The Wrasse Lover's Thread!
- Thread starter Breakin Newz
- Start date
- Tagged users AtulR
Hello all,
So i just introduced a rhomboid into my 120 that has a terminal male isosceles.
I used an acclimation box for the first day, then didn't notice any aggression for a full day and because i was travelling soon, thought i would try and open it up. After a day in which the rhomboid was swimming near the top of the tank and noticing some aggressive behavior by the pintail (nothing serious- a little bit of flashing and not even really chasing), but the rhomboid was clearly stressed, so i put the acclimation box back in and then closed it and had the rhomboid in the acclimation box in for 5 days or so.
I came back and this time while i opened the acclimation box, i kept the box in the tank (with its pvc piping) and that seemed to reduce the stress of the rhomboid as whenever it got a bit stressed it just went back to its safe spot.
The pintail again had a couple of instances of minor chasing, but again, nothing persistent or overly aggressive.
What sort of timetable should i use to gauge when the i might need to pull the rhomboid out?
And would adding a 3rd fairy wrasse help out on aggression issues?
The rhomboid i believe is a young male while the pintail is definitely a terminal, does that make a difference?
So i just introduced a rhomboid into my 120 that has a terminal male isosceles.
I used an acclimation box for the first day, then didn't notice any aggression for a full day and because i was travelling soon, thought i would try and open it up. After a day in which the rhomboid was swimming near the top of the tank and noticing some aggressive behavior by the pintail (nothing serious- a little bit of flashing and not even really chasing), but the rhomboid was clearly stressed, so i put the acclimation box back in and then closed it and had the rhomboid in the acclimation box in for 5 days or so.
I came back and this time while i opened the acclimation box, i kept the box in the tank (with its pvc piping) and that seemed to reduce the stress of the rhomboid as whenever it got a bit stressed it just went back to its safe spot.
The pintail again had a couple of instances of minor chasing, but again, nothing persistent or overly aggressive.
What sort of timetable should i use to gauge when the i might need to pull the rhomboid out?
And would adding a 3rd fairy wrasse help out on aggression issues?
The rhomboid i believe is a young male while the pintail is definitely a terminal, does that make a difference?
HairyGary
Why do all your fish look like trout?
Always adding another wrasse will help diffuse the issue. If it is constant chasing where the Rhomboid has to hide all the time then i would remove the Pintail and let the Rhomboid get established and then put the Pintail in an acclimation box.
Is there anything else in the tank that could be chasing the Rhomboid or making it stressed?
nothing that i have seen. I have an orchid dotty, but it is pretty shy and had no aggression, 2 radial filefish but they are slow and ignore the wrasse. I think the occ. clowns may have chased the wrasse away from its area, but the wrasse hasn't really wandered o ver there. a YWG keeps to the bottom and is also shy. I added a Tomini tang at the same time, but they were in QT together and did not bother each other and i have not seen any signs of aggression.
The only fish i have seen chasing the rhomboid and only sporadically (and never sustained) has been the pintail. Right now the Acc box is open and there hasn't been an issue with the rhomboid occassionally going out but the pintail hasn't tried to go into the box or chase it much.
Catching the pintail may be very very difficult....
The only fish i have seen chasing the rhomboid and only sporadically (and never sustained) has been the pintail. Right now the Acc box is open and there hasn't been an issue with the rhomboid occassionally going out but the pintail hasn't tried to go into the box or chase it much.
Catching the pintail may be very very difficult....
eatbreakfast
Fish Nerd
If chasing is sporadic and not relentless, leave them be. There WILL be a social hierarchy that needs to be worked out. Give it some time. If the chasing is relentless, then one will need to be removed.
HairyGary
Why do all your fish look like trout?
Welcome to Reef@Reef!
Hi everyone. Just bought a mccosker’s flasher and have him in the QT. Should I add a sand bowl for him? Also, I do not have access to CP so what is the consensus around copper, more specifically Cupramine which is what I have?
Many thanks and kind regards
Many thanks and kind regards
eatbreakfast
Fish Nerd
Mccoskeri don't need sand.
Cuprimine is fine, just increase Cu levels slowly. Take 2 weeks to gradually bring the level up.
Thanks [emoji120][emoji2532]
So a little update. the acclimation box was getting a film of algae on it, and was therefore pretty opaque. The top was open though, and the rhomboid was healthy and happy swimming within the acclimation box mostly (it ventured out a little bit) and wasn't being harassed.
But, because i thought the other fish could no longer see the fish in the box, i thought i should go ahead and remove the box and force the fish to adjust bbeing in the main tank.
(to recap it has been 10 days since i put it in the acclimation tank, and no aggression signs were shown to the fish while in the box. When i had let the fish out on day 2 of being in earlier, i noticed some aggression from the pintail, (some mild chasing, but nothing sustained) but the rhomboid started to swim towards the top and was stressed out, that is when i put it back in the acclimation box and then went on a trip for 6 days).
So, i removed the acclimation box, but left the small pvc tee in the tank about an hour before lights out.
I observed for some time, and at first the rhomboid definitely hid (under a chalice) and the pintail didn't seem to notice him. However, after about 15 minutes or so, i again noticed that the rhomboid went out of hiding and was swimming at or near the surface. I witnessed about 2-3 times where the pintail chased the rhomboid, but it never lasted more than a second, wasn't prolonged and the pintail just seemed to chase him out of an area).
However, I am getting concerned because even after the lights went out, and all the fish are now gone for the night, including the pintail, the rhomboid hasn't gone into hiding, or sought rock work.
It isn't swimming as much on the surface, and has swam down near the bottom of the tank, and all over, but it is now past midnight and it hasn't "gone to bed" yet so to speak. Not sure if there is much to do, i suppose i could put the acclimation box back in, and i am betting the rhomboid would welcome it, but not sure how best to proceed.
But, because i thought the other fish could no longer see the fish in the box, i thought i should go ahead and remove the box and force the fish to adjust bbeing in the main tank.
(to recap it has been 10 days since i put it in the acclimation tank, and no aggression signs were shown to the fish while in the box. When i had let the fish out on day 2 of being in earlier, i noticed some aggression from the pintail, (some mild chasing, but nothing sustained) but the rhomboid started to swim towards the top and was stressed out, that is when i put it back in the acclimation box and then went on a trip for 6 days).
So, i removed the acclimation box, but left the small pvc tee in the tank about an hour before lights out.
I observed for some time, and at first the rhomboid definitely hid (under a chalice) and the pintail didn't seem to notice him. However, after about 15 minutes or so, i again noticed that the rhomboid went out of hiding and was swimming at or near the surface. I witnessed about 2-3 times where the pintail chased the rhomboid, but it never lasted more than a second, wasn't prolonged and the pintail just seemed to chase him out of an area).
However, I am getting concerned because even after the lights went out, and all the fish are now gone for the night, including the pintail, the rhomboid hasn't gone into hiding, or sought rock work.
It isn't swimming as much on the surface, and has swam down near the bottom of the tank, and all over, but it is now past midnight and it hasn't "gone to bed" yet so to speak. Not sure if there is much to do, i suppose i could put the acclimation box back in, and i am betting the rhomboid would welcome it, but not sure how best to proceed.
On Cupramine I must confess I never had success with wrasses before, and I always ramp up 0,05 per day for 10 days. H. Solorensis, H. Chrysus and H. Melanurus all reacted badly. It could be that they were already doing poorly when I purchased them but the truth is I never had any success with these and Cupramine. Impossible to buy Coppersafe or any of the other copper based medicines that seem to be better tolerated in Europe.
This one seems to be very active and eating from day one so fingers crossed!
eatbreakfast
Fish Nerd
You have to give him a chance to figure things out. If you keep putting him in the box, then releasing, then the box, then releasing, you are just prolonging how long it takes for him to settle. Give him a few days then reasses.
I've had success with all those species with cuprimine. Instead of raising Cu everyday, skip a day between doses.
Would a melanarus get along okay with a ruby head fairy, yellow coris, and a leopard in a 75 gallon?
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Hopefully someone can help me out... I recently got a blue sided wrasse, Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura, and he went through qt just fine and was eating well since day 1.
I added him to my 90g DT yesterday, which also has a tomini tang, pair of clowns, and a canary Blenny. They all of along fine and showed no signs of aggression until I added the wrasse. He gets chased and harassed by my tang, and lost his appetite. He also seems to not understand/can’t handle the high flow like my other fish do, and gets blown all over until he decides to swim quickly somewhere.
I have turned the flow way down, and try to feed as close to him as I can. Is there anything else I can do to help?
If the aggression continues tomorrow and he’s still not eating, I am going to pull him back into qt and figure it out from there.
I added him to my 90g DT yesterday, which also has a tomini tang, pair of clowns, and a canary Blenny. They all of along fine and showed no signs of aggression until I added the wrasse. He gets chased and harassed by my tang, and lost his appetite. He also seems to not understand/can’t handle the high flow like my other fish do, and gets blown all over until he decides to swim quickly somewhere.
I have turned the flow way down, and try to feed as close to him as I can. Is there anything else I can do to help?
If the aggression continues tomorrow and he’s still not eating, I am going to pull him back into qt and figure it out from there.
Jstn
Well-Known Member
I haven't purchased a C. brunneus yet but I do like them and think it'd be a nice contrast to the bright pink/orange of the C. isosceles.
I have had an isosceles then added a brunneus with no issues. My isosceles died and I added another one down the road with the same brunneus and no issue again.
eatbreakfast
Fish Nerd
Some melanurus can be a little pushy, but usually would be fine with that mix.
I've had Ctenochaetus tangs have a strong disliking to wrasses for some reason.
Try a mirror next to the tank glass to distract the tang.
If it doesn't improve, then one of them may need to be rehomed.
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I’ll give that a shot today. It looks like it has subsided for right now, if not I’m pulling one of them until my acclimation box arrives.
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