something disturbing!!

[rlman41299]

what i am about to post might be disturbing to some of you.
yesterday morning as i got up and checked the tank, i noticed that one of my flasher wrasse is missing and eye. Yes an eye, like someone took out his left eye. This tank has been running for 3+ years and have not added anything to it for months now so a mantis shrimp is not thought of. He is housed with a couple of wrasse, a yellow tang and a trio of Maldives anthias and they all get along well for the past year. Today i have noticed that my male anthias and my male velvet wrasse are all spooked and would not even come out and eat. just hiding under a rock or staying out of sight from someone.

 

[rlman41299]

 

[evolved]

First, that is a Cirrhilabrus filamentosus; a Whip-fin Fairy Wrasse (not a flasher).

What are all of the tankmates?

You mention a velvet wrasse; if that's C. rubrisquamis I'd say it's quite likely these two are fighting. Both are quite aggressive for the Cirrhilabrus genus; I wouldn't expect them to tolerate another.

 

[rlman41299]

This is my velvet wrasse and now he is spooked too. Like something is scaring them. They were both added to the tank about a year ago and got along pretty well. They was no visible aggression towards each other.

 

[evolved]

What you're describing certainly sounds like aggression.

Again, what are all the tankmates?

 

[rlman41299]

Trio maldives anthias, yellow tang, black leopard, blue star, leopard, flame wrasse all have been in tank for 1+ years with no aggression towards each other.

 

[evolved]

Aggression typically comes with age.

The tang may be suspect.

 

[rlman41299]

Wow really? I have to watch them closely then. The fairy is much bigger than my yellow tang tho. Tang is only about 1 1/4 small very small for a tang

 

[evolved]

Then perhaps not the Tang.

Regardless, there's likely an aggressor in the bunch.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Oh yea, I agree, someone is in there going after the othes, and if you don't find it soon, the others will stop eating, and this will not end well.

 

[rlman41299]

Finally i found who is the culprit after staring at the tank for more than 2 hours. lol
i have had this royal gramma for sometime now, he was so small when i got him (less than and inch) and usually he is the one being bullied around by everyone and never goes out of his spot and i thought i have lost him months ago for i never see him anymore. today, i saw him and he has grown to a huge one. maybe 3" long and he took over my velvet wrasses spot. i even saw him took a bit at my female anthias but the anthias fend him off. now my problem is, his new spot is out of my reach so i will try to put up a trap for him. i guess he has had enough of all the crap they are giving him and now it's payback for him.
now i have to figure out how to get him out of there.

 

[Marshall O]

Unfortunately, this is rather typical behavior for a RG. You may have luck waiting until it goes to sleep and catching it then. They usually sleep upside down under an overhang. Otherwise a trap is your next best bet.