Reef nutrition

Sore on side of Melanurus Wrasse

Baykes

Baykes

Supporting Member
BARcard
Well I sure am happy that I decided to follow a quarantine/TTM procedure for all new additions on my new tank! After getting the fish last night I just noticed what looks like a sore/lesion on the side of my melanurus wrasse. I could have missed it when I bought it, but I think it may have appeared while in qt. Any ideas on what it might be or what I can do to treat it? So far he is eating and pooping normal.

So far for my TTM procedure I was planning 13 days of transfers at 36 hrs at the beginning and 72 for the last 2. Should I modify it to longer? Also I have one other fish, a sunburst anthias introduced at the same time.

31F9B08B-B497-44AC-AF37-C97A0F1D50AA.jpeg
3584ACC1-FC3C-40EC-96CF-AE7211608EB1.jpeg
54DD9590-BE29-418A-B4E5-E7CE67986A4D.png
 
I can't see it well enough to even hazard a guess, but could it be an injury possibly. A new Melanurus is going to try to buy itself especially when startled and if sand isn't immediately available they can injure themselves. Normally this can happen to their mouths, but if it was startled and made an instinctive motion to bury it may have ran into something.
 
Thanks Bruce! Yeah it is hard to get a pic, the above are just screenshots of a video I took. There is pvc so maybe he hurt himself against

I do have a peanut butter jar lid that is filled with sand for him, but maybe it needs to be deeper. It’s about .5” to .75” deep. Last night he just slept in the open not in a PVC or the lid of sand.
Here is a pic of the qt setup:
image.jpg
 
Very well could be an injury from the edge of that jar lid or other when he was startled. That lid is very shallow and the edge could be "sharp."That's not definitive -- just something to consider.
 
Bruce Spiegelman said:
Very well could be an injury from the edge of that jar lid or other when he was startled. That lid is very shallow and the edge could be "sharp."That's not definitive -- just something to consider.
Click to expand...
Thanks! At this point it doesn’t look like pics of “sore” related diseases that I have searched up. I will just monitor it throughout the next two weeks. I will also try to find a more rounded deeper sand container
 
Baykes said:
Thanks! At this point it doesn’t look like pics of “sore” related diseases that I have searched up. I will just monitor it throughout the next two weeks. I will also try to find a more rounded deeper sand containers
Click to expand...
Yeah -- I'd do that ASAP. QT is a bad time for wrasses that bury, and it's easy for them to get injured. If the container is too shallow mouth wounds become problematic, and if they have any edge on them at all you're asking for issues. Try a glass or ceramic bowl perhaps.
 
I've successfully QTd many Wrasses that bury including Leopard Wrasses,. I've used a Tupperware container as you described and I just change out the sand with every transfer. I always have a few pounds of fresh sand on hand for this purpose.
 
Thanks for the tips both of you. Just swapped it for a deeper Tupperware. Hopefully it is a mild wound and will heal during the next couple weeks. I’m new to sand burying wrasses and the ttm so definitely still learning
 
Just wanted to update. It is still eating, and enjoying the deeper tupperware of sand. The sore has appeared to open and I can see a little bit of flesh. Still doesnt look like Uronema to me, but I am a little concerned about a bacterial infection since it is open. Just performed a first bath in antibiotics and dosed the tank with Prazipro. Will continue the bath of antibiotics once a day for 7 days and then a final dose of Prazipro. I also got an antiseptic, Ruby Reef Rally, that I will dose daily in the QT tank between Prazipro doses.

At least now I have a stock of meds for future acquisitions.
 
Sad development, after the second antibiotic bath he took a turn for the worse. Started swimming abnormally, and noticed blemished in the fins and tail. Towards the end he could barely swim upright. I think the combined stress of the TTM, wound and the medication became too much for him. He was hanging on when I left for work this morning, but was gone by the time I came home :(. Im still not sure if it was the manifestation of an internal parasite or a wouund from the original lid sand container. Either way it really sucks, but I hope I am better prepared with medication and supplies going forward
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top