wrasse behavior question

CindyKz · Jul 25, 2020

A couple months ago I added a pair of Bellus Angels to my 180 gal, which already housed the following (in no particular order):

6 blue chromis
Powder brown tang
White tail bristletooth tang
royal gramma
diamond goby
Magnificent Foxface
melanarus wrasse
McKoskers flasher wrasse
Yellow "coris" wrasse (H. chrysus)
Exquisite wrasse
ocher striped cardinal
2 oscellaris clowns
long nosed hawkfish
2 firefish

When I added the angelfish, the McKoskers went into hiding. He comes out sporadically and seems to be getting enough to eat (not skinny) but hiding all the time. This morning my exquisite wrasse is hiding as well. The chromis used to be out and about but are hiding more as well.

There is some aggression between the Foxface and the tangs- chasing has escalated to nipping. It got worse when I added the angels even though I don't see much direct interaction between the angelfish, tangs, and foxface.

The Melanarus, McKoskers, and exquisite have all been with me for some time (the exquisite over 4 years). They lived together peacefully in my 75 gal and moved together to the 180. I have never seen a hint of aggression there, so I don't think they are fighting among themselves.

My question is, could the wrasses and chromis (particularly the wrasses) be hiding from the general level of aggression? I have never seen them directly bullied by any fish.

CindyKz · Jul 25, 2020

My plan is to try to catch the foxface and rehome.

Indytraveler83 · Jul 25, 2020

It's definitely possible with fairy and flasher wrasse to hide for that reason. Much bigger fish causing a lot of commotion can easily spook them. I'm guessing the Melanarus isn't spooked?

I'd just also watch carefully while you work to deal with aggression that other things don't start to appear that could indicate disease rather than aggression is responsible.

CindyKz · Jul 26, 2020

Indytraveler83 said:
I'm guessing the Melanarus isn't spooked?

No he could care less. The yellow "coris" also.

Indytraveler83 · Jul 26, 2020

Sounds about right. By no means am I an expert, but if it were me I'd primarily suspect aggression issues for the changes. Fixing that will hopefully get everyone back to normal.

CindyKz · Jul 28, 2020

@evolved any thoughts before I fight to get the Foxface out? I hate to pull him and the wrasses still hide...although he is big for the tank anyway.

evolved · Jul 28, 2020

Indytraveler83 said:
It's definitely possible with fairy and flasher wrasse to hide for that reason. Much bigger fish causing a lot of commotion can easily spook them. I'm guessing the Melanarus isn't spooked?

I'd just also watch carefully while you work to deal with aggression that other things don't start to appear that could indicate disease rather than aggression is responsible.

I completely agree here.

CindyKz · Jul 28, 2020

@evolved thank you

CindyKz · Jul 31, 2020

I got the Mag Fox out of the tank on Wed (writing this Friday morning). The tank is much calmer with the Fox out, the general level of aggression has come down considerably. I gave him to a friend with a 300 gal tank so he should be happier in his new home. The flasher wrasse was out and about by Wed noon and stayed out all day yesterday.

Not so much my exquisite

. I saw him, he has a white patch on his flank that I took to be an abrasion from the rocks. But I fear infection or old age, or some combination. He was laying on the bottom in the open Wed night for a few minutes but disappeared right before feeding time. I didn't see him again until last night when I found him wedged behind a rock. He didn't eat despite my target feeding him (definitely alive though).

If he's still alive this morning I'm going to try to catch him and get him into a hospital tank with some antibiotics.

CindyKz · Jul 31, 2020

Also @Indytraveler83 thank you so much for your previous thoughtful replies! I thought I posted that earlier but in reviewing the thread I see I didn't

CindyKz · Jul 31, 2020

RIP Ruby

This bums me out in so many ways. I got Ruby as either a female or sub male (depending who you ask). He was a gift from our LFS owner after another exquisite wrasse that I bought from the same shop died in QT. I was very new in the hobby. Knowing what I know now, I'm pretty sure I stressed that beautiful 1st exquisite to death

. I was so sad, the LFS owner tried to cheer me up with Ruby. He was so dull and boring looking when I got him, but transitioned into the most beautiful fish in the tank.

He must have died this morning because the cleanup crew hadn't done much damage. The damage in the first photo ( far left) correlates where the white patch was. The center photo is a closer view of same. The last photo (far right) is his opposite flank. As you can see there is correlating damage to the opposite side. I did not see a white patch there while he was alive. If anyone has any insight I would very much appreciate it.

There was a crab and a shrimp in the area so it's hard to say if any/all is thanks to the CUC.

evolved · Jul 31, 2020

CindyKz said:
RIP Ruby

This bums me out in so many ways. I got Ruby as either a female or sub male (depending who you ask). He was a gift from our LFS owner after another exquisite wrasse that I bought from the same shop died in QT. I was very new in the hobby. Knowing what I know now, I'm pretty sure I stressed that beautiful 1st exquisite to death . I was so sad, the LFS owner tried to cheer me up with Ruby. He was so dull and boring looking when I got him, but transitioned into the most beautiful fish in the tank.

He must have died this morning because the cleanup crew hadn't done much damage. The damage in the first photo ( far left) correlates where the white patch was. The center photo is a closer view of same. The last photo (far right) is his opposite flank. As you can see there is correlating damage to the opposite side. I did not see a white patch there while he was alive. If anyone has any insight I would very much appreciate it.

There was a crab and a shrimp in the area so it's hard to say if any/all is thanks to the CUC.