Help with tricolor wrasse please

StevenBell · Jul 14, 2015

Hey guys!I bought my first wrasse a few days ago and it is gorgeous!However it refuses to come out of hiding...He has not been out swimming or anything since being introduced to the tank.All tank mates are really gentle and calm.Water parameters are perfect.Is this normal wrasse behavior?Any help or advice is much appreciated!

kevin32 · Jul 14, 2015

Give it time. Fish tend to get shy and all. Just feed ur fish normally and eventually it will come out to feed.

Yes it normal for wrasse to hide for a few days before coming out to feed. Just make sure no other fishes are picking on it and ur good to go.

Keep us posted. I'm planning to get the same wrasse soon.

StevenBell · Jul 14, 2015

Right on and thanks for the heads up buddy!

evolved · Jul 14, 2015

How large is the tank and what other fish are in it?

4FordFamily · Jul 14, 2015

Fairy and flasher wrasse do better added in groups IMO, IME. Not sure why.

StevenBell · Jul 14, 2015

Tank is 75 gallons with a pair of clarkiis,pair of bangaiis,strawberry pseudochromis.
I see him under the rocks and doesn't look sick or anything. Maybe he's just a weirdo lol

evolved · Jul 14, 2015

You should be fine; he'll settle down in 2-3 days.

Breakthecycle2 · Jul 14, 2015

I don't know, that strawberry dottyback could be bullying him.

eatbreakfast · Jul 14, 2015

Breakthecycle2 said:
I don't know, that strawberry dottyback could be bullying him.

...if the dottyback was the aggressor, he would chase the wrasse away from the rocks and the wrasse would be seen.

Agree with evolved, give it a couple of days.

Breakthecycle2 · Jul 14, 2015

eatbreakfast said:
...if the dottyback was the aggressor, he would chase the wrasse away from the rocks and the wrasse would be seen.

Agree with evolved, give it a couple of days.

Not necessarily. My melanarus chases one of my flashers into the rocks.

StevenBell · Jul 14, 2015

All good theories and well noted in several cases after research. You guys are awesome and thanks for the advice!

eatbreakfast · Jul 15, 2015

Breakthecycle2 said:
Not necessarily. My melanarus chases one of my flashers into the rocks.

Right, the melanurus is interested in rocks but spends most of it's time outside of the rockwork.

The dottyback spends most of it's time within the rockwork, rarely venturing from the cover of the rocks.

A fish that spends most of it's time in the rockwork will chase an intruder away from the rocks.

StevenBell · Jul 15, 2015

He was out and about today.Looking really amazing! Thanks everyone for the reassurance

kevin32 · Jul 17, 2015

Nice! Any pictures?

Chefbill · Jul 17, 2015

I have a dusky wrasse that stayed under the sand for eight days, came out 1 day, and was out for the 1 hour my blues were on this morning. I had given up on it.

TD13 · Jul 17, 2015

I have an Ornate Leopard Wrasse that dove straight for the sand, buried itself and was not seen for almost 2 weeks. Been thriving since. They just need time to adjust.