Christmas Wrasse

Hey everyone!

Ive had my Christmas Wrasse for about two months now and he was going really really well fitting in until a few days ago when i noticed him acting weird. He wouldn't come out into the light and would sit under shadows of rocks and lay on the sand. He wouldn't eat and the only movement he would make is when my lemonpeel would come around and scare him off. Yesterday i noticed the top of his face to be rubbing away and all loose but he was too hard to catch and buried in the sand like he does to sleep. This morning when i woke up to clean the tank, i noticed him out again, hiding under the shadows of the rocks, but this time the top of his face was all gone and the bone had been revealed of the top of his mouth. I felt really sorry for the poor fish, as he was such a great guy who would always come up to see what was going on when i would put my hand in the tank. He would really playful and would always come up to the glass to see me when i would come past.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what could have happened? I didnt notice him cut his lip, but the only explanation i could have thought is that he had a cut on his lip, and because he would burrow in the sand, the organisms in the sand would eat away at his face when he was asleep.

Im really sad about this as he was one of my favourite fish. I managed to get him out and put him in my quarantine tank, but do you guys think it is best to put him into a freezer bag and freeze him, as i dont think he will make it through this all, and its a terrible thing to have to go through.

Thanks...

 

I am so sorry to hear that. I could never have the heart to freeze my fish. I just don't know any other way. I hate to watch them suffer! :-( Best of Luck.

 

"I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself" - D.H.Lawrence

No matter how sick your fish are. They NEVER feel self pity. I'm saying don't freeze him he'd prefer to live it out and suffer than die.

 

Im not talking about the fish pity itself, im talking about me watching it and seeing it in pain.

Its a living thing and how is anyone to know that they dont feel pity? Unless D.H. Lawrence is really Doctor Dolittle, im sorry buit i cant fully support his claim.

Ill see how the poor thing goes.

 

Sorry to hear about your fish Breed Was the skin that was "loose" fuzzy and/or cottony looking?

Personally, I would take the fish out of its misery. If I had to put a fish down, I would do it quickly, not by freezing it.

 

Yes Amcarrig, it appeared to be like that, and im really not sure what could have done it...

Well I know that freezing a fish is like a tranquiliser and puts the down so that they dont feel much. I checked on him this morning and he is still swimming sluggishly around on the bottom. Do you think that there is any possibility of this skin growing back?

 

In that case, it's probably a fungus but without seeing the fish, I can't know for sure. How do your other fish look? You might want to treat the wrasse and the main tank with an anti-fungal medicine that's made by Mardel...damned if I can remember the name of the product though. If you get the fungus killed, it's quite possible that the fish can grow it's skin back.

 

I don't think you should freeze it... Give him a shot at life. Now that he's in the QT he may recover, but if you freeze him you'll never know. Stay positive!!

 

That is just terrible Breed. I wouldnt want to watch that poor fish live like that but who knows maybe he will recover. There has to be something you can give him to help with the healing process. Do you have some pics of him?
Q

 

Hey guys, havent have a chance to get online and post but he passed on yesterday the poor thing. I still dont know what it was, but even when he died it was still eating away at his skin. I felt sorry for the poor thing, and im kinda happy that he didnt have to suffer anymore. I couldnt bear to look at the poor thing either let alone focus in for a foto...

May the poor thing rest in peace.