Need to get a six line wrasse?

[CHSUB]

33 gallon uncovered with established royal Grammy and female purcula clown. Worried about aggression but have a flat worm problem that I believe the wrasse would control. Have read six lines can be aggressive but see mixed reviews. Thoughts?

 

[Savage Henry]

I’m following as I am interested in a six line too, for about the same size tank. The clown will be fine. It’s the royal gramma that might get picked on. Is yours very big? I saw one in an aquarium store display tank that was quite large and appeared to look after itself.

 

[kevgib67]

33 gallon uncovered with established royal Grammy and female purcula clown. Worried about aggression but have a flat worm problem that I believe the wrasse would control. Have read six lines can be aggressive but see mixed reviews. Thoughts?

Hmm, I have read that also and don’t doubt people have had bad experiences but I let you know mine. In 20 years of reefing I have had 3 and have never had that experience, they have all been peaceful. I did have one that was fine with either type of cleaner shrimp but when I added a coral banded shrimp, peppermint shrimp or sexy shrimp, they became food quickly. I currently have one with 2 skunk cleaners, a blood red cleaner and a peppermint shrimp with no problems. I have never seen a flat worm in all those years in my tank. I can’t imagine that I never introduced some, I assume they were quickly eradicated by the sixline.

 

[CHSUB]

I’m following as I am interested in a six line too, for about the same size tank. The clown will be fine. It’s the royal gramma that might get picked on. Is yours very big? I saw one in an aquarium store display tank that was quite large and appeared to look after itself.

Yes, mostly worried about the RG. He seems to hold his own against the clown which makes me think the wrasse won’t be a problem…

 

[kevgib67]

Yes, mostly worried about the RG. He seems to hold his own against the clown which makes me think the wrasse won’t be a problem…

I’ve had a royal gramma with two of the three sixlines with no aggression. I currently have one of each in my tank. I think you will be fine especially adding the wrasse after the royal gramma. Remember, I’m sharing my experience.

 

[Savage Henry]

I’ve had a royal gramma with two of the three sixlines with no aggression. I currently have one of each in my tank. I think you will be fine especially adding the wrasse after the royal gramma. Remember, I’m sharing my experience.

What size tanks were/are they in?

 

[CHSUB]

I’ve had a royal gramma with two of the three sixlines with no aggression. I currently have one of each in my tank. I think you will be fine especially adding the wrasse after the royal gramma. Remember, I’m sharing my experience.

Thanks, and yes I purposely added the RG first thinking that I would add the wrasse later. Actually for two reasons because added some Berghia Nudibranch to control aiptasia and was worried the wrasse might eat them…haha! Need more fish waste because corals are growing so well…thinking “win.win.win”, Michael Scott!

 

[Slocke]

Hold up. There is a wrasse that is almost exactly like a sixline but peaceful. Its a little rarer but obtainable. Pseudocheilinops attaenia, aka the cryptic or pink streak wrasse.

Why risk the aggression when there is a peaceful alternative that is just as good at pest control?

 

[kevgib67]

Thanks, and yes I purposely added the RG first thinking that I would add the wrasse later. Actually for two reasons because added some Berghia Nudibranch to control aiptasia and was worried the wrasse might eat them…haha! Need more fish waste because corals are growing so well…thinking “win.win.win”, Michael Scott!

Best of luck. I added Berghia with a sixline, not sure if it ate any, I would suspect it would but I added them when lights were out and the sixline had went to bed. Since they are nocturnal they were never out when the sixline was. The only time I saw the berghia out when lights were out were after their food source was gone.

 

[Slocke]

I might as well add why sixlines and other “lined” wrasse, Pseudcheilinus, can be aggressive. The vast majority of fish we keep either don't live in the actual reef, or they are drifters. Halichoeres for example, the usual alternative for Pseudocheilinus, live in the bolder fields next to the reef.

Pseudocheilinus, on the other hand, are territorial fish. They stake out a small territory of reef and defend it. Much like a damselfish, they will often chase off any competition. Especially anything that it thinks could steal its food or mates.

Now that doesn't mean everything, it may well not perceive other fish as threats. The issue is if they do, they are equipped to deal with it. They can be little assassins.

What distinguishes Pseudocheilinops (notice the different -ops to -us) is they went for the sneaky approach. Sneak around in the rock crevices rather then pick fights. Very similar otherwise though.

 

[CHSUB]

Hold up. There is a wrasse that is almost exactly like a sixline but peaceful. Its a little rarer but obtainable. Pseudocheilinops attaenia, aka the cryptic or pink streak wrasse.

Why risk the aggression when there is a peaceful alternative that is just as good at pest control?

Looked it up on liveaquria and thanks…however, one reason I chose the six line is many have reported they jump less than most wrasses.

 

[Slocke]

Looked it up on liveaquria and thanks…however, one reason I chose the six line is many have reported they jump less than most wrasses.

Its the exact same for the pink streak. Its just a shy sixline. They stick to the rocks like their sister genus of the Pseudocheilinus

 

[Clowning_Around72]

I think a pink streak wrasse or even a yellow coris wrasse might help without causing aggression issues. You can always remove the wrasse later on and try a six line if you do not like the results.

 

[nick_]

33 gallon uncovered with established royal Grammy and female purcula clown. Worried about aggression but have a flat worm problem that I believe the wrasse would control. Have read six lines can be aggressive but see mixed reviews. Thoughts?

maybe try an ocellated dragonet (synchiropus ocellatus) instead? gorgeous little fish that will also take care of the flatworms, maybe even better than the six line will, and aren't that agressive :)

as slocke suggested, a pink streaked wrasse would also be a good option! they're not really jumpers either

 

[malacoda]

Pink-streaks are great little fish. While most every fish poses some risk of jumping, given the behavior of the pink that I had, I think the odds of one jumping are low.

 

[CHSUB]

I think a pink streak wrasse or even a yellow coris wrasse might help without causing aggression issues. You can always remove the wrasse later on and try a six line if you do not like the results.

Thanks…really like coris; have had in the past and think they control flat worms, however no way in uncovered aquarium.

 

[CHSUB]

maybe try an ocellated dragonet (synchiropus ocellatus) instead? gorgeous little fish that will also take care of the flatworms, maybe even better than the six line will, and aren't that agressive :)

as slocke suggested, a pink streaked wrasse would also be a good option! they're not really jumpers either

Looked it up, thanks….have had the more colorful mandarins in the past, around 2000 and remember it spit out the red flat worms I had at the time and than a few months later died of starvation. Would like to try the one you suggested, but don’t like fish that are difficult to feed. These flatworms are different than the red ones and I believe more palatable to fish…

 

[nick_]

these ones are luckily much easier than most other dragonets, we use them in the store i work at as part of the pest control in the coral tanks, they take frozen and most of them also take pellets, i've seen them devour the same flatworms you have

 

[Savage Henry]

Yellow Coris are one of my favourite fish, but I wouldn’t keep one in a tank that small unless it’s a tiny one and you are able to retrieve it easily to remove later.