Newbie Mistakes

[painfullycurious88]

I thought the wrasse was just following the tang around, I thought they were friends swimming around.. I didn't recognize aggression, and bullying until it was too late. I lost a beautiful Tang with an amazing personality. No amount of reading, or watching videos prepared me to identify extended bullying. I noticed my tang getting skinny, so I altered my food, and I offered romaine lettuce and daily nori, and I noticed the melanus wrasse would chomp down but never the tang. Right before I lost the Tang I watched the wrasse chase the Tang every time it went to eat. What I thought was normal behavior was slowly killing the fish and ended up nuking my tank (everyone is now in a QT except the wrasse who i couldn't find even after pulling all rocks out to get my goby out setting traps tomorrow).

So I hope this is a lesson to anyone who thinks the pushing is cute be weary and be on top of it. Me being a newbie wasn't fair to the fish.

 

[dwair]

I thought the wrasse was just following the tang around, I thought they were friends swimming around.. I didn't recognize aggression, and bullying until it was too late. I lost a beautiful Tang with an amazing personality. No amount of reading, or watching videos prepared me to identify extended bullying. I noticed my tang getting skinny, so I altered my food, and I offered romaine lettuce and daily nori, and I noticed the melanus wrasse would chomp down but never the tang. Right before I lost the Tang I watched the wrasse chase the Tang every time it went to eat. What I thought was normal behavior was slowly killing the fish and ended up nuking my tank (everyone is now in a QT except the wrasse who i couldn't find even after pulling all rocks out to get my goby out setting traps tomorrow).

So I hope this is a lesson to anyone who thinks the pushing is cute be weary and be on top of it. Me being a newbie wasn't fair to the fish.

What do you mean "Nuking" your tank? 1 fish dying shouldn't have nuked your tank.

Sorry about your fish loss, mistakes are how you learn in this hobby!

 

[painfullycurious88]

What do you mean "Nuking" your tank? 1 fish dying shouldn't have nuked your tank.

Sorry about your fish loss, mistakes are how you learn in this hobby!

Right before he passed ich appeared. 76 days and I'll try this again.

 

[dwair]

Right before he passed ich appeared. 76 days and I'll try this again.

I see. Well good to see you are QT'ing. Aggression happens, there are possible fixes to it, like the mirror trick, but sometimes you have a bully in your tank and you'll never be able to add another fish to that tank until its gone. It happens. Now you know what aggression looks like

 

[blaxsun]

Melanurus wrasse have a voracious appetite and need to be fed often. I have a Sailfin tang, two Dwarf angels and a Melanurus and they all go for the seaweed - so I found it best to wrap a few small rocks with small portions of seaweed so that everyone has their own “feeding station”.

But they also all get along, and I’ve found that keeping everyone fed is akin to also keeping everyone happy.

 

[painfullycurious88]

I see. Well good to see you are QT'ing. Aggression happens, there are possible fixes to it, like the mirror trick, but sometimes you have a bully in your tank and you'll never be able to add another fish to that tank until its gone. It happens. Now you know what aggression looks like

It surprised me it looked like they were just hanging out they'd even share a cave. That made it really deceiving, so if after this fallow period I decide to add another wrasse it will be the last fish I add.

 

[painfullycurious88]

Melanurus wrasse have a voracious appetite and need to be fed often. I have a Sailfin tang, two Dwarf angels and a Melanurus and they all go for the seaweed - so I found it best to wrap a few small rocks with small portions of seaweed so that everyone has their own “feeding station”.

I feed three times a day but even when I did multiple locations right before the loss he'd pretty much chase the tang. He was the 2nd fish I added and the tang was the last.

 

[dwair]

It surprised me it looked like they were just hanging out they'd even share a cave. That made it really deceiving, so if after this fallow period I decide to add another wrasse it will be the last fish I add.

Well don't let it get you down man. I promise you, it will not be the last fish or coral you lose if you continue this hobby. It happens, sometimes your fault, sometimes out of your control. It sucks and can be devastating, but keep your head up!

 

[blaxsun]

Have you checked your substrate for the wrasse? They bury.

 

[painfullycurious88]

Well don't let it get you down man. I promise you, it will not be the last fish or coral you lose if you continue this hobby. It happens, sometimes your fault, sometimes out of your control. It sucks and can be devastating, but keep your head up!

There are moments where you just want to sell it all like when I broke my frogspawn today trying to catch the goby, but when it's looking good man its pretty. I just glued the breaks to a frag and glued it to the rock beside it.

 

[blaxsun]

I feed three times a day but even when I did multiple locations right before the loss he'd pretty much chase the tang. He was the 2nd fish I added and the tang was the last.

It can honestly be hit and miss with personalities. Sometimes they adhere to the standard... other times they don’t.

 

[painfullycurious88]

Have you checked your substrate for the wrasse? They bury.

I took my turkey baster and ran the entirety of the tank he didn't come out.

 

[painfullycurious88]

How aggressive are leopard wrasses, and what about dosing copepods while I'm fallow?

 

[arking_mark]

Here are some good tennents to reef by...

The 12 Commandments of Reef Keeping

Nothing good happens fast in a reef tank Triple-check before you believe any observations or make any changes to your tank Only make one change at a time in your reef tank Use the right tool for the right job Only dose what you can test for Don't chase #s, chase stability. When altering the...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[dwair]

How aggressive are leopard wrasses, and what about dosing copepods while I'm fallow?

You can dose copepods to get a population up while fallow absolutely no problem. I would stay away from Leopard Wrasses though. You are inexperienced and thats an expert level fish. Requires more knowledge and care from say a regular fairy/flasher wrasse.

 

[blaxsun]

How aggressive are leopard wrasses, and what about dosing copepods while I'm fallow?

Mine were always fairly timid.

 

[painfullycurious88]

Mine were always fairly timid.

I really like wrasses. I'm just trying to think up the calmest one possible after this.

 

[blaxsun]

I really like wrasses. I'm just trying to think up the calmest one possible after this.

Cleaner wrasse, lol. I love wrasses, too - but the vast majority are overly dramatic. I have a Melanurus, Cleaner and Sixline at present.