Unknown Neurological Wrasse Disease (UNWD)

[JHSteepat]

Is this uwnd? It is trying to eat, but not doing well. Laying upsode down on bottom when I am not there. It has no overt bumps on its nose but was a jumper when I first got it and banged the lid 7-8 times when I approached. Still it looked fine for a while and seemed to settle in then this started.

Wrasse

Should I euthanize?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Is this uwnd? It is trying to eat, but not doing well. Laying upsode down on bottom when I am not there. It has no overt bumps on its nose but was a jumper when I first got it and banged the lid 7-8 times when I approached. Still it looked fine for a while and seemed to settle in then this started.

Wrasse

Should I euthanize?

It does look like it, the still trying to eat is diagnostic.

If it is getting some food, I’ve give it a few more days, just to see if it turns around.

 

[agoralyx]

Does this look like UNWD? I lost another wrasse to the exact same symptoms last weekend. Both this one and that one are/were very interested in food. I'd hoped with the first one that it was a spinal injury from jumping, but with two from the same order coming up with the same symptoms, I'm guessing it's not an injury.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Does this look like UNWD? I lost another wrasse to the exact same symptoms last weekend. Both this one and that one are/were very interested in food. I'd hoped with the first one that it was a spinal injury from jumping, but with two from the same order coming up with the same symptoms, I'm guessing it's not an injury.

That’s tough to say. This wrasse seems negatively buoyant and is struggling against that. UNWD more usually shows a curve in the body and spiral swimming. The common symptom is that your fish is trying to eat, just like UNWD. There are other health problems that cause fish to spin oddly and struggle, but those fish won’t eat.

 

[agoralyx]

I hope you don't mind my posting an update for consideration. It was spinning wildly through the tank and hitting itself on the rockwork, but I managed to catch and isolate it finally. Still eagerly responding at feeding time.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I hope you don't mind my posting an update for consideration. It was spinning wildly through the tank and hitting itself on the rockwork, but I managed to catch and isolate it finally. Still eagerly responding at feeding time.

Well, if you can ensure it is eating enough and seems stable, I'd be inclined to leave it in the isolation box just to see if it recovers.

Jay

 

[Liquidsnakes]

I recently had bought x4 Rhomboid wrasses. unfortunately 2 had died in the bag which was DOA. But the other 2 after 2 weeks eventually looks like it developed this UNWD. Currently one of them is still swimming and eating. Would you guys say this is UNWD and are the chances of recovery slim?

 

[sc50964]

I recently had bought x4 Rhomboid wrasses. unfortunately 2 had died in the bag which was DOA. But the other 2 after 2 weeks eventually looks like it developed this UNWD. Currently one of them is still swimming and eating. Would you guys say this is UNWD and are the chances of recovery slim?

I would say the chance of recovery is 0 based on my experience. They don’t recover even if you have it in its own tank. Flow is an issue. Eating is an issue. Tragic for such beautiful species.

 

[Liquidsnakes]

I would say the chance of recovery is 0 based on my experience. They don’t recover even if you have it in its own tank. Flow is an issue. Eating is an issue. Tragic for such beautiful species.

ah thats a bummer. Fairy wrasse are so finicky but such a beautiful fish. It just seems the last 4 that i got all have the same issue. I don't think i can try for more fairy wrasse. The flasher wrasse i have seem to do better then the fairys.

 

[sc50964]

ah thats a bummer. Fairy wrasse are so finicky but such a beautiful fish. It just seems the last 4 that i got all have the same issue. I don't think i can try for more fairy wrasse. The flasher wrasse i have seem to do better then the fairys.

Same reason that I have stopped getting rare fairy wrasses.

 

[i cant think]

ah thats a bummer. Fairy wrasse are so finicky but such a beautiful fish. It just seems the last 4 that i got all have the same issue. I don't think i can try for more fairy wrasse. The flasher wrasse i have seem to do better then the fairys.

Has it only just developed after getting them?

If so then I don’t think it’s the UNWD and instead a spinal injury especially if both were in the tank together.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I recently had bought x4 Rhomboid wrasses. unfortunately 2 had died in the bag which was DOA. But the other 2 after 2 weeks eventually looks like it developed this UNWD. Currently one of them is still swimming and eating. Would you guys say this is UNWD and are the chances of recovery slim?

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Without a video it is difficult to say, but the continued eating combined with the swimming issue is a hallmark of this syndrome. However, since two were DOA, and the two surviving fish were exposed to the same shipping stress, so things are less clear to me,
If the two remaining fish arrived, started doing well and then developed symptoms, it is more likely UNWD.

While the cause of this syndrome is not known, I rule out strike injuries as none of these fish ever show eye, mouth or face damage. Other species of fish get eye bubbles or mouth damage from running into things, and I’ve seen wrasse with strike injury damage on their faces that did not show UNWD.

 

[Liquidsnakes]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Without a video it is difficult to say, but the continued eating combined with the swimming issue is a hallmark of this syndrome. However, since two were DOA, and the two surviving fish were exposed to the same shipping stress, so things are less clear to me,
If the two remaining fish arrived, started doing well and then developed symptoms, it is more likely UNWD.

While the cause of this syndrome is not known, I rule out strike injuries as none of these fish ever show eye, mouth or face damage. Other species of fish get eye bubbles or mouth damage from running into things, and I’ve seen wrasse with strike injury damage on their faces that did not show UNWD.

Ya he unfortunately passed away this morning. He was eating brine, mysis and hikari seaweed extreme pellets. But after a week of having him, he started with a weird way of swimming. Tail was slowly curving downwards and eventually bent body. Next few days after he just started swiming straight up with head facing towards surface of the water. This is when I thought he had got UNWD. I had originally got them from Candy Corals in Toronto. I'm in Calgary. 2x of them died from stress in the bag. The other two just over time developed what i thought was UNWD as there was no bullying or injury. As you can see this was one of the smaller Romboids I got. Healthy at first and then a week after just for some unknown reason acted that way.

Here was a video i caught of another supermale rhomboid that I had in a acclimation basket that developed the same thing. no injuries also on the supermale. Quite brutal that not a single one of them survived for me.

 

[Liquidsnakes]

Has it only just developed after getting them?

If so then I don’t think it’s the UNWD and instead a spinal injury especially if both were in the tank together.

So after about a week in QT with no medicine no stress, Barely any other tank mates started to develop the issue. I didn't have any other photos or videos of the rhomboid juvi wrasse only when it was in QT. By the time it passed away I found this forumn. My Mccosker and Blueline Flasher Wrasse has been doing awesome.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

So after about a week in QT with no medicine no stress, Barely any other tank mates started to develop the issue. I didn't have any other photos or videos of the rhomboid juvi wrasse only when it was in QT. By the time it passed away I found this forumn. My Mccosker and Blueline Flasher Wrasse has been doing awesome.

The two that died in the bag, you were hand carrying them back from the store? How long was the transport? Did they use oxygen? I've never had fish die while taking them home from a store - overnight shipping, sure, but not just bringing them home within, say, 30 minutes.

The UNWD does seem to be the issue here. I've only had isolated wrasses show it, not multiples in a group, but a public aquarium in California did have multiple mortalities in a group of wrasse they had brought in.

Jay

 

[Liquidsnakes]

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.

Wow looking through the thread right now. This is some bad UNWD. Sorry to hear about this. 2x of my Rhomboid experience it but not as bad as this. The Linetaus wrasse is so beautiful.

 

[Liquidsnakes]

The two that died in the bag, you were hand carrying them back from the store? How long was the transport? Did they use oxygen? I've never had fish die while taking them home from a store - overnight shipping, sure, but not just bringing them home within, say, 30 minutes.

The UNWD does seem to be the issue here. I've only had isolated wrasses show it, not multiples in a group, but a public aquarium in California did have multiple mortalities in a group of wrasse they had brought in.

Jay

DOA wrasse were shipped from Ontario to Alberta. So it took about a day to come over, 24 hours. Either it was stress or cold weather that killed them. The heat pack didn't do much as the water was super cold when it arrived. If i buy fish from LFS they usually do better since transportation is like you said less then 30 min.

The batches I got just didn't do good. At least after seeing this thread I will probably stay away from Fairy Wrasses. Survival rate isn't great it seems.

 

[Liquidsnakes]

So im taking one last chance with another supermale rhomnboid wrasse but this time is from my LFS. Right now the owner is quarantining it for me to make sure nothing happens. Its been with the owner for about 4 days right now. Hopefully this one will make it as its from a different vendor. I will get some pics and video when I go visit the shop again in the coming week. Wish me luck guys!

 

[cdnco2004]

So im taking one last chance with another supermale rhomnboid wrasse but this time is from my LFS. Right now the owner is quarantining it for me to make sure nothing happens. Its been with the owner for about 4 days right now. Hopefully this one will make it as its from a different vendor. I will get some pics and video when I go visit the shop again in the coming week. Wish me luck guys!

Good luck

 

[Liquidsnakes]

The two that died in the bag, you were hand carrying them back from the store? How long was the transport? Did they use oxygen? I've never had fish die while taking them home from a store - overnight shipping, sure, but not just bringing them home within, say, 30 minutes.

The UNWD does seem to be the issue here. I've only had isolated wrasses show it, not multiples in a group, but a public aquarium in California did have multiple mortalities in a group of wrasse they had brought in.

Jay

So I got the new Rhmboid and this one is doing so much better. Even after a week of quarantine at the LFS. Hes eating and very colorful. No bended tail or swimming oddly. Here is a video of him at the LFS before i picked him up. Currently hes in a 20G QT tank resting.