Wrasse Problems

tcreeftank · May 17, 2012

So my 6 line wrasse will not leave my clown fairy wrasse alone. The clown fairy wrasse has gone into hiding and only comes out during feeding time. The 6 line was added recently from my other tank and was the last one in this tank. All of the other fish were already in there and getting along just fine. Any suggestions/ideas?

Dowtish · May 17, 2012

get rid of the sixline...

revhtree · May 17, 2012

Try the mirror trick. It has worked for me.

Place a large mirror up to the tank so the sixline will think there is another one of him in there. Do this for a while and this could help with the aggression towards the other fish.

btkrausen · May 17, 2012

Dowtish said:
get rid of the sixline...

I second this. Sixline will likely bother any other type of wrasse you put in the tank. Careful though, clown fairy wrasses aren't the most passive fish either.

tcreeftank · May 17, 2012

I really dont want to get rid of the sixline, he has been with us for such a long time and has always been good. I will try the mirror trick and see what happens.

btkrausen · May 17, 2012

tcreeftank said:
I really dont want to get rid of the sixline, he has been with us for such a long time and has always been good. I will try the mirror trick and see what happens.

Then get rid of the clown fairy wrasse and don't add any other wrasses

Its gotta be one or the other...the sixline, even with the mirror trick, will likely pester the clown fairy until you remove one of the two.

evolved · May 17, 2012

btkrausen said:
Then get rid of the clown fairy wrasse and don't add any other wrasses Its gotta be one or the other...the sixline, even with the mirror trick, will likely pester the clown fairy until you remove one of the two.

Entirely agree here. If you take no action, the sixline will eventually be the demise of the clown fairy, as he'll die from stress/starvation.

Dowtish · May 17, 2012

If you don't want to get rid of the sixline, it will get rid of your clown wrasse. We are not trying to be abrasive here, just stating the facts of compatibility.

Mike&Terry · May 17, 2012

I sincerely hope the mirror trick works for you. I would suggest moving the mirror around the tank after a day or so as fish tend to get used to it.

While there may be a rare exception here and there, Sixline's do not tolerate other wrasses. If the Sixline continues the aggression, I would remove the fairy wrasse. Otherwise, the Sixline will continue to torment the other fish and will more than likely kill it.

-Terry