Sixline wrasse tank mate recommendations

Rottinggore · Sep 19, 2017

jwwoodjr said:
I've had a six line in a 28 gallon AIO for over a year with two clown fish. Over the last few months I've added and removed a bicolor Blenny and than added a watchman goby. He could care less about the blenny and goby.

I got a clownfish in a 10g I might throw in there and see how it goes

fort wenty · Sep 19, 2017

I've got a 6 line in a 20G Nuvo and so far its been a great tank mate. Have not seen any aggression towards inverts or the clown fish. They swim together all the time and its nice seeing them "play" together.

Did I get lucky or do they develop into nasty little jerk later down the line?

4FordFamily · Sep 19, 2017

eatbreakfast said:
Orcs, urakai, cave trolls and balrogs would make excellent tankmates for this spawn of Satan type fish.

Seriously, though a maroon is too big for a 25g tank. Hawkfish may be ok.

Could not have said it better. This is an evil fish that you will grow to hate later!

Tennsquire · Sep 19, 2017

My 6-line is in a 75 reef with a pair of maroon clowns. He picks on a subsequently added pygmy angel, which has started picking back at the wrasse. Nothing major though....

Water Dog · Sep 19, 2017

Like I said earlier, mine was a model citizen at first. 2 months later he bullied a fire fish and a banggai to death and started going after my clown pair. It was only 1-1/2" and was the last addition to the tank... It's only a matter of time before it turns into pure evil!

fishbox · Sep 19, 2017

I started out with a 29g. 1st fish was a pair of clowns. Then the 6 line wrasse. Followed by an Engineer goby. At first he bullied the clowns a tad but never bothered the Engineer goby. Whenever I seen it happen I would go up to the tank and make a sudden movement to break them up. After a while he calmed down. Now he's buddy buddy with the clowns. They're consistently hanging out with each other and checking out what the other is doing. Previously the clowns kinda stayed in the area of one rock but now they'll cruise the whole tank to see what the 6 line is up to. About a month ago I upgraded to a 40 breeder and added a copperband butterfly but nothing's changed with them three. After a year-and-a-half they are still buddy-buddy

fishbox · Sep 19, 2017

I should mention that I was a student who spent a lot of study time right next to this tank and was able to catch the bullying when it happened

4FordFamily · Sep 19, 2017

fishbox said:
I should mention that I was a student who spent a lot of study time right next to this tank and was able to catch the bullying when it happened

Give it time. Unfortunately, I've seen sixline bully and stress tangs 5x their size to death.

There are always exceptions, but I'd not risk a sixline under any circumstance.

fishbox · Sep 19, 2017

4FordFamily said:
Give it time. Unfortunately, I've seen sixline bully and stress tangs 5x their size to death.

There are always exceptions, but I'd not risk a sixline under any circumstance.

I always appreciate the experiences of others on this forum. And this is one fish that I pay very close attention to because of those warnings. I'm no longer a student and can't babysit them all day long like I used to. So trust me when I say if you start showing aggression again he'll have to go. But I'm also the same hard headed guy who believes in the exception and likes to take a risk LOL

Pork · Sep 23, 2017

eatbreakfast said:
Not always true. I've had sixlines go after newly added tangs and angels, other wrasses larger than them, anthias larger than them, basslets larger than them, and tilefish larger than themselves.

Hence the "usually" part

eatbreakfast · Sep 23, 2017

Pork said:
Hence the "usually" part

When using terms like "usual" and "in most cases" regarding sixlines, what happens usually and in most cases is they become territorial and aggressive, not just to fish their size or smaller, but rather to fish newer than them or fish that have been in the tank longer and are more peaceful than the sixline in demeanor.

Orcus Varuna · Sep 23, 2017

If you had a larger tank my usual advice is get a larger wrasse like a melanarus or any halichores and it will calm down. But since you have a 25 I would trade it in at your lfs for a smaller one. Once they are established as the dominant fish they are giant butt heads. You can also try isolating it but ime that doesn't work. Needs a new tank with an established hierarchy.

mort · Sep 24, 2017

Still and always will be one of my favourite fish but I know their limitation which is why I'll always have a nano with just that in there.

It does surprise me the hatred for the species when it's well documented what they are like. I wonder why people always fall into this trap and then moan about it. Personally I'd don't understand why people go at six lines so much but happily add a mental aggressive tang species.

Orcus Varuna · Sep 24, 2017

Just wanted to add if done properly and they are added as one of the last fish to a system with an established dominance hierarchy they are a wonderful fish. I went through a battle with red bugs on a few frags I got in (survived a bayer bath [emoji35][emoji379]) and my sixline aggressively ate them to the point that I havnt seen one in months. But my system has an established H Ornatissmus wrasse, a hybrid vigor large Black Photon Clownfish (the thing is a dang piranha lol), and an old grumpy algae blenny. So the sixline is kept in check and a model citizen.