Fairy wrasse struggling in QT...help

[KJoFan]

I've got a Pintail Fairy wrasse in QT since this past Thursday. It started out just fine and eating but has seemed to decline in the past 24-36 hours. I added GC on Friday but after the wrasse started to seem distressed I performed a 90% water change on Saturday. Due to the heavy breathing I fell back to my standby of Prazi. It's been in the tank 24 hours and no improvement in the wrasse. Heavy breathing and lying about on the bottom.

I'm worrried this could be Velvet but unsure if I should start copper or just perform a water change or what. I've never done a freshwater dip and have read some wrasses struggle with it so I'm hesitant to go that route, but I can try if I need to.

I just need someone to tell me what to do next, if anything, really.

#reefsquad

 

[NoWaiAma]

A picture. Will be requested.

 

[KJoFan]

A picture. Will be requested.

I would post one except it's currently hiding in a piece of PVC. But, when or should it emerge I'll try to grab one.

 

[NoWaiAma]

Cool. Any advice is blind without one fwiw

 

[HairyGary]

Hey - are you agitating the water? O2 is depleted with GC and Prazi. Aim powerhead at surface or air stone will work.

I would also add carbon to the equation to eliminate any prazi in the tank. Give it a couple of days and see how he does.

 

[KJoFan]

Hey - are you agitating the water? O2 is depleted with GC and Prazi. Aim powerhead at surface or air stone will work.

I would also add carbon to the equation to eliminate any prazi in the tank. Give it a couple of days and see how he does.

Yep, got an airstone going for extra O2 exchange. I'm considering just doing a waterchange plus some carbon to clear out the meds and see from there.

Just worried if it's velvet I won't act fast enough, but also don't want to just keep throwing this and that at it either. Sick fish are hard, especially wrasses which can be so quirky anyway.

 

[KJoFan]

Cool. Any advice is blind without one fwiw

I understand that, but even with a flashlight shining on it I couldn't see anything alarming aside from the lethargy, heavy breathing and lack of interest in food. All three of these "symptoms" seemed to come on all of a sudden, as these things do.

 

[HairyGary]

Yep, got an airstone going for extra O2 exchange. I'm considering just doing a waterchange plus some carbon to clear out the meds and see from there.

Just worried if it's velvet I won't act fast enough, but also don't want to just keep throwing this and that at it either. Sick fish are hard, especially wrasses which can be so quirky anyway.

Yeah just clear out the meds and observe.

 

[Big G]

A powerhead aimed up to the surface where it is actively rippling the surface creates far more O2 exchange than an airstone. Also use a foam bubble filter (the foam soaks in my DT sump all the time; or soak the foam in Dr. Tims or BioSpira) in all my QTs.

 

[KJoFan]

 

[KJoFan]

A powerhead aimed up to the surface where it is actively rippling the surface creates far more O2 exchange than an airstone. Also use a foam bubble filter (the foam soaks in my DT sump all the time; or soak the foam in Dr. Tims or BioSpira) in all my QTs.

Air stone is not the only mode of circulation. It also has a Marineland Biowheel power filter running on it allowing the water to cascade down into the tank breaking the surface.

This has been my method thus far with other QT rounds without O2 issues.

 

[4FordFamily]

Have you dozed Dr Tim’s or BioSpira in the tank to aid in the nitrogen cycle (keep ammonia down)?

This is a must in quarantine. Also, do you have an ammonia alert badge by seachem? Highly recommend both to rule out ammonia— as these symptoms are indicative of ammonia poisoning as well as other possible ailments.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

What size qt ? Also is that your water line I see in the pics how much water do you have in there ?

 

[scuzy]

Yeah how come it looks like you have like a gallon of water in there.

 

[KJoFan]

Have you dozed Dr Tim’s or BioSpira in the tank to aid in the nitrogen cycle (keep ammonia down)?

This is a must in quarantine. Also, do you have an ammonia alert badge by seachem? Highly recommend both to rule out ammonia— as these symptoms are indicative of ammonia poisoning as well as other possible ailments.

Bio-wheel came from my DT sump, seeded since February. Also added Dr. Tim's when the QT was started a day or so prior to the fish. Ammonia is and has stayed 0 throughout, so I don't think that's the issue this time.

What size qt ? Also is that your water line I see in the pics how much water do you have in there ?

QT is a 10g tank. Pic was taken during the waterchange I performed earlier, so yes, water level was low when pics were snapped. It's filled now.

Yeah how come it looks like you have like a gallon of water in there.

See above.

I get the feeling most think this is my first time QTing, it is not. I have successfully QT'd previously using the same system of a seeded biowheel and Dr. Tim's. My usual protocol is two rounds of prazi and then 30 days of copper. I've been successful with this method previously. In fact, I've got two other 10g QT's going with other fish in and all is going swimmingly in those.

This is the same QT with the Potter's wrasse with the bum mouth. Potter's was breathing heavily yesterday (perhaps from the prazi) but seems better today. However, neither fish is keen on eating anything currently.

I am thinking if the Pintail doesn't improve in the next day or two with clean water/carbon I will strongly consider starting copper treatment with Copper Power, as is my copper treatment of choice.

 

[KJoFan]

I peeked in the QT this morning before work and both wrasses were out swimming around. They both seem alert and aware but not much interested in eating and still breathing heavier than I'd think they should. The Potter's hasn't buried in the sand the past two or three nights either which I always find worrying.

 

[ihavecrabs]

I peeked in the QT this morning before work and both wrasses were out swimming around. They both seem alert and aware but not much interested in eating and still breathing heavier than I'd think they should. The Potter's hasn't buried in the sand the past two or three nights either which I always find worrying.

Have you tried feeding some more enticing like live white worms? My wrasses couldn't handle seeing the wriggling without taking action

Very inexpensive to keep a culture of these going and I think I bought mine shipped for less than $10.

 

[KJoFan]

Have you tried feeding some more enticing like live white worms? My wrasses couldn't handle seeing the wriggling without taking action

Very inexpensive to keep a culture of these going and I think I bought mine shipped for less than $10.

I haven't tried that yet. The Pintail was actively going after LRS Reef Frenzy initially so I wasn't too worried about available foods, but someone flipped the switch on his appetite.

 

[HairyGary]

I haven't tried that yet. The Pintail was actively going after LRS Reef Frenzy initially so I wasn't too worried about available foods, but someone flipped the switch on his appetite.

Have you tried LRS fish eggs? My wrasse love it.

You get the Pintail from Jen? Where did you get the Potters?

Good luck!

 

[KJoFan]

Have you tried LRS fish eggs? My wrasse love it.

You get the Pintail from Jen? Where did you get the Potters?

Good luck!

I haven't tried those, maybe I can pick some up this weekend, I need to pick up more LRS food anyway. I have tried offering some of the Reef Nutrition ROE, maybe that's similar? I'll keep offering small feedings and see if they'll take anything.

I guess at this point I'm just a little unsure whether to just keep them in clean water or to go ahead and start my usual QT treatment of copper. It's hard to know when they aren't eating the best.

I got both fish from the same source, and it was not local.

@eatbreakfast @HotRocks @Humblefish Any suggestions on whether to medicate or just observe?