still resting on the bottom. In the main tank he kept hiding under a rock at the back where I worried he wouldn't get much oxygen to recover. I'll probably move him back to the main display tonight if he pulls through. Will be much more conservative with the milliput in future, irony is we destroyed the glued rocks trying to get to the wrasse..

11/06/2013, 01:08 PM	#4
wrassereef Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 4	Pleased to report he's now swimming and eating again