What's up with my wrasse?

[Integral9]

About a week or so ago, I noticed my wrasse wasn't his usual self, swimming with my powder brown and yellow tangs. Then I found him upside down under a rock. Thinking he was a goner, I tried to pull him out, but he was still alive and very quickly swam away from me. Looked like he was drunk though as he ran into just about everything in the tank like a drunk driver. I figured if he had that much kick left in him, he might pull through whatever is wrong. Then I didn't see him for a couple of days. I figured he was a goner and my critters had cleaned him up. Yesterday, he popped out of a rock, and then just as fast swam right back in. Still drunk though. I'm starting to think he's a consumate alcoholic with a still in the rocks, or he's been eating the green mushrooms....

 

I did some searching around, and most people who've encountered this behavior lost their wrasse the next day or right after transfering them to a QT. Assuming I can catch him, I'd like to do that get him in QT, but I am not sure what is wrong. The behavior looks like a swim bladder infection (abnormal swimming). Anyone else have a wrasse just spook out on them like this?

[CaptainRon]

My Dad had something similar happen to a male clownfish a year or so ago. He got him out the the main display and put him in the refugium with it's reduced flow. The poor guy was slow for a little while - I think a week or two. The fish would float around sometimes like it was just some random debris. But eventually he seemed to recover pretty well. He's been back in the main display for months now - still seems to float upside down every once in a while, but otherwise none the worse for wear.

 

All this to say I have no ideas for your fish, and we never figured out what was wrong with the clown. But, maybe he'll pull through in the end. Good Luck!

[zygote2k]

I just had a 4" Harlequin Tusk die for unexplained reasons. Swimming weird, not eating, but no visible wounds or signs of disease.

[Coral Hind]

I currently have a 7" Harlequin Tusk that is acting the same way. Just bounces off the sand bed and rocks, I thought it was blind but it does seem to see certain things. "Drunk" would be the perfect way to describe it. I think Jan had a fish that acted the same way too months ago.

[Sharkey18]

You should stop dosing vodka...

[Incredible Corals]

Swim bladder maybe? I had a trigger that did that a few years back. Swam around like she was drunk and eventually died.

[Integral9]

You should stop dosing vodka...

hehe. Good idea. :-P

 

Seriously though. The Wrasse is BACK! Slowly but surely he pulled through. I never caught him or figured what was wrong. I did notice however, that if I didn't feed the fish for a day, he seemed to get better. So I started to feed every other day. He got a little better each day. Now he is swimming around the tank again, staying upright and mostly avoiding the rocks. His buddy tangs aquired a new buddy, so he's not swimming with them anymore. I guess he got replaced in the group. bummer.

[Happyfeet]

hehe. Good idea. :-P

 

Seriously though. The Wrasse is BACK! Slowly but surely he pulled through. I never caught him or figured what was wrong. I did notice however, that if I didn't feed the fish for a day, he seemed to get better. So I started to feed every other day. He got a little better each day. Now he is swimming around the tank again, staying upright and mostly avoiding the rocks. His buddy tangs aquired a new buddy, so he's not swimming with them anymore. I guess he got replaced in the group. bummer.

 

That's interesting, I have a leopard wrasse and she did the same thing when I fed daily. I've backed off to only feeding my tank once a week (Don't worry guys she and a tailspot blenny are my only inhabitants). I now keep the tank stocked with pods and only manually feed once a week and she does a lot better.

 

What where you feeding him every day? I was feeding Gutloaded Mysid when I noticed her getting drunk.

[Integral9]

I have been feeding my tank Jan's food, which has been going very well for everyone. But the wrasse will eat just about anything I put in the tank including the urchin's spawn and if you watch the video I posted on my tank thread, you'll see the wrasse actually tried to eat the urchin. I also have a fuge which keeps the pods constantly populated.