Aggressive Lubbock's Wrasse

Waters · Jun 17, 2014

Are these known to be aggressive? I have one in a 60g tank with two cardinal fish (Pajama and Banggai) and a Chromis. He pesters the Cardinals constantly but doesn't touch the Chromis. This just started a couple of weeks ago....they used to all get along fine?

eatbreakfast · Jun 18, 2014

They do not have a reputation for being aggressive, but any one specimen can be a behavioral outlier when it comes to actions in an aquarium. If it is not relentless and the cardinals are still out doing their normal thing I wouldnt worry too much. If they are being forced into hiding then you may need to make a decision on which you like more.

Sometimes increased feeding frequency can help dispel aggression, as most aggression is about protecting resources.

Waters · Jun 18, 2014

As of right now, it is just more annoying to them than dangerous. If they end up in front of the Wrasse while he is swimming around, he chases them for a second or two and then goes about his business. When it comes to feedings, everything is normal. Everybody eats and there is no aggression. I guess for now I will leave them be. I have already had to get rid of two fish due to aggression.....those were also fish that were supposed to be pretty docile.

evolved · Jun 18, 2014

eatbreakfast said:
They do not have a reputation for being aggressive, but any one specimen can be a behavioral outlier when it comes to actions in an aquarium. If it is not relentless and the cardinals are still out doing their normal thing I wouldnt worry too much. If they are being forced into hiding then you may need to make a decision on which you like more.

Sometimes increased feeding frequency can help dispel aggression, as most aggression is about protecting resources.

+1 to all of this.

How often do you feed?

Marshall O · Jun 18, 2014

My Lubbocks is my least aggressive fish in my 125. I also suspect something else may be going on, such as feedings, or perhaps it is actually being picked on and is just defending itself.

Waters · Jun 19, 2014

I currently feed once a day....I do feed pretty light also....could this be contributing to the problem? He definately isn't being picked on....he just hates my cardinal fish lol. The chromis follows him all around the tank and never leaves his side....both cardinal fish steer clear of him. I have various fish come and go (dwarf angels were removed due to coral eating) and he was fine with everything but these two cardinals.

eatbreakfast · Jun 19, 2014

Waters said:
I currently feed once a day....I do feed pretty light also....could this be contributing to the problem? He definately isn't being picked on....he just hates my cardinal fish lol. The chromis follows him all around the tank and never leaves his side....both cardinal fish steer clear of him. I have various fish come and go (dwarf angels were removed due to coral eating) and he was fine with everything but these two cardinals.

Yes, this could be a contributing factor. Fairy wrasses, and most reef fish for that matter, do better with multiple small feedings a day. This a function of how they are designed to eat in the wild as their stomach cannot hold that much food and their metabolism burns off their stores. The lubbock is letting the cardinals know that he is bigger and badder than they are and not to get in his way at feeding. Even though the aggression is not during feeding times this can be the case. Think of it in terms of when you are hungry, you can be cranky and aggressive too, but when it is time to eat you are focused on getting food, biut later can focus on the others that are eating your food and are part of the reason you are still hungry.

evolved · Jun 19, 2014

^ +1

Feed ~3 times per day and I'm willing to bet you see a change in behavoir.

mc-cro · Oct 8, 2014

I found this thread searching for agressive lubbocks behaviour. I have had my lubbocks for about a year and half, and he has always been the most dominate of the wrasse in tank, but nothing concerning other just letting others know he's the big cheese.

My wrasse community consists of:
line spot (Paracheilinus lineopunctatus )
Mccoskers ( paracheilinus mccoskeri )
Pink Streaked Wrasse ( Pseudocheilinops ataenia)
White Banded Possum wrasse (Wetmorella albofasciata
Blue Cleaner Wrasse
Lubbocks wrass ( Cirrhilabrus lubbocki )
Yellow coris wrasse

Intersting, I added a small magnificant fox face last week (~3inches). Immediatly the lubbocks started harassing the foxface, although a juvenile, the foxface can handle his own making use of his fins. However, the aggression from the lubbocks seemed to spread, I noticed him starting to chase the line spot and mccoskers more so than usual.

Sometime between 4pm and 8pm yesterday, my mccoskers was killed. I went to do an evening feed and the mccoskers was dead on the sand bed. I watched him eat just fine at the 4pm feeding? then I noticed, my line spot is also missing. Is it possible the lubbocks killed them with his sudden aggression from the foxface?

Waters · Oct 9, 2014

Funny you just brought this thread back...I actually removed the Lubbock's this past weekend. He got more and more aggressive and also started nipping at my LPS (frogspawn and hammer).

mc-cro · Oct 10, 2014

well, I found my missing line spot. he had apparently gotten trapped in his favorite hiding spot while I was doing a little maintenance a couple days ago. last night I noticed a rock had been pushed over, and when I went to pick it up, a lightening fast flash of pale wrasse took off. I only caught a glimpse, but it was enough to recognize.

I also wonder if the dead lubbocks maybe didnt get an accidental fin from the fox face to result in such a quick demise