Melanarus Wrasse who... really loves sand?

Green star · May 31, 2019

This is a follow up to my previous post, in which I detailed the story of how I bought a Melanarus Wrasse who I hadn't seen for a week due to his burrowing under the substrate until I saw his moving tail poking out from under the sand. When he is under the sand, he is completely covered. At the fish store he looked normal. Now it has been over two weeks and I've only seen him on one occasion, in which he just had his head sticking out of the sand. He was breathing, and when I poked him on the snout to see if he was responsive, he didn't react at all. I tried moving him and only then did he swim away. If he's lived over 2 weeks without coming out for feedings, he must be eating something down there. Anyone have a better explanation than 'he just likes the sand?' I will post a low quality photo of the head sticking out of sand encounter in a minute.

Oscaror · May 31, 2019

Green star said:
This is a follow up to my previous post, in which I detailed the story of how I bought a Melanarus Wrasse who I hadn't seen for a week due to his burrowing under the substrate until I saw his moving tail poking out from under the sand. When he is under the sand, he is completely covered. At the fish store he looked normal. Now it has been over two weeks and I've only seen him on one occasion, in which he just had his head sticking out of the sand. He was breathing, and when I poked him on the snout to see if he was responsive, he didn't react at all. I tried moving him and only then did he swim away. If he's lived over 2 weeks without coming out for feedings, he must be eating something down there. Anyone have a better explanation than 'he just likes the sand?' I will post a low quality photo of the head sticking out of sand encounter in a minute.

I wouldn't suggest poking or moving him. From what I know wrasses can take a very long time to come out of the sand and explore a new system. Some starve, so don't bug him because it will make him more fearful.

redfishbluefish · May 31, 2019

Agree....leave him be. Mine took about a week before he was comfortable coming out of the sand. Once he did, he quickly settled in, only disappearing at night when he dove under the sand to sleep.

OrionN · May 31, 2019

The more you disturb him, the longer he stay in the sand. He will come out when he is comfortable. Initially he may com out a little to eat. Early AM or late evening to hunt. Try to look and try to feed him if you see him come up.

Jesterrace · May 31, 2019

Yup, never disturb a wrasse unless you have to transfer it to another tank. It will only add stress to it. There are reports of Wrasses staying buried for 3-4 weeks and then coming out on a daily basis as if nothing ever happened.

calvertc425 · May 31, 2019

my melanarus wrasse has a weird sleep pattern and after noyt seeing him for the first 2 weeks he started waking up 2m hours after tank lights comes on and swims around eating everything in sight and then goes t osleep about 6 hours later way before lights out lol. they are great fish but seem to have there own shcedule haha

JumboShrimp · May 31, 2019

Years ago I had a small bright yellow wrasse that disappeared. Poof. Searched the carpet, searched the filtration system. Nothing. After 3 weeks I had convinced myself that a clean-up crew had carted off his remains, until one morning I awoke and there he was, swimming like he had never put me through all that (lol). I agree with the others-- let him stay buried and 'do his thing.'

Green star · Jun 1, 2019

redfishbluefish said:
Agree....leave him be. Mine took about a week before he was comfortable coming out of the sand. Once he did, he quickly settled in, only disappearing at night when he dove under the sand to sleep.

I thought it would be about a normal acclimation period as well, but it's nearly been a month. I've been watching carefully during feedings and I haven't seen him come out to eat before the food is gone for the last week. I hope he's finding something to eat down there.

Green star · Jun 1, 2019

Oscaror said:
I wouldn't suggest poking or moving him. From what I know wrasses can take a very long time to come out of the sand and explore a new system. Some starve, so don't bug him because it will make him more fearful.

I wouldn't have, except I though he was dead or almost there. The only indication that he was alive was the slight movement of his gills. He sat without moving even his mouth for nearly an hour, staring blankly into the light. I even saw a snail bump into him. If I see him I'm not planning on touching him again now that I know he's still somewhat healthy, but that's if I see him. There's nobody aggressive in the tank. Once he gets over my touching him he should be fine in terms of fear. I have the lights on low and he's the largest and most aggressive rated fish in there.

Green star · Jun 1, 2019

OrionN said:
The more you disturb him, the longer he stay in the sand. He will come out when he is comfortable. Initially he may com out a little to eat. Early AM or late evening to hunt. Try to look and try to feed him if you see him come up.

I understand. He just looked near-dead when I touched him. I wanted to make sure I wasn't leaving extra nitrates sitting around. I only saw him eating once on the second day and even after I closely monitor the sandbed I haven't seen him eating since. I will definitely try feeding him.

Green star · Jun 1, 2019

calvertc425 said:
my melanarus wrasse has a weird sleep pattern and after noyt seeing him for the first 2 weeks he started waking up 2m hours after tank lights comes on and swims around eating everything in sight and then goes t osleep about 6 hours later way before lights out lol. they are great fish but seem to have there own shcedule haha

That actually would make a lot of sense. I'm still in school, so I feed them in the morning an hour after the light turns on and in the afternoon a few hours before it turns off. I'm on break now, so I'll keep an eye out for him.

Green star · Jun 1, 2019

Jesterrace said:
Yup, never disturb a wrasse unless you have to transfer it to another tank. It will only add stress to it. There are reports of Wrasses staying buried for 3-4 weeks and then coming out on a daily basis as if nothing ever happened.

That's reassuring. I mentioned it to the shop I bought him from and they said he did not respond this way when they acclimated him. They have very bright lighting and large tankmates. I only touched him because he looked close to dead.

Green star · Jun 1, 2019

JumboShrimp said:
Years ago I had a small bright yellow wrasse that disappeared. Poof. Searched the carpet, searched the filtration system. Nothing. After 3 weeks I had convinced myself that a clean-up crew had carted off his remains, until one morning I awoke and there he was, swimming like he had never put me through all that (lol). I agree with the others-- let him stay buried and 'do his thing.'

I've had that experience too. Small miracles. It's possible that he is eating my Bristleworms. I take out all of the big ones but quite a few smaller ones lurk around the sandbed at night. Hopefully he's making up for lost feeding time on those.