Blue Flasher Wrasse bullies my Firefish

[merkmerk73]

This is a follow up to a thread a week ago where I asked for some stocking advice.

I picked up a blue flasher wrasse, and he doesn't really mess with anyone except he'll run off the neon goby (who doesn't care), and he chases off the firefish who spends more of the day hiding now.

There's no damage and the firefish still comes out to eat, but I'm concerned about long term. Returning the wrasse is an option, and a harder option is to stock some females to take his attention.

I wanted a nice peaceful nano style setup with no bullies but despite all the assurances online and elsewhere that these guys are super peaceful, he's kind of a dick.

 

[Tanglover1]

This is a follow up to a thread a week ago where I asked for some stocking advice.

I picked up a blue flasher wrasse, and he doesn't really mess with anyone except he'll run off the neon goby (who doesn't care), and he chases off the firefish who spends more of the day hiding now.

There's no damage and the firefish still comes out to eat, but I'm concerned about long term. Returning the wrasse is an option, and a harder option is to stock some females to take his attention.

I wanted a nice peaceful nano style setup with no bullies but despite all the assurances online and elsewhere that these guys are super peaceful, he's kind of a dick.

My guess is u added filefish with or after wrasse. Filefish r very shy and they should be added before wrasse. U can give it few days because these wrasses r peaceful but sometime they get aggressive.

 

[Tanglover1]

What is the size of your tank? U can try putting it in Acclimation Box

 

[L0L_Z]

I have never heard of this happening. How big is your tank? Its possible its just establishing territory. give it a week or so or, leave it an acclimation box. Or maybe swap it out for something like a possum or a mccoskers

 

[i cant think]

This is a follow up to a thread a week ago where I asked for some stocking advice.

I picked up a blue flasher wrasse, and he doesn't really mess with anyone except he'll run off the neon goby (who doesn't care), and he chases off the firefish who spends more of the day hiding now.

There's no damage and the firefish still comes out to eat, but I'm concerned about long term. Returning the wrasse is an option, and a harder option is to stock some females to take his attention.

I wanted a nice peaceful nano style setup with no bullies but despite all the assurances online and elsewhere that these guys are super peaceful, he's kind of a dick.

By the sounds of it, your tank is less than 4’ long, flashers need 4’ of swim room to be able to truly spread their fins out. And in too small of a tank, any fish can become a bully (Even the most timid Firefish).

 

[L0L_Z]

By the sounds of it, your tank is less than 4’ long, flashers need 4’ of swim room to be able to truly spread their fins out. And in too small of a tank, any fish can become a bully (Even the most timid Firefish).

i feel betrayed, honestly

 

[Steve and his Animals]

I usually consider flasher wrasses to be the fairies' meaner cousins, not that all fairies are particularly well behaved either, but usually they reserve their aggression to other small wrasses. Those flashes being territorial displays don't restrict themselves to conspecifics. And, like I can't think said, it's really about available space with them more than anything. At the store I work, we have a few blues in a 120 with various fairies, a group of leopard wrasses, and a group of blue gudgeons and they are model citizens.

 

[L0L_Z]

I usually consider flasher wrasses to be the fairies' meaner cousins, not that all fairies are particularly well behaved either, but usually they reserve their aggression to other small wrasses. Those flashes being territorial displays don't restrict themselves to conspecifics. And, like I can't think said, it's really about available space with them more than anything. At the store I work, we have a few blues in a 120 with various fairies, a group of leopard wrasses, and a group of blue gudgeons and they are model citizens.

the Cirrhirablus Naokoae i have has nearly killed my prized midas blenny, however that may be due to it being in 20 gallon qt

 

[Steve and his Animals]

the Cirrhirablus Naokoae i have has nearly killed my prized midas blenny, however that may be due to it being in 20 gallon qt

Naoko's are just bullies in general, as far as fairies go. I've dealt with many that just don't like smaller fish, even in bigger tanks.

 

[merkmerk73]

I have a 120 5' long tank.

Small Filefish I have is fine and he doesn't get bullied by anyone.

The flasher just chases off my shy Firefish, and does the same to my Neon.

No damage, but it's making my Firefish hide.

I had thought that fairies and flashers were very peaceful - except to their own kind - is this an anomaly or should I just give up getting a wrasse?

 

[merkmerk73]

Problem solved - blue flasher went from being healthy and eating to dead in about 48 hrs, last meal was 24 hours ago.

Not Velvet, doesn't seem to be flukes. No tank bullies.

Firefish is happy, wallet is not...and fish dying in our care is always sad

 

[Lavey29]

Problem solved - blue flasher went from being healthy and eating to dead in about 48 hrs, last meal was 24 hours ago.

Not Velvet, doesn't seem to be flukes. No tank bullies.

Firefish is happy, wallet is not...and fish dying in our care is always sad

So the reef ganged up and took the bully out of the neighborhood?

 

[merkmerk73]

So the reef ganged up and took the bully out of the neighborhood?

Unlikely, nobody was in the tank to bully him

Something happened in the last 24 hours where he started hiding and breathing heavily, and died last night.

I know he was letting the neon goby 'clean him' which left some patches of scales/mucus missing.

 

[i cant think]

Unlikely, nobody was in the tank to bully him

Something happened in the last 24 hours where he started hiding and breathing heavily, and died last night.

I know he was letting the neon goby 'clean him' which left some patches of scales/mucus missing.

He could have jumped and gained a spinal injury, what size tank was he in?