weird health problem with radiant wrasse

[Anonymous]

I've had this little radiant wrasse for a few months now, and its been doing great. Eats like a pig; always out front, etc.

But the other day I noticed it looked like it ran into a glass wool porcupine. Along the dorsal and one one side was what looked exactly like 1/4 inch long glass wool shards. They disappeared after a day or so- I have no idea what it could have been.

The wrasse looked fine for a few more days, but then yesterday I noticed it was swimming around like it was eating, but wasn't actually taking any food, and didn't have its usual pot belly. Its swimming had an unhealthy look about it also. Today it was eating again so maybe theres hope.

Any ideas what that glass wool looking stuff was?

 

[Anonymous]

Is it possible it somehow had a run-in with a large bristle worm or fire worm?

 

[Anonymous]

Hmmm... interesting thought- would that actually leave bristles all over him? I've never seen a fire worm in my tank, although I think I do have one of those standard humungous worms everyone seems to have...

 

[Anonymous]

Maybe.
My Hippo tang would occasionally try to take a bite out of large bristle worms in my tank and would end up with a bunch of quills sticking out of the area around its mouth, which looked like what you described. I'm not sure how it would have gotten on the side of the wrasse... maybe it tried to wedge itself in a rock that was occupied by a big worm? Just a guess... dunno. Could be something else entirely, but I can't think of what else would leave glass looking shards in him.

 

[Meloco14]

From the description I would also guess bristleworm bristles. Wrasses are known to eat bristleworms, so maybe he ate it and those were just the cost of the meal. Hopefully he will recover. Good luck.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, now he's eating fine, but the eye on that side is greatly enlarged. I've had fish recover from that before, so I'm still hoping...

 

[Anonymous]

Health report- the eye is now back to it's normal size and the wrasse is doing great again.

 

[WRASSER]

A lot of times the wrasse just swim through things that are in the tank, maybe it is just nothing at all

 

[Anonymous]

Dan, I'd say it's definitely bristleworm bristles.

Len or Nico or one of the guys on here that takes amazing photos once posted a nice close up shot of a wrasse (I think it was a mystery wrasse or a peppermint hogfish) with bristles protruding from its snout.

Peace,

Chip