The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[Cael Gallery]

That thing is pretty huge too!

Yeah, he was about a foot long, but he's a young male and i have seen them closer to 50cm.

 

[DCR]

Can any wrasse experts help me ID this flasher? It's not the best picture as it's in an acclimation box so hard to get a clear picture but the LFS said it was a juvenile blue flasher...

Looks like a Carpenters to me. No way it is a Blue Flasher

 

[PR_nano]

 

[TheNative192]

Hi everyone! I’m looking for some advice about aggression from my Timor wrasse.

Today, I added a leopard wrasse and two firefish to my tank. It’s an 80-gallon, 4-foot tank that’s been running for about eight months, with a 2-inch sand bed. I also culture phytoplankton and pods and have been adding both regularly. The leopard wrasse also eats frozen and I have actually suprisingly had it eat frozen food today already.

My Timor wrasse has always been good with the other tankmates, but he’s been extremely aggressive toward all three newcomers. Whenever any of them comes into his line of sight, he darts straight at them.

The leopard wrasse has already eaten frozen food, which is encouraging, but it’s also been glass surfing. I have a tight-fitting lid, so my main concern right now is the stress from being chased or if he nips at his fins etc. The leopard wrasse also for some reason has not dove into the sand which I thought it would do if it was stressed.

I tried catching the Timor to put him in an acclimation box, but he’s very skittish and buries himself in the sand as soon as I put a net in the tank. I’ve also added some rockwork and rearranged a few pieces to try to break up his territory. My tank already does have a decent amount of rock work though.

Has anyone dealt with something similar? Since I introduced the new fish today, could this be an initial territorial reaction that settles down, or does this level of aggression suggest an ongoing compatibility issue? I’d appreciate any advice on managing it—and any tips for catching the Timor if separating him is the best option.

 

[tbrown]

Hi everyone! I’m looking for some advice about aggression from my Timor wrasse.

Today, I added a leopard wrasse and two firefish to my tank. It’s an 80-gallon, 4-foot tank that’s been running for about eight months, with a 2-inch sand bed. I also culture phytoplankton and pods and have been adding both regularly. The leopard wrasse also eats frozen and I have actually suprisingly had it eat frozen food today already.

My Timor wrasse has always been good with the other tankmates, but he’s been extremely aggressive toward all three newcomers. Whenever any of them comes into his line of sight, he darts straight at them.

The leopard wrasse has already eaten frozen food, which is encouraging, but it’s also been glass surfing. I have a tight-fitting lid, so my main concern right now is the stress from being chased or if he nips at his fins etc. The leopard wrasse also for some reason has not dove into the sand which I thought it would do if it was stressed.

I tried catching the Timor to put him in an acclimation box, but he’s very skittish and buries himself in the sand as soon as I put a net in the tank. I’ve also added some rockwork and rearranged a few pieces to try to break up his territory. My tank already does have a decent amount of rock work though.

Has anyone dealt with something similar? Since I introduced the new fish today, could this be an initial territorial reaction that settles down, or does this level of aggression suggest an ongoing compatibility issue? I’d appreciate any advice on managing it—and any tips for catching the Timor if separating him is the best option.

Sand burying wrasses are actually easier to catch when they're buried in the sand. Put a net over the sand where he's buried then use a bowl to scoop him and the sand out.

You can put a acclimation box in the tank and put the bowl in there so he's still in the tank.

 

[TheNative192]

Sand burying wrasses are actually easier to catch when they're buried in the sand. Put a net over the sand where he's buried then use a bowl to scoop him and the sand out.

You can put a acclimation box in the tank and put the bowl in there so he's still in the tank.

I did try and do that but he literally dashed through the sand away from the net the one time he did not burry himself in the sand in his normal spot. His normal spot where he usually burries himself is behind my massive rock structure as well, under a rock that is dug into the sand where my return pumps are so he is nearly impossible to get out when he is in that spot or to let alone get a net there. Ill send a pic for reference. Maybe a fish trap tommorow will work if people recommend having the timor wrasse in a acclimation box (should I add sand to it as well?)

He sleeps here: under the small rock under the arch and there is barely enough room to get a net behind the arch in the back.