Does the yellow coris wrasse require sand like the other wrasses?

[Parsec]

Curious about your experiences with yellow coris wrasses. Of all the wrasses i have had he is the only one who doesn't bury in the sand. Never once.
Now some googling shows that some people's seem to. What is your experience?
I am considering him for my frag tank to control some flatworms but i do not keep sand in the frag tank. There is however a ton of live rock and places to hide.

 

[Salty1962]

That's very unusual, they are sand boring fish. How coarse is your sand bed? It may be too coarse and that's why he isn't sleeping in your sand bed. You need a 2-3" fine sand, at least 1.0~1.25mm, bed for them to hide in.

 

[Cherub]

Mine has buried itself for days... I thought it died once but showed up again.

 

[Parsec]

I have a pretty deep sand bed, about three/four inches. And it is very fine. We wanted to avoid course sand so they would have somewhere to sleep. Donno....maybe hes just a weirdo.

 

[eatbreakfast]

That is odd as they are a sand burying species.

 

[ngoodermuth]

I would at least still offer a sand bed for him, a glass dish or someone recommended a reptile water dish which I thought might be a neat idea.

 

[Bluecbs]

...you might be having a juve or female banana wrasse.....

 

[ngoodermuth]

...you might be having a juve or female banana wrasse.....

Hmm interesting...

OP, can you post a picture of your wrasse?

 

[Parsec]

I would love to but hes near impossible to photograph.
He has the wrasse shape like the leopard, only a little more sleek. And he has a little black circle on his dorsal fin, like an eye.
The only thing I can think of is he has to be burying very late when i dont see it. I think i will refrain from moving him to the frag tank, he seems happy enough.

 

[4FordFamily]

I would love to but hes near impossible to photograph.
He has the wrasse shape like the leopard, only a little more sleek. And he has a little black circle on his dorsal fin, like an eye.
The only thing I can think of is he has to be burying very late when i dont see it. I think i will refrain from moving him to the frag tank, he seems happy enough.

That's definitely the halichoeres yellow "coris" wrasse (not a coris at all). But not a juvenile or female banana wrasse. That was however a good thought.

Indeed, they do sleep in the sand. I've seen a few of them sleep under rock ledges if wedged well, but it is strange that it doesn't want to burrow in the sand as they are, as said, sand-burrowing wrasse.

 

[ngoodermuth]

I would love to but hes near impossible to photograph.
He has the wrasse shape like the leopard, only a little more sleek. And he has a little black circle on his dorsal fin, like an eye.
The only thing I can think of is he has to be burying very late when i dont see it. I think i will refrain from moving him to the frag tank, he seems happy enough.

That's a juvi h. chrysus for sure then, it is weird if he's not taking to the sand. Hopefully, he's just being quirky and not ill.

Keep a look out for any of these symptoms, just in case:

Fish disease diagnostic check-list

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/Fish-disease-diagnostic-check-list.306975/

 

[Parsec]

He has no symptoms. Heh as been in the tank for almost a year now. He eats, he kinda riles up the other fish sometimes, and hes curious about new stuff.

 

[eatbreakfast]

He is probably burying at a later time.