I bought an earmuff wrasse 16 days ago. I’ve seen it one time since then. The day I put it in my tank it dived in the sand and came out once that day. I haven’t seen it since. It’s not dead anywhere, that I know of. My question is how long can they stay hidden before I have to start worrying that something is wrong? I haven’t went digging as I’ve read that makes things worse. I’m just anxious for him to come out, and a little worried at this point.
Hiding earmuff wrasse
- Thread starter Stephanie85
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Two weeks is not unheard of but quite a long time. If it was a healthy weight to begin with then it should still be ok weight wise.
If they stay in the sand more than a week I would ask a few further questions. Was this a fresh off the boat import or had it been in captivity for a few weeks? I ask this because halichoeres wrasse have an internal body clock that sometimes take a while to adjust, so they essentially feel jet lag.
The other question is what tank mates do you have? This is important because they hide in the sand for protection and if something is harrassing it then it will continually be pushed back into the sand soon after it comes out.
I know it's not a good idea to try and wake them up but I have never had a problem if I gently move my fingers through the sand. If it stays under the sand or you are worried it might no longer be with us, then it's a good last resort but do go gently and be prepared to cr@p yourself if you find it as they startle you quite a bit.
Hope its ok as they are a great wrasse.
If they stay in the sand more than a week I would ask a few further questions. Was this a fresh off the boat import or had it been in captivity for a few weeks? I ask this because halichoeres wrasse have an internal body clock that sometimes take a while to adjust, so they essentially feel jet lag.
The other question is what tank mates do you have? This is important because they hide in the sand for protection and if something is harrassing it then it will continually be pushed back into the sand soon after it comes out.
I know it's not a good idea to try and wake them up but I have never had a problem if I gently move my fingers through the sand. If it stays under the sand or you are worried it might no longer be with us, then it's a good last resort but do go gently and be prepared to cr@p yourself if you find it as they startle you quite a bit.
Hope its ok as they are a great wrasse.
I’ma tempermental coral
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Awe!!! I love earmuffs!!! I’ve advised this before but I’ll post it again and will post any time I see this question asked. I had a Kuiter's Leopard that we thought was hiding for well over a couple weeks. One day out of the corner of his eye my husband caught her out hunting pods. As soon as he started towards the reef, BOOM! She hit the sand so hard it poofed! This went on for MONTHS!!! We finally trapped her with a makeshift pod hotel and transferred her to a friends sump where she lives to this day. I always advise against going through the sand to find them personally but I feel that’s a call you are gonna make on your own regardless. But more often then not I’ve found they will come out snag some food when no one is around and then hit the sand again. Eventually they will start to come out as long as they aren’t being harassed like @mort mentioned.
Thanks guys! She was quarantined for about a month prior to getting her, I’m not sure about before that. She may have possibly been out last night as I have diatoms on the sand and there was a spot that was completely clean and looked mixed up which makes me think she might have hurried into the sand. I do have a prick of a desjardini who has been harassing my pink margin wrasse so wouldn’t surprise me if he’s been chasing the earmuff anytime it comes out. Maybe I’ll put the sailfin in time out in the sump just to give her a chance to come out and at least get a good meal.
I’ma tempermental coral
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Yea if you are seeing fresh patches in the sand she is likely coming out and diving. How old is the tang? My tangs never really bugged my wrasses.
He’s about 4 inches. He tries to boss everyone around. He only continues if they entertain him though. I have a much larger powder blue who will put him in his place if he tries anything with him. And then a much smaller blonde naso who just totally ignores his attempts and the sailfin stops. The pink margin quickly swims away so I think it becomes a chasing game. I have black mollies and clowns who are completely left alone by the sailfin, but he is the jerk of the tank for sure.
If you qt for a month then that will have been plenty of time to get it used to your lighting schedule, so it does sound like something is intimidating it. It can take a wile for fish to settle down so hopefully it gets bolder and begins to come out more soon.
