Redline Wrasse Stressed?

HumuhumuFan · Dec 23, 2019

I have a 75 gallon tank with a 2.5" rectangulus trigger and a 3" red-lined wrasse. Until last week, there was also a 3" yellow tang in the tank. All three of them used to get a long fine with only a half-hearted chase from the trigger or some tail-wagging from the tang if there was traffic near the nori clip with neither paying attention to the wrasse. I've been battling GHA for a while in that tank and recently tried a product called PhosphateRX at the dose recommended on the bottle. The next morning my yellow tang was dead. I could make a whole post about that but I have more immediate concerns.

I assumed the wrasse died also because I didn't see it for a week. Knowing wrasses I added an automatic feeder in case he was coming out while I was at work. Lo and behold this past Friday he appeared at around 1PM. He looked a little thin and very nervous, for lack of a better word. The trigger chased him after I added food (no contact was made, the trigger stopped a few inches short) and the wrasse disappeared into the sand.

He was back out today at around the same time so I fed the tank, and this time I saw no aggression whatsoever but the wrasse still looks very stressed. Sorry the photo is so bad but he's staying mostly motionless in this position in the corner of the tank.

Even though I've only seen the one sort-of charge, I don't really have any other ideas as to what can be causing this so I'm stuck at aggression from the trigger. Anyone have any other ideas?

GoldeneyeRet · Dec 23, 2019

What redlined wrasse? H.biocellatus? That's a small wrasse and is probably terrified of being eaten. I would think it's very stressed and will continue to hide until it dies.

HumuhumuFan · Dec 23, 2019

GoldeneyeRet said:
What redlined wrasse? H.biocellatus? That's a small wrasse and is probably terrified of being eaten. I would think it's very stressed and will continue to hide until it dies.

It is an H. bicellatus. I was trying to find a replacement for my Melanurus Wrasse and it was labelled as a "Christmas Wrasse" which I took to mean it has H. ornatissumus. It is roughly the same size as the trigger but I realize biocellatus is a much more gentle fish than the other two I mentioned. Before the tang died all 3 got along fine, but maybe with the tang gone the wrasse feels targeted.

I guess I'll try to catch him and move him to my 20g long reef until I can figure out what to do with him.

HumuhumuFan · Dec 24, 2019

I removed him from the trigger's tank. I know digging in the sand is not recommended because of the stress but I decided I couldn't wait since he hadn't come out when he did yesterday. It actually wasn't that bad, got him on the second try without totally trashing the tank.