Wrasse just playing dead or actually sick?

[1MCp]

Hey all been a while since Ive been posting here.

I had just recently gotten a yellow coriss wrasse. It's been in the tank about 2 weeks now. The tank itself has been running for 1 year and 3 months.

Past few days I've noticed the wrasse (during when the lights not on yet) lying on its side and being slouchy around the bottom of the tank, not in a corner or crevice like you think it would.

But then about 30 min after lights on its fine and dandy swimming around and chasing after food.

Basically asking if anyone has experience where the wrasse "plays dead" and then all fine?

 

[Maggie321]

Mine crams into a tiny hole in the rock at night. I have heard of them sleeping under the sand too. Most wrasse have strange, strange behaviors.

 

[cmcoker]

That's a sand burrowing species, do you have sand? What type? How deep?

If no sand, you need some. It can be a small dish of sand somewhere

 

[savetheocean]

Fish do weird things at night.

 

[4FordFamily]

Any abrubpt change in behavior may be concerning -- I'd keep an eye on the fish.

Wrasse often behave strangely at night until they emerge from the sand (those that are sand burrowers such as your halichoeres)

 

[Flippers4pups]

That's a sand burrowing species, do you have sand? What type? How deep?

If no sand, you need some. It can be a small dish of sand somewhere

Exactly ^. What other fish do you have with it? Does it eat? Does it burrow into the sand to sleep? What is described isn't normal behavior.

 

[1MCp]

That's a sand burrowing species, do you have sand? What type? How deep?

If no sand, you need some. It can be a small dish of sand somewhere

I have about 2 inch in shallow areas but some areas will have up to 4 inch of sand.

 

[1MCp]

Exactly ^. What other fish do you have with it? Does it eat? Does it burrow into the sand to sleep? What is described isn't normal behavior.

I have yet to see it burrow itself into sand, when the sun is up but light isn't on I will see his mouth peeking out between a rock sometimes. Other times I just see him lying leaning on a wall or rock not directly in the wide open, but not exactly hidden either. It lives with 2 clownfish who don't seem bothered by it and a banggai who is just chilling in a corner by itself.

During feeding time when I stop the fan it knows and hovers in the general area I usually put food in. First pipette of food he is eager and peck at the food. As soon as he's done with the first round he just doesn't seem as interested in eating.

After feeding I will see him swim around and peck at rocks to pull out food and eat.

I wanted to see if the whole sleeping in the semi open area was normal.

 

[cmcoker]

What size sand? Hunters article references 2 to 4 Mm as appropriate, but more rubble types are not..

 

[1MCp]

What size sand? Hunters article references 2 to 4 Mm as appropriate, but more rubble types are not..

I'm not entirely sure, but my sand sifting Goby when I had him, used to be able to go through easily while sifting.

 

[zuri]

My hovens burys at night but wakes early as I run a reverse light schedule lights on 6 p.m. He comes out at 3p.m aswell I often find him sleeping by my clowns with his nose buried in a large mushroom. He does not appreciate my phones flashlight hehe I was scared!!

 

[1MCp]

Just in case anyone is curious. It's been several days of close watching it seems like this is just something they do. The wrasse still eating well and swimming and pecking at rocks all day, it might be that I have my lights off til about 5pm Becuase of my work schedule and I want to make the most of it. But two nights in a row I seen the wrasse burrow to sleep and then do this slouch sleeping thing till the lights come on.

 

[1MCp]

This is him today!