Sick Yellow Coris Wrasse?

[clownxx]

I need some advice ASAP!

I have a Yellow Coris Wrasse, he has been with me for about a week now, he is out most of the day and then burries himself in the sand at night, i have noticed in the last couple of days that the fish has some white stuff on his mouth, but he is not breathing heavy and does not look sick,he is very active and have seen him eat off and on, but i dont know what is wrong with him? It will be imposible for me to get him out of the tank and treat him, so i need to know if there is a way to treat him in the main aquarium, without killing any of my corals or inverts, and also see if someone can answer these questions;

Does he have a disease that is contagios to other fish in the tank?

If i dont treat will he die?

What is the cheapest and safest tretment for this?

Thanks

clownx

[JennM]

One of my favourite fishes, the Yellow Wrasse...I've had 2 of them, first one in late 80s...

You CAN catch him to treat him after he goes to bed at night...that's how I had to catch mine If you know where he sleeps, net the whole pocket of sand.....IF you need to get him...

If he's eating and otherwise behaving normally I wouldn't remove him from the tank. You can try some anti-bacterial flakes, if you think he's brewing something bacterial (cotton-mouth?) or if it's fungal (wait...isn't cotton-mouth fungal?)..hmmm not sure. It's hard to know without a picture....

At the very least, keep a close eye, make sure he's eating nutritious foods and perhaps use Selcon or other food soak to help boost his immune system. He might just be able to kick it on his own.

Contageous? Possibly, but if your other fish are strong and healthy, odds are they will not be affected. Sounds to me like something secondary after an injury...perhaps he got a wound on his mouth, and there's some bacterial or fungal thing going on. Unless another fish has a vulerability like a wound...they should be fine.

Hope this helps,

Jenn

[clownxx]

Originally posted by JennM
You can try some anti-bacterial flakes, if you think he's brewing something bacterial (cotton-mouth?) or if it's fungal (wait...isn't cotton-mouth fungal?)..hmmm not sure. It's hard to know without a picture....


Jenn

Thanks Jenn!!!

What kind of anti bacterial flakes would you recommend?, and yes it does look like cooton mouth!

When i feed these flakes are they ok for my reef and inverts, beacuse i know that they will be all over them!

Thanks

[JennM]

Hmmm good question. I've used a medicated flake with Metronidizole in them, but I've used them in a hospital tank setting. There are commercial preparations, but you can also use powdered Metronidizole, or Kanaplex (Seachem makes these), and soak food in a solution with this...but I would ONLY do that in a separate tank.

I've also gut-loaded grass shrimp with them to feed to the sick fish (in my case, seahorse) but I don't know if the shrimp would have tolerated taking that into its system beyond an hour or so, because it was destined to be DINNER

I'd err on the side of caution. I would watch the fish for another day or two and see if it gets better on its own. If no improvement or if it's worse tomorrow, I'd look at removing it from the tank and treating it with meds....

Sorry.....

Jenn