Warning: Picture at end may be sensitive for some
I have always been a defender of the six line wrasse. I thought people exaggerated their stories about them. I believed that if any fish showed aggression it would be dismissed as them just sorting it out, but if a six line did the same thing, they would be considered evil. I thought I knew better. I thought I had a nice one. Boy was I wrong. Please learn from my mistakes.
I had my six line for well over a year. He transferred from my 30 long which he wasn't in too long to my 100 which is my current DT. He got along well with everyone including my yellow Coris wrasse. He was definitely the loner of the tank, and liked his rock private, but he never seemed to bother anyone. He picked at the rocks and tiny hard to reach places all day and was a hard worker. I decided to add some more fish to the 100, so as a precaution I thought I would remove him and give him to my friend for his frag tank. Well, he was hard to catch with a bottle so I borrowed a fish trap. No real luck with that either so I figured he has been fine, I will add my female leopard wrasse who is larger than him. Shouldn't be an issue. So I acclimated the leopard wrasse and dropped her in.
What followed was the most insane messs thing I have ever seen in a fish tank. Instantly the six line's fins expanded, his eyes turned bright red and he darted repeatedly for the leopard. He was relentless, chasing the poor fish all over. He tore a fin on the leopard right away... it was just non stop. I finally was able to get the leopard in the fish trap for some safety, but the wrasses continued to attack the trap without rest. Everyone in the tank got stressed, and then the six line started attacking other fish! He went after everyone! I played keep away with a net which he avoided until the lights were off and he went to his rock. The next morning I found the six line dead, squeezed behind the fish trap where he had tried to continue getting the leopard.
Fortunately the leopard is doing fine now and everyone else is settled down and back to normal. The wrasse chose death before dishonor as he refused capture and would stop an nothing to kill the leopard wrasses. This ended poorly. I was hoping to be able to re home the six line and had several people wanting him for frag tanks. I was stubborn and didn't listen to others experiences about six lines. I also should have waited to add the leopard until the six line was caught. I have just never seen anything like that. It was like he totally snapped and went completely psyco. I will never try do a sixtine again unless I use one for a frag system and probably not even then. I am sure people have had success with them, and I was as well for over a year, but that has ended.
Below is a picture of how I found the fella. His rage became his demise.
I have always been a defender of the six line wrasse. I thought people exaggerated their stories about them. I believed that if any fish showed aggression it would be dismissed as them just sorting it out, but if a six line did the same thing, they would be considered evil. I thought I knew better. I thought I had a nice one. Boy was I wrong. Please learn from my mistakes.
I had my six line for well over a year. He transferred from my 30 long which he wasn't in too long to my 100 which is my current DT. He got along well with everyone including my yellow Coris wrasse. He was definitely the loner of the tank, and liked his rock private, but he never seemed to bother anyone. He picked at the rocks and tiny hard to reach places all day and was a hard worker. I decided to add some more fish to the 100, so as a precaution I thought I would remove him and give him to my friend for his frag tank. Well, he was hard to catch with a bottle so I borrowed a fish trap. No real luck with that either so I figured he has been fine, I will add my female leopard wrasse who is larger than him. Shouldn't be an issue. So I acclimated the leopard wrasse and dropped her in.
What followed was the most insane messs thing I have ever seen in a fish tank. Instantly the six line's fins expanded, his eyes turned bright red and he darted repeatedly for the leopard. He was relentless, chasing the poor fish all over. He tore a fin on the leopard right away... it was just non stop. I finally was able to get the leopard in the fish trap for some safety, but the wrasses continued to attack the trap without rest. Everyone in the tank got stressed, and then the six line started attacking other fish! He went after everyone! I played keep away with a net which he avoided until the lights were off and he went to his rock. The next morning I found the six line dead, squeezed behind the fish trap where he had tried to continue getting the leopard.
Fortunately the leopard is doing fine now and everyone else is settled down and back to normal. The wrasse chose death before dishonor as he refused capture and would stop an nothing to kill the leopard wrasses. This ended poorly. I was hoping to be able to re home the six line and had several people wanting him for frag tanks. I was stubborn and didn't listen to others experiences about six lines. I also should have waited to add the leopard until the six line was caught. I have just never seen anything like that. It was like he totally snapped and went completely psyco. I will never try do a sixtine again unless I use one for a frag system and probably not even then. I am sure people have had success with them, and I was as well for over a year, but that has ended.
Below is a picture of how I found the fella. His rage became his demise.