Crazy swimming yello Coris Wrasse??

[Reef Craver16]

I just recently got a yellow coris wrasse for my frag tank, this guy is awesome. He explores constantly swims through the egg crate and inspects all the frags. When he feels like cruising the tank he comes to the surface and swims with his back (dorsal) out of the water and also its mouth and sometimes full head. Is this normal behavior? Do they like to skim the surface?

 

[evolved]

I've only seen this behavior in very shallow tanks.

 

[Reef Craver16]

Gotcha that's prob it then because the water is only like 6in deep, Im going to extend my drain a little longer and raise up the level another 1.5'' anyways hopefully it isn't a stress on them.

 

[tanked37]

Gotcha that's prob it then because the water is only like 6in deep, Im going to extend my drain a little longer and raise up the level another 1.5'' anyways hopefully it isn't a stress on them.

Not likely, the bigger stress on him is the lack of sand bed I'm guessing you don't have in your frag tank. They sleep in the sand bed and will need a sand bed for long term survival. Anyway, I have one has well and they are great and very pretty fish.

 

[tanked37]

Also, it's up to you but in that shallow of water you'll likely find him on the floor on day for jumping out. My tank has a full BRS 1/4" screen top on it with zero holes in top (I have mp40's so no cords sticking out).

 

[Sflynn313]

+1 on the sand mine sleeps in the sand

 

[Octo]

Yah if he has no sand to hide it I'm guessing too he is stressed out. Put a small dish if sand in there for the little guy.

 

[KoleTang]

If it were looking for a sandbed it would be trying to find hiding spots, not erratically swimming at the surface. Why would a fish swim at the surface? Because it wants to go up... not down. But you might as well put a bowl of sand in there for him to sleep in anyway.

I highly recommend putting a screen, lid, etc. over the top of the tank. A wrasse in a shallow, open-top frag tank is risky enough for jumping, let alone a wrasse that is attempting to leave the water column constantly.

It also could be that he's trying to figure out where he is. Sometimes fish can act awkward when they are in a new tank. My leopard wrasse would not stop swimming up and down in the front left corner of my tank for the first week. It may take a bit for him to adjust.

 

[eatbreakfast]

If it were looking for a sandbed it would be trying to find hiding spots, not erratically swimming at the surface. Why would a fish swim at the surface? Because it wants to go up... not down. But you might as well put a bowl of sand in there for him to sleep in anyway.

I highly recommend putting a screen, lid, etc. over the top of the tank. A wrasse in a shallow, open-top frag tank is risky enough for jumping, let alone a wrasse that is attempting to leave the water column constantly.

It also could be that he's trying to figure out where he is. Sometimes fish can act awkward when they are in a new tank. My leopard wrasse would not stop swimming up and down in the front left corner of my tank for the first week. It may take a bit for him to adjust.

The erratic swimming at the surface is because he has no acceptable hiding spots. His first instinct is to go to sand when scared or threatened, even if he is not currently scared he wants to know he has a refuge he can go to. If there is no place he feels he can go to, his secondary defense is to dart away from danger and any objects he may hit. That means going up. In the wild they are feet from the surface, not inches, so darting up is safe. In an aquarium this often means jumping, the intent is not to leave the water, rather to leave the immediate vicinity. Therefore a screen top and at least a container of sand are necessary. Raising the water significantly or removing the fish would probably be best for the long term benefit of the yellow coris.

 

[Reef Craver16]

Ok, so I do have a screen lid I DIY'd out of some wood trim, and screen roll and tie wraps since I know wrasses tend to be flyers. There is a few pieces of PVC couplers at the bottoms it hangout in but I will put a Tupperware with sand when I get home and we will see how it goes. Thanks for all the replies.

 

[tvoydan]

Mine dives for the sand too when stressed and sleeps in there when the moon lights come on. They are jumpers and will jump out. I lost a few in my frag tank before I realized this and put a lid on it. Terrible loss as they were beautiful fish.