Melanurus Wrasse In Hiding

[SaltWaterDave]

So I got a Melanurus Wrasse almost 3 weeks ago from Blue Zoo. I acclimated it for a period of 3 hours and then into the tank it went. It immediatly burried itself in the sand. I figured it would be like the Yellow and Purple wrasse and stay hidden for a few days at best. Well I still haven't seen it since that first day and I figured it had died.

Well, today I noticed this huge cloud of sand stir up for no reason. I thought well it's either the Engineer Goby or something else. I got my flashlight and looked under the tank and wouldn't you know it, the Melanurus Wrasse was laying on the glass bottom. I can't believe its still alive. I guess it stays hidden in the rocks and under the sand all day and maybe comes out at night to feed. I think its pretty crazy. Hope it starts to come out in the open more as its quite a striking looking fish.

 

[lps1212]

Yea that might be it I have a friend that has the same issue with certain fish only comin out at night or when moonlights go on go figure

 

[SaltWaterDave]

Well, I hope it starts to get hungry during the day and comes out when I feed. I feed frozed 2x per week and it still never comes out. Guess I've got a good supply of pods and mysis for it to snack on at night.

 

[Saltgator]

I've heard of leopard wrasses doing this too. Something to do with the internal clock. You might have to keep the lights off one day and he might switch back. GL :neutral:

 

[pauls fish room]

we had a leopard wrasse do that ,it was about a month ,not sing of it ,then one night 2:30 am just a quick look at tank and it is up and about .So for the next six months we just saw it at night.Then day after day it came out of sand in the morning, first 10:00 am then 11:00,and then up at 8:00 am with the rest of the fish. Real cool ,thats why I love Leopard wrasses now have three of them.

 

[philjust]

I just bought one yesterday at 5pm , it stayed out until the lights turned off at 11pm. The only problem i had is my purple tang was chasing it.

 

[xmetalfan99]

Mine is out and about all day long since the second I put him in the tank.

 

[swannyson7]

I've heard of leopard wrasses doing this too. Something to do with the internal clock. You might have to keep the lights off one day and he might switch back. GL :neutral:

+1
I'd keep the lights off for a couple days and see if he starts coming out with the lights on once you restart your light cycle. If he's alive after 3 weeks then he has to be coming out to feed as some point, so he's probably a night owl for the time being

 

[SaltWaterDave]

Thanks guys! I'll try keeping the lights off over the weekend and see what happens. I know its still alive as of last night. I saw another quick puff of stirred up sand and then I looked under the glass and there he was burried in the sand.

 

[tqpolo]

I wouldn't be too worry. The Melanurus is a quite hardy easy fish to keep.

 

[FishScale]

Mine stays out....they are such good looking fish

 

[SaltWaterDave]

Well, the melanurus is no more. I saw it dead behind the rocks last night with nassarius snails and bristle worms eating away.

 

[Lytehouse]

sorry man,

any ideas what happened?

I have a couple and love them.

 

[SaltWaterDave]

My guess is it starved. It would never come out when the lights were on. I only saw flashes of it here and there since I got it. I assumed it was coming out at night and eating pods, but I guess I was wrong.

 

[MPS]

So I got a Melanurus Wrasse almost 3 weeks ago from Blue Zoo. I acclimated it for a period of 3 hours and then into the tank it went. It immediatly burried itself in the sand. I figured it would be like the Yellow and Purple wrasse and stay hidden for a few days at best. Well I still haven't seen it since that first day and I figured it had died.

Well, today I noticed this huge cloud of sand stir up for no reason. I thought well it's either the Engineer Goby or something else. I got my flashlight and looked under the tank and wouldn't you know it, the Melanurus Wrasse was laying on the glass bottom. I can't believe its still alive. I guess it stays hidden in the rocks and under the sand all day and maybe comes out at night to feed. I think its pretty crazy. Hope it starts to come out in the open more as its quite a striking looking fish.

I just posted something to this affect. Mine was in the tank for four days and being very active during the day. Then, it disappeared. Its been three days with no trace. I'm hoping that mine did the same. He's gonna have to come out to eat eventually, right.?.?

 

[Jesterrace]

Sorry to hear you lost it, although I have heard mixed things about Bluezoo. My juvie Melanurus gets up between 8-9AM before the tank lights go on and goes to bed about 8PM about an hour after the tank lights go out.

 

[MPS]

I guess mine ends on a happier note. He came out yesterday, happy and healthy. Being a new fish “parent” I’m a little paranoid.