Lineatus Fairy Wrasse keeps knocking himself out.

[Andrew Schubert]

Has anyone had this problem with their wrasse. He was always doing just fine, and still seems fine when he's not knocked out laying 'dead' on the bottom of the tank.

Anyways, for the third time in 3 weeks (2nd time in past 2 days) my Lineatus wrasse freaked out bolted around the tank and knocked himself out. To make things worse, every time he does it, my flame angel and damsels go after him.

Yesterday I could understand it as I was in the tank taking Par readings and that startled him. Today he swam around the corner of the tank right as I walked by and it freaked him out.

The only time I've ever seen fish harass him is when he's knocked out. So I don't get why he gets so scared. He doesn't ever seem stressed until Bam! He's down for the count.

The other 99% of the time he's swimming around right in th

e center of the tank. Including right now which is just 5 minutes after him coming back to it.

 

[Oscaror]

Has anyone had this problem with their wrasse. He was always doing just fine, and still seems fine when he's not knocked out laying 'dead' on the bottom of the tank.

Anyways, for the third time in 3 weeks (2nd time in past 2 days) my Lineatus wrasse freaked out bolted around the tank and knocked himself out. To make things worse, every time he does it, my flame angel and damsels go after him.

Yesterday I could understand it as I was in the tank taking Par readings and that startled him. Today he swam around the corner of the tank right as I walked by and it freaked him out.

The only time I've ever seen fish harass him is when he's knocked out. So I don't get why he gets so scared. He doesn't ever seem stressed until Bam! He's down for the count.

The other 99% of the time he's swimming around right in th

e center of the tank. Including right now which is just 5 minutes after him coming back to it.

Wait so he just swims into the glass and goes unconscious? #reefsquad

 

[4FordFamily]

Wait so he just swims into the glass and goes unconscious? #reefsquad

I’ve never seen that behavior, although lineatus (and really most fairy wrasse) are quite flighty so the darting and injury is not uncommon— have never seen it manifest in that way however.

 

[Andrew Schubert]

Pretty much. The first two times I heard a loud splash and thud. He must've tried jumping out and knocked himself out on the tank top. This time he literally swam around the corner of a rock right when I walked by and started dashing and doing sumersaults in the tank before finally turning on his side and sinking to the bottom motionless for about 3 minutes. He look as dead as you can be when he does this.

 

[Andrew Schubert]

I’ve never seen that behavior, although lineatus (and really most fairy wrasse) are quite flighty so the darting and injury is not uncommon— have never seen it manifest in that way however.

I also have a Fairy wrasse that is like 1/4 his size and he's never done anything close to that. Sometimes if I'm playing with the lights and make quick change to the lights he'll get startled and sink to the bottom and look real pale, but never knocked himself out like this...lol

 

[rkpetersen]

The Lineatus Fairy Wrasse is by far the most nervous fish I've kept. Granted, I've not kept that many other wrasses, but wow this guy was anxious. Now, this was in a Reefer 450, which is perhaps slightly too small for this fish. In any case, he jumped out of the tank once before I got a lid, and 3 times after I got a lid but it was off while I was doing maintenance or adding new corals. Each time, I managed to save him and get him back in the water in time, although two of those times he landed on the floor amongst tubes and cords at the exact center back of the tank. With about 5" of clearance to the wall it was sure fun straining to reach and grab hold of his slimy self before his time expired, literally. I got so anxious about taking the lid off the tank, I couldn't leave the room. I even made and installed a fine mesh net between the back of the tank and the wall, with magnets. I thought I had it covered. But even so, months later, I found him on the floor, somehow managed to fly up through a small feeding hole which I had left open overnight.

Sometimes, before his final leap, he'd get startled and pop up, hitting the lid. So nervous. Fortunately the plastic mesh would give and he never seemed the worse for wear from that.

 

[tdileo]

Agree that Lineatus is the most anxious fish I’ve kept. I’ve owned quite a few other wrasses and they act nothing like my Lineatus did. Some will even come up and eat right out of my hand.
My Lineatus was scared so bad by a door in the room of the tank closing about 2 weeks after I bought him that he jumped into my glass lid so hard that he must have damage his spine. After that he could no longer swim and over the course of about 3 weeks slowly withered away from not eating. It was heartbreaking to watch a fish that was so expensive, healthy, and eating like a pig die so slowly. I even moved him to my refugium in hopes that being away from other fish and low flow would help recovery, but I feel like it only prolonged his death.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Wow! A technical knock-out in the 3rd round... by his OWN punch. That’s wild! ;Woot

 

[ca1ore]

Fairy wrasses in general will swim full speed into the container wall if spooked. I’ve never had one knock itself out, but have had them incur spinal injuries and have to be euthanized. Key is to try not to spook them.

 

[saltyhog]

How long have you had him? The only wrasse I've had that was more flighty is every C. isoscoles ever born.

He should settle down eventually. If not I'd be concerned he's being harassed by someone in the tank. You've been lucky so far that he hasn't had a spinal injury.

 

[Andrew Schubert]

I've had him 3 months or so.

 

[Victoria M]

I am sorry your fish is a flighty nut job...snicker... I am sorry. I literally lol'd at this.

 

[nereefpat]

I agree that a mesh lid would be easier on his noggin.

Hopefully he settles down for you.

 

[Andrew Schubert]

I agree that a mesh lid would be easier on his noggin.

Hopefully he settles down for you.

I have an acrylic tank. So half the top is covered already. The acrylic lids are pretty light, so they would give more then a glass lid at least. How does a mesh top effect lighting. I would think it would cast a 'mesh-like' shadow over the tank...no? Maybe be something to look into as I deal with my tank getting a little too hot during the summer months. Maybe removing the acrylic lids and replacing with mesh may help release some of the heat from the tank.

 

[mattzang]

Fairy wrasses in general will swim full speed into the container wall if spooked. I’ve never had one knock itself out, but have had them incur spinal injuries and have to be euthanized. Key is to try not to spook them.

is this kind of why they need a bigger aquarium even though they're sometimes fairly smallish?

i was wondering why you'd need 70-90 gallons for a 3" fish, but this makes a lot of sense

 

[Tamberav]

I have an acrylic tank. So half the top is covered already. The acrylic lids are pretty light, so they would give more then a glass lid at least. How does a mesh top effect lighting. I would think it would cast a 'mesh-like' shadow over the tank...no? Maybe be something to look into as I deal with my tank getting a little too hot during the summer months. Maybe removing the acrylic lids and replacing with mesh may help release some of the heat from the tank.

Since no condensation...lighting should improve with netting. No shadowing or mesh lines...net simply isn't thick enough to effect light like that. I use the brs clear netting 1/4 inch holes.

 

[Labridaedicted]

My lineatus used to do something similar. I've found them to be skittish as far as fairy wrasses go, and they have a tendency to startle and dart. Mine was prone to darting up and actually had a huge wound on his head twice from jumping into the braces. Never saw mine unconscious, but I'm sure it was possible that it happened but I just missed it.

 

[nereefpat]

I have an acrylic tank. So half the top is covered already. The acrylic lids are pretty light, so they would give more then a glass lid at least. How does a mesh top effect lighting. I would think it would cast a 'mesh-like' shadow over the tank...no? Maybe be something to look into as I deal with my tank getting a little too hot during the summer months. Maybe removing the acrylic lids and replacing with mesh may help release some of the heat from the tank.

I haven't tested with a PAR meter, but the 1/4" BRS mesh seems to let almost all light through. I don't see any shadows with mine, but I have T5 lights.

Mesh would definitely be better for gas and heat exchange than a glass/acrylic top.

 

[rkpetersen]

I have an acrylic tank. So half the top is covered already. The acrylic lids are pretty light, so they would give more then a glass lid at least. How does a mesh top effect lighting. I would think it would cast a 'mesh-like' shadow over the tank...no? Maybe be something to look into as I deal with my tank getting a little too hot during the summer months. Maybe removing the acrylic lids and replacing with mesh may help release some of the heat from the tank.

Talking about the Clearview lids made by Artfully Acrylic. No direct shadowing from the mesh at all, less light intensity reduction than a solid glass or acrylic lid, and keeps the tank much cooler. If it still gets a bit warm in the summer, it's easy to have a fan blow across the water surface right through the lid.

 

[ca1ore]

I never put a meter on it, but the BRS netting reflected quite a bit of light back up to the ceiling, which annoyed me to no end. I now use 1/4” cicadia netting with much thinner, black strands. Vastly superior.