Thinking of adding a six line wrasse and mandarin

justonwo · Oct 11, 2015

In moving my 90 gallon a few month ago I had some fish casualties. I have a reef tank with a bunch of acropora, stylophora, acans, and other coral. And I have a hippo tang, two Cardinal fish, an anthia, and a royal gramma.

I want to add a mandarin and six line wrasse for their beauty and appetite for the things crawling around my love rock (tons of pods and flatworms). Would there be any compatibility issues?

I don't have a quarantine tank and don't have the time for it, unfortunately. Who is the best seller of fish to help avoid stress and/or diseases?

Oh, and I don't have a cover for my tank. I've heard wrasses can be jumpers. Is the risk THAT big?

Pete polyp · Oct 11, 2015

Unless you plan to supplement with live pods the mandarin will starve.

malira · Oct 11, 2015

justonwo said:
In moving my 90 gallon a few month ago I had some fish casualties. I have a reef tank with a bunch of acropora, stylophora, acans, and other coral. And I have a hippo tang, two Cardinal fish, an anthia, and a royal gramma.

I want to add a mandarin and six line wrasse for their beauty and appetite for the things crawling around my love rock (tons of pods and flatworms). Would there be any compatibility issues?

I don't have a quarantine tank and don't have the time for it, unfortunately. Who is the best seller of fish to help avoid stress and/or diseases?

Oh, and I don't have a cover for my tank. I've heard wrasses can be jumpers. Is the risk THAT big?

I have egg crate/light diffuser covering mine for my wrasse, not a six line. I was cleaning the sand bed and out it went. Luckily I was there, it spent 30 seconds out of the water. When some wrasse get scared they just swim as fast as they can trying to get away.

Emac909 · Oct 11, 2015

Pete polyp said:
Unless you plan to supplement with live pods the mandarin will starve.

I would think it wouldn't b that hard to feed them in a 90. I've got 3 wrasses and 2 mandarins in my 300. And there all fat and health. My female mandarin has even grown fond of eating acro eating flatworms. She's always hunting on the underside of my sps colonies along the side of the 6 Line and 4 line.

Emac909 · Oct 11, 2015

I know 6 lines can be really aggressive. Mine in a model citizen tho. But I got him last and very small. The 6 line and the 4 line are like besties in my tank. There always together (I mean always together). Some times I even think there a pair.

Pete polyp · Oct 11, 2015

Emac909 said:
I would think it wouldn't b that hard to feed them in a 90. I've got 3 wrasses and 2 mandarins in my 300. And there all fat and health. My female mandarin has even grown fond of eating acro eating flatworms. She's always hunting on the underside of my sps colonies along the side of the 6 Line and 4 line.

Is one a six line? I have personally watched a six line starve out a mandarin in a 125. A mandarin and a six line will directly compete for pods. Don't underestimate how much a six line can eat.

Naiad · Oct 11, 2015

I wouldn't recommend the sixline. While every rule has an exception they tend to be agressive and drive out other pod eaters. Mine relentlessly chased my male mandarin. I replaced him with a leopard so it wasn't about lack of food.

JFrar · Oct 11, 2015

ya.. i was considering getting a mandarin(i have a 6 line now)... and if that day comes i will return the 6line to my LFS... the 6line im afraid will out compete the mandarin. i have ~100gallon system 85 gallon display and i would still fear the mandarin getting enough food witha 6line in the tank

brava · Oct 11, 2015

I have a 90 gallon mixed reef I got a mandarin fish he got really skinny and now he's eating Misys shrimp

Reefrookie220 · Oct 11, 2015

I personally avoid six lines with a passion, had one in a 90 and aggression was a HUGE issue. I found myself hoping he'd jump. In the end I tried everything to catch him with out destroying my scape. Fresh bristle worms in a bottle trap finally got him, I'll never own another.

James7733 · Oct 11, 2015

Hmm guess I was lucky. My six line is not aggressive in any way what so ever. I have a 55 gallon with a large maroon an two Clark clowns, a coral beauty, a lawn mower blenny, a sand sifting gobe, two bristle star fish and another gobe whoms name I don't recall and a blue hipo tang.

My six line was the third to last fish to enter and was purchased small. He is now large.

justonwo · Oct 11, 2015

It's sounding like the Mandarin in a much safer bet. I've also been looking at adding another clown to my existing clown (who used to be part of a pair), but that sounds like a high stakes endeavor, too!

Pete polyp · Oct 11, 2015

Adding another clown shouldn't pose a problem. Just be sure you add a juvenile and it should be fine

4FordFamily · Oct 11, 2015

Avoid six line like the plague and mandarin are for very established tanks with tons of pods

FreeEnergyReefer · Nov 8, 2020

I have a 75g w/ a 33g fuge w/ a pair of mandarins and the 6lines in the fuge hes beautiful and I wanna put him in the display soo bad both the mandarins look pregnant and so does the 6line in the fuge. I had him in the display with my male mandarin with no problems then I read all the m.j nightmare stories about 6lines bitting the eyes out of mandarins got scared n put him in the sump I dont supplement pods ever just dose phyto. I know this post is old but if anyone has any advice on putting the 6line in the display lmk. Been looking for the right deal on a 200+g tank to upgrade for a few months no luck

Clownfish_Boy · Nov 8, 2020

I personally would opt for a Carpenter's Flasher or Ruby Finned Fairy Wrasse.

xaflatoonx · Nov 8, 2020

If I could go back and do something differently for my tank. It’s never adding a six line. That guy is an butt hole!

Got him as a baby. Did great. But now goes after my mystery or other wrasses like there is no tomorrow. And problem is. These buggers are smart as heck. The only fish in my 40 or so collection that doesn’t go in the trap box. Lol