Contemplating adding a Six Line - advice??

vetteguy53081 · Nov 7, 2018

Oberst Oswald said:
Don't get a 6 line. Mine cost $20.00 and killed about $250.00 worth of fish. Couldn't catch him (smartest fish known to man) and could not add new fish. Finally jumped out of the tank when I wasn't home. Not a tear was shed.

Come on.....admit it...... you found it on the floor and >>>>>>

JumboShrimp · Nov 7, 2018

@Oberst Oswald, your post touched my funny-bone... Beyond that, my only comment is, “Truth!”

Reefbuds · Nov 8, 2018

Oberst Oswald said:
Don't get a 6 line. Mine cost $20.00 and killed about $250.00 worth of fish. Couldn't catch him (smartest fish known to man) and could not add new fish. Finally jumped out of the tank when I wasn't home. Not a tear was shed.

Talk about a smart fish, mine amazed me one night. I realized one night I knew where all of my fish slept, except my 6 line. I proceeded to watch the tank during sunset to figure this out. This 6 line literally swam in and out of rock work trying to lose me. He would actually peep out, make eye contact and try a different hole. After about 20 minutes of this he actually did lose me, I looked away for literally 10 sec to talk to my wife and he was gone. Still don't know where he sleeps to this day.

Oberst Oswald · Nov 8, 2018

vetteguy53081 said:
Come on.....admit it...... you found it on the floor and >>>>>>

OK... you got me. He was a cool sort of fish always swimming around, poking the head everywhere and looking for trouble. Guess if I would of found the little thug in time he would of made a well behaved convict in the sump with the gorilla crab. Remembering the $20.00 spent did bring out the tissues though.

PeterG · Nov 8, 2018

I've got a six line in a 90 gal mixed reef and he gets along well with everyone including a Christmas Wrasse.
Other tank mates are a couple of clowns, flame angel, coral beauty, pair of pajama cardinals, scribbled rabbitfish and a sailfin tang. Peaceable Kingdom

Jesterrace · Nov 8, 2018

How long have you had the fish?

PeterG · Nov 8, 2018

Jesterrace said:
How long have you had the fish?

Not sure if you're asking me this question but the Xmas Wrasse and the pajama cards survived a tank crash and have been with me over a yr. The six line and everyone else were all added between Feb & June of this yr.

PhreeByrd · Nov 10, 2018

Amazing how there are absolutely polar opposite opinions about the sixline. Mine has been a model citizen for many years. Doesn't bother anything or anybody. He is and always has been the smallest fish in the tank, though. IME, clownfish are far more aggressive.

Stigigemla · Nov 12, 2018

Having a shop I have seen much more problems with the sixline in small tanks. So I try to avoid selling them to tanks smaller than 120 gallons.
But they are a hit or miss. They can be peaceful (maybe more often with some big fishes) or not. They can change from being peaceful to a bully anytime.
A n aggressive one can get peaceful in a new tank or adversed. The best way to catch them are fish traps. Normally they are so curious so You dont even have to add food in the trap.
There are better wrasses for a reef tank.

mort · Nov 12, 2018

PhreeByrd said:
Amazing how there are absolutely polar opposite opinions about the sixline. Mine has been a model citizen for many years. Doesn't bother anything or anybody. He is and always has been the smallest fish in the tank, though. IME, clownfish are far more aggressive.

The different experiences can mostly be explained by "right fish, right tank". Often they are added with things that they will eventually see as competition, an opportunity to bully or just don't fit in with but put that same fish with species that can stick up for themselves, or are larger and aggressive and they do well.
Mixing a sixline with more timid species or similar species is very unlikely to work longterm.