Are wrasses sensitive to hypo..?

[MrSpiffy]

There's something that I need to know. I've done looking around on the web and on RC to find this, but have had little or no luck at all finding anything of value. So, any help on this would be awesome.

Yesterday I had my newest almost-addition, a Blue Flasher Wrasse, pass away in my QT during hyposalinity treatment for what appeared to be the beginnings of ich. Now, thankfully it was in QT. But I began hypo treatment after almost two weeks of good appearance and voracious eating. Right around the 2-week mark of the hypo treatment and right before I started to raise the SG again, he took a turn for the worse. He stopped coming out and didn't eat anymore. And for nearly a week I didn't see him except for a tail or eye poking out of the rock in the QT. Eventually I found him on the bottom under the rock, still alive, but in bad shape and not swimming well at all, settling on the bottom. Two days later he was gone.

While I feel really bad about this, since it was my fault he died in my care, I can't understand what's happening. This is the second wrasse that has died in hypo treatment since I started reefing a year and a half ago. I don't get it. Are wrasses sensitive to hypo treatment? I found nothing to indicate as much. In fact, some places said to use hypo for up to 4 weeks or more. The only things I've seen mentioned is that "some fish" are sensitive to hypo, including scaleless fish, like sharks, rays, mandarins, etc. My clownfish made it through just fine during my first attempt at hypo, but my six-line wrasse did not. What's happening? What am I doing wrong? I really don't want to lose another one doing something stupid.

Thanks for listening to my sorta-kinda-rant, and for any advice you might have for me.

[OliverM3]

Could switch to Copper in the QT.

I know my Mystery Wrasse started loosing some of his fins just moving him to pristine water. So they are sensitive to change.
The fins grew back in no time just keeping normal water parameters.

If you're mistaking ich for just stress you're going to kill them with Hypo every time.

[MrSpiffy]

Well, I've heard of people using hypo as a preventative treatment anyway, despite no symptoms. I saw little spots on his pectoral fins (which were clear, so it made for easier spotting) that looked like the could be ich, so I started treatment. If the fish could handle hypo treatment for ich, it should be able to handle hypo even without ich. Like I mentioned above, he was happy for about 2 weeks before I began hypo after spotting the little spots on his fins.

But again, that's not even my question. Most saltwater fish are sensitive to changes in water parameters. But some fish just can't handle hypo. And I want to know if wrasses are one of these types of fish, because this is the second time that I've had an issue with a wrasse in hypo.

I'm thinking that I might play it "safe" next time and use copper as a treatment for a wrasse. But this is just really disheartening...

[OliverM3]

Yeah I don't know if wrasses can't handle Hypo as a rule.
My observation was just that mine was overly sensitive to change.

I don't treat without symptoms.
QT and monitor without Hypo or Copper.
Neither do any good to a healthy fish.

[MrSpiffy]

Well, I've been following the rule of QT'ing new additions to monitor them before just tossing them into my display. I need a disease in my display tank like a hole in the head. But I did see some little spots on his fins that looked like when my fish got ick a year and a half ago, so I started treatment to catch it early.

There's no way I'll treat for something that isn't there. That's just wasted effort, really.

[MrSpiffy]

Bump :sad1:

(don't mind me... I'm just grieving...)

[MrSpiffy]

Anyone..? I'm still trying to figure this one out. Especially because I'd like to get another wrasse for the tank, preferably without killing it this time.

[luke33]

FWIW, i've had a cleaner wrasse go through hypo with no problems.