Help! Golden Rhombiod Wrasse Swimming Upside Down in QT

[Elgringodiablo]

Below is video of the latest. Aside from swimming like a drunk and seeming a little weak, it looks otherwise healthy and is still eating.


Really not sure what to do at this point aside from feed it well and hope it recovers. Really not hyped on the idea of lancing it's swim bladder given lack of experience and uncertainty of diagnosis.

 

[evolved]

Below is video of the latest. Aside from swimming like a drunk and seeming a little weak, it looks otherwise healthy and is still eating.


Really not sure what to do at this point aside from feed it well and hope it recovers. Really not hyped on the idea of lancing it's swim bladder given lack of experience and uncertainty of diagnosis.

Antibiotics won't hurt.

 

[Elgringodiablo]

Antibiotics won't hurt.

Yeah, worth a shot. Hopefully the Metroplex + Kanaplex + Furan-2 combo helps.

 

[HotRocks]

@evolved. Do you know if this is common for these guys? I just lost a male gold rhom in QT last week to the same issue. Could be coincidence, but i didn't know if the particular species was known to dart more or more sensitive spine etc.

 

[Elgringodiablo]

@evolved. Do you know if this is common for these guys? I just lost a male gold rhom in QT last week to the same issue. Could be coincidence, but i didn't know if the particular species was known to dart more or more sensitive spine etc.

I am starting to think it's collection related, could be using chemicals.

 

[HotRocks]

I am starting to think it's collection related, could be using chemicals.

Out of curiosity where did you purchase? Mine was LA DD.

 

[KMench]

My current one is LA. Not DD. Just got it Wednesday.

 

[4FordFamily]

IME lots of fairy wrasse seem to have this issue. I’ve had a few lineautus as well. Really unfortunate..

 

[Elgringodiablo]

First one was from regular LA. Second one was from Sea Dwelling Creatures, got a Lineatus from SDC on the same purchase who is flawless (knock on wood)... Just nuts having the same issue with two rhomboids in a row, in addition to hearing about others having the same issue. If it is head/spinal injury, I might have to start quarantine in rubbermaid.

 

[Elgringodiablo]

View attachment 758561

IME lots of fairy wrasse seem to have this issue. I’ve had a few lineautus as well. Really unfortunate..

Any indication of what the cause is? If it's happening to you, then I highly doubt it's an issue of 'user error'.

 

[4FordFamily]

Any indication of what the cause is? If it's happening to you, then I highly doubt it's an issue of 'user error'.

In my case it was user error— a hard mesh top will hurt the spine of a jumping wrasse sometimes. The softer stuff often isn’t tight enough and the end up on the floor. It’s really a canundrum... but it’s not uncommon. A spooked wrasse will leap fast at the top and a hard kid will cause spinal damage.

 

[Elgringodiablo]

In my case it was user error— a hard mesh top will hurt the spine of a jumping wrasse sometimes. The softer stuff often isn’t tight enough and the end up on the floor. It’s really a canundrum... but it’s not uncommon. A spooked wrasse will leap fast at the top and a hard kid will cause spinal damage.

Guess I spoke too soon...

I've got custom mesh (Artfully Acrylic) lids on most of my displays, but have had a few incidents of wrasses finding a gap to go carpet surfing. Really sealed up the openings on my RSR 450, to where it takes me a few minutes to open it. Unfortunately I don't have that luxury on my 10g QTs and use egg crate. Perhaps some day I can afford to pimp my quarantine system... Outside of that, I will do my best not to startle them can't afford $150-200 every time that happens.

 

[HotRocks]

I use 1/4 clear mesh on QT. Still happened...

 

[Elgringodiablo]

View attachment 758665

Apparently I can't upload an Unsolved Mysteries meme..

 

[evolved]

@evolved. Do you know if this is common for these guys? I just lost a male gold rhom in QT last week to the same issue. Could be coincidence, but i didn't know if the particular species was known to dart more or more sensitive spine etc.

It's been a transient issue in the past; things have been good for a few years.
Usually, it goes like this - a new shop starts collecting the species. They needle the swim bladders as they're ascending, but they don't ever use a new needle (see where this is going?). Then after the importers complain about losing a bunch of stock from their shipments, they figure it out and throw their needles away after each collection trip.
Considering it's been 2-3 since they're were issues, there might be a "new guy" at play now.

Out of curiosity where did you purchase? Mine was LA DD.

Realistically, it won't matter where they come from. Often there's only one shop doing the collecting, so all sent to whatever importer over here could be prone.
The good news is that other species in that general area (like lineatus, laboutei) are usually not collected by the same shop - they're found in different areas.

View attachment 758665

Apparently I can't upload an Unsolved Mysteries meme..

(there's nothing that would stop it - did the file type/size meet the requirements?)

 

[HotRocks]

It's been a transient issue in the past; things have been good for a few years.
Usually, it goes like this - a new shop starts collecting the species. They needle the swim bladders as they're ascending, but they don't ever use a new needle (see where this is going?). Then after the importers complain about losing a bunch of stock from their shipments, they figure it out and throw their needles away after each collection trip.
Considering it's been 2-3 since they're were issues, there might be a "new guy" at play now.

Realistically, it won't matter where they come from. Often there's only one shop doing the collecting, so all sent to whatever importer over here could be prone.
The good news is that other species in that general area (like lineatus, laboutei) are usually not collected by the same shop - they're found in different areas.

(there's nothing that would stop it - seems it's on your end?)

This makes alot of sense. Thank you for the input! I knew you'd know!

 

[Elgringodiablo]

It's been a transient issue in the past; things have been good for a few years.
Usually, it goes like this - a new shop starts collecting the species. They needle the swim bladders as they're ascending, but they don't ever use a new needle (see where this is going?). Then after the importers complain about losing a bunch of stock from their shipments, they figure it out and throw their needles away after each collection trip.
Considering it's been 2-3 since they're were issues, there might be a "new guy" at play now.

Realistically, it won't matter where they come from. Often there's only one shop doing the collecting, so all sent to whatever importer over here could be prone.
The good news is that other species in that general area (like lineatus, laboutei) are usually not collected by the same shop - they're found in different areas.

(there's nothing that would stop it - seems it's on your end?)

So, do you think I should try venting the swim bladder? Really not enthused about the idea of doing that, but not less enthused than having another dead wrasse on my hands.

 

[evolved]

So, do you think I should try venting the swim bladder? Really not enthused about the idea of doing that, but not less enthused than having another dead wrasse on my hands.

No; never seems to help.
If my suspicions are correct, then it's more the infection in the swim bladder from a dirty needle.

 

[Elgringodiablo]

No; never seems to help.
If my suspicions are correct, then it's more the infection in the swim bladder from a dirty needle.

I hope you are right and the Metroplex + Kanaplex + Furan-2 solves the problem. Pretty impressed that it's still alive and at least trying to to eat.

 

[evolved]

I hope you are right and the Metroplex + Kanaplex + Furan-2 solves the problem. Pretty impressed that it's still alive and at least trying to to eat.

Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. But that fact that it sometimes works is worth trying!