Pale pygmy wrasse?

[IHaveADegreeInMarineBioBut]

2 hours ago, mcarroll said:

He looks bleached like a coral.  

 

There is a relationship between fish coloration and immune function.  Check out this article where they look at the phenomena in bettas: Red fish, blue fish: trade-offs between pigmentation and immunity in Betta splendens

 

From the eyeball we can now more or less say he's got an infection.  But I've never seen fish color be affected so dramatically....if at all.  

 

Usually bulging eyes are a standalone problem that resolves with cleaning up the water.  

 

I'm still not so sure about this case.  

 

On the bad vibe:  Other than "pop eye" it seems like most bacterial problems are untreatable.  Is this just "pop eye" though?  (Living in copper may have had a permanent effect.)

 

On the good vibe:  Most fish that are still eating well will recover just fine.  

 

Keep your fingers crossed.  

 

Keep looking out for signs of aggression (have you watched during different hours of the day?) or of anything else amiss with the system.

 

Edit:  Was he colored like this in the store too, or was there a change after you got him?

I've watched him throughout today and behavior seems to be more normal than yesterday. The eye actually looks a little less swollen/cloudy. I think I'll just keep parameters in check and continue to monitor. I don't want to treat for something I don't know.

And yes he was that color in store. He seemed to get a little paler over the past few days, but I think he has regained some since.

 

54 minutes ago, DevilDuck said:

Fingers crossed for the little guy. I also have one and they are one of my favorite fish in the tank.

Thank you 😭 such a fun little fish. A shame they're so expensive.