Unknown Neurological Wrasse Disease (UNWD)

[Jay Hemdal]

Jay, thoughts on this one? Was normal up until I noticed yesterday when I got home from work. Finished 14 days of copper and did sterile trasfer. This is about 4 days out of copper. And was perfect during ramp up of copper, and the 14day treatment

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It's breathing a bit faster than I typically see with UNWD. Is it still eating, or trying to eat? That is a key symptom.

Have you treated this fish preventatively for flukes?

Jay

 

[TK_KW]

It's breathing a bit faster than I typically see with UNWD. Is it still eating, or trying to eat? That is a key symptom.

Have you treated this fish preventatively for flukes?

Jay

It's showing interest in eating, but havnt seen it a really eat in the last day. I'll do a couple rounds of Prazi and see if it improves. It's the only fish of 9 I've just put through qt showing anything currently.

 

[J.D.]

Whatever this is, it's disappointing. This is the 2nd Lineatus I've lost this year, plus a Rhimboid. Purchased pre QT in hopes to be past this about 3 weeks ago; apparently not. Was in the DT until 3 days ago, moved to QT system to avoid additional injury. I'll have uthnize tomarrow.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Whatever this is, it's disappointing. This is the 2nd Lineatus I've lost this year, plus a Rhimboid. Purchased pre QT in hopes to be past this about 3 weeks ago; apparently not. Was in the DT until 3 days ago, moved to QT system to avoid additional injury. I'll have uthnize tomarrow.

That does look like UNWD, sorry. This is a good example of why people think this is from the fish striking the glass or a rock in the tank, it sure looks like that would cause an issue like this - but there is never any damage to the snout...at least at first. After a fish has been spinning for some time, their mouths do get bunged up a bit, but that's from after the spinning starts.

Jay

 

[Huskymaniac]

@Jay Hemdal anything new in terms of medication to try. I am 99% I have an Exquisite Wrasse that has this. It has been hanging on over the last few weeks but it is slowly progressing. Still eats just can't swim properly. I was able to get the fish out of my display and it's getting daily baths in NFG Powder.

 

[Huskymaniac]

@Jay Hemdal here is a video of the fish. Normally it's breathing isn't heavy but it's a bit stressed as this was when I moved it to a QT tub. You get the idea with the way its swimming. This is UNWD right?

June 9, 2023

youtube.com

 

[Jay Hemdal]

@Jay Hemdal anything new in terms of medication to try. I am 99% I have an Exquisite Wrasse that has this. It has been hanging on over the last few weeks but it is slowly progressing. Still eats just can't swim properly. I was able to get the fish out of my display and it's getting daily baths in NFG Powder.

Sorry, no new developments. The cause is still unknown …. that even leaves it open to multiple causes. My leading idea is a virus, but we sent samples to a lab that ruled out two of the viruses known to cause similar issues.
Jay

 

[Huskymaniac]

Sorry, no new developments. The cause is still unknown …. that even leaves it open to multiple causes. My leading idea is a virus, but we sent samples to a lab that ruled out two of the viruses known to cause similar issues.
Jay

Thanks Jay. Did my video look like this is what it is?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thanks Jay. Did my video look like this is what it is?

Sorry, just saw the video in the second post. The video is pretty blue, and I’m more used to seeing this from a lateral view, but since the fish is still eating, I’d have to conclude that is the same issue.
Jay

 

[EliMelly]

I hate being the next one to post on this thread but I think my red velvet wrasse has it. It had Ich about two weeks ago seemed to get over it but now is swimming upside down on its side and seems to have no control. Interesting to note, my wife heard a splash from the tank so it may have jumped and hit its head… I’ll provide an update tomorrow.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I hate being the next one to post on this thread but I think my red velvet wrasse has it. It had Ich about two weeks ago seemed to get over it but now is swimming upside down on its side and seems to have no control. Interesting to note, my wife heard a splash from the tank so it may have jumped and hit its head… I’ll provide an update tomorrow.

The key is if the fish continues to eat after the swimming symptoms are noted. If it tries to eat, it is probably that syndrome.
The jumping fish hypothesis has two main issues: why only these two types of wrasse? 1) Many other wrasses and other fish are just as prone to getting scared and running into things, yet no other group of fish show this. 2) There is never facial damage or swollen eyes seen like in other fish with a strike injury.

Jay

 

[A Young Reefer]

Sorry, no new developments. The cause is still unknown …. that even leaves it open to multiple causes. My leading idea is a virus, but we sent samples to a lab that ruled out two of the viruses known to cause similar issues.
Jay

out of curiosity what are the two viruses that were ruled out? thanks.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

out of curiosity what are the two viruses that were ruled out? thanks.

The single evaluation that has been done on a sample came back negative for betanodavirus and VHSV. There is still some doubt in my mind that the sample they tested was a classic case of this or not - a public aquarium lost a group of flashers and sent samples out for testing....but I never got confirmation of that one key symptom - were their fish still feeding?

I may have mentioned - there is another public aquarium looking into this issue as well, but they were not working with the same group that I was, so we won't know their findings unless they publish.


Jay

 

[Seymo44]

I just recently had a Lubbock’s fairy wrasse die from this. All symptoms match what was in the original post; swirling platters while swimming, pogo stick action with tail, etc. Curiously I had this wrasse in the same tank as a wrasse in the genus Halichoeres. The Halichoeres is perfectly fine. Will observe for another month before releasing into display.

 

[Huskymaniac]

Here is a video of the wrasse in a nfg bath.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Here is a video of the wrasse in a nfg bath.

UGH - sure looks like it, sorry to see.


Jay

 

[Huskymaniac]

UGH - sure looks like it, sorry to see.


Jay

Do you know how quickly it progresses? Is it fast as in days or can it be slower as in weeks. The fish is actually moving around pretty good. Still vertical a bit though. Will a video in a bit.

 

[Huskymaniac]

UGH - sure looks like it, sorry to see.


Jay

 

[Jay Hemdal]

That looks less of an issue. If the fish is still feeding, I would just keep feeding it see if over time, it continues to improve.

jay

 

[hans4811]

Looks like I can add to this list of occurrences of this disease, unfortunately !

Just received this Naoko wrasse from Reef Pro yesterday after an online auction that I won.

Turned out my lights and acclimated him to my salinity and PH very carefully. Put him in my display late afternoon yesterday and he sat under a toadstool for an hour or so and then disappeared. This morning he was up and about but stayed in an upper corner of tank and couldn’t control his swimming in current, head up and spinning. Tried feeding him but he didn’t seem interested….never bought a fish online before and this just reinforces why I don’t…LFS from now on !