6-line wrasse behavior

Doc Hammer · 07/15/2007, 04:59 PM

So I just got a 6-line wrasse and a golden coral baned shrimp yesterday and they're both doing good, the shrimp hiding in afew little caves I made with him and the wrasse in mind. The wrasse is also doing good, getting comfortable with his surroundings. However, some times the wrasse will come out, go to one of the sides of the tank and just go up and down against it. I'm pretty sure he sees his reflections in the glass and is trying to fight with it! Is this normal behavior? Will it go away? If it's not normal, are there any measures I can take?

sir_dudeguy · 07/15/2007, 05:41 PM

Pretty normal...should stop doing it after a while though. But both mine would do that from time to time. As long as he's not hurting himself (busting his head on the glass lol) then he should be fine. No guarantee that he'll be safe with that shrimp though...although i had 2 separate sixlines with 2 cleaners and they were all fine (didnt have the sixlines at the same time obviously

)

Doc Hammer · 07/15/2007, 05:55 PM

Shrimp and wrasse are doing well together, they're more or less just ignoring each other. I've set it up so there's one main cave and a few pockets here and there. Sometimes the shrimp will want the main cave to himself and start waving his one good claw around (lost the other one while we were fishing him out of the tank at the LFS), forcing the wrasse out or just making him move to one of the pockets. They're both the same size and don't bother each other aside from the the shrimp getting pushy, but he does that to the hermits as well.

Peter Eichler · 07/15/2007, 06:15 PM

If you were taken out of an ocean and plunked in a 12 gallon tank wouldn't you be going up and down trying to figure out how you managed to get stuck in a tiny glass box?

kkyyllee · 07/15/2007, 06:36 PM

keep in mind the 12 will be too small for it eventually

sir_dudeguy · 07/15/2007, 08:20 PM

Oh this is a 12? That would really explain why. IMO, take it back now. 12 is way small. The 2 i had...they were both always like frantic when they were in my 40...but a 12??? Thats just way too small IMO. I wouldnt put one in less than 30 and thats really pushing it.

Even if he's small, 12 is already to small for a sixline IMO. Just too active.

aquarius77 · 07/15/2007, 08:25 PM

I keep one in a 20 high with tons of rock and he acts like a fool. I am starting to wish he would jump out. If he were the only fish in there i would love it but hes getting meaner as time goes by, even trying to kill a peppermint shrimp hes been in there with for 6 months.

sir_dudeguy · 07/15/2007, 08:30 PM

another reason not to cramp them...they'll get grumpy!

Doc Hammer · 07/16/2007, 07:31 AM

Well, I guess I'll take him back then. However, I can't until this Saturday, since the store is open only on the weekends.

But any suggestions of what I should get instead? I mean, the shrimp is doing fine, acting the way I expected him to: staying in the cave when the lights are on then coming out and foraging at night. The substrate I have is between 1.0 mm and 2.0 mm because I was originally going to get a mantis but decided not to, so the substrate is too large for burrowers. ): I don't know what to do. Could I change the substrate?

Peter Eichler · 07/16/2007, 01:02 PM

1-2 mm is fine for burrowers, it's just not very good for sand sifters.

dcombs44 · 07/16/2007, 03:07 PM

This is just an opinion, but if you do decide to get a mantis in the future, make it a species only tank as the mantis will make meals out of many things.

kkyyllee · 07/16/2007, 03:12 PM

you could do like everyone else and get a pair of clowns, or if you only want one fish in there a royal gramma

07/15/2007, 04:59 PM	#1
Doc Hammer Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Hellertown, PA Posts: 189	6-line wrasse behavior So I just got a 6-line wrasse and a golden coral baned shrimp yesterday and they're both doing good, the shrimp hiding in afew little caves I made with him and the wrasse in mind. The wrasse is also doing good, getting comfortable with his surroundings. However, some times the wrasse will come out, go to one of the sides of the tank and just go up and down against it. I'm pretty sure he sees his reflections in the glass and is trying to fight with it! Is this normal behavior? Will it go away? If it's not normal, are there any measures I can take?

07/15/2007, 05:41 PM	#2
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	Pretty normal...should stop doing it after a while though. But both mine would do that from time to time. As long as he's not hurting himself (busting his head on the glass lol) then he should be fine. No guarantee that he'll be safe with that shrimp though...although i had 2 separate sixlines with 2 cleaners and they were all fine (didnt have the sixlines at the same time obviously ) __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

07/15/2007, 06:15 PM	#4
Peter Eichler Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 6,081	If you were taken out of an ocean and plunked in a 12 gallon tank wouldn't you be going up and down trying to figure out how you managed to get stuck in a tiny glass box? __________________ April 2015 TOTM

07/15/2007, 08:20 PM	#6
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	Oh this is a 12? That would really explain why. IMO, take it back now. 12 is way small. The 2 i had...they were both always like frantic when they were in my 40...but a 12??? Thats just way too small IMO. I wouldnt put one in less than 30 and thats really pushing it. Even if he's small, 12 is already to small for a sixline IMO. Just too active. __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

07/15/2007, 08:30 PM	#8
sir_dudeguy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 10,841	another reason not to cramp them...they'll get grumpy! __________________ TAKE...LUCK!!!

07/15/2007, 05:55 PM	#3
Doc Hammer Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Hellertown, PA Posts: 189	Shrimp and wrasse are doing well together, they're more or less just ignoring each other. I've set it up so there's one main cave and a few pockets here and there. Sometimes the shrimp will want the main cave to himself and start waving his one good claw around (lost the other one while we were fishing him out of the tank at the LFS), forcing the wrasse out or just making him move to one of the pockets. They're both the same size and don't bother each other aside from the the shrimp getting pushy, but he does that to the hermits as well.

07/15/2007, 06:36 PM	#5
kkyyllee Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: rescue ca Posts: 963	keep in mind the 12 will be too small for it eventually

07/15/2007, 08:25 PM	#7
aquarius77 Moved On Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Highland, Il Posts: 2,198	I keep one in a 20 high with tons of rock and he acts like a fool. I am starting to wish he would jump out. If he were the only fish in there i would love it but hes getting meaner as time goes by, even trying to kill a peppermint shrimp hes been in there with for 6 months.

07/16/2007, 07:31 AM	#9
Doc Hammer Registered Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Hellertown, PA Posts: 189	Well, I guess I'll take him back then. However, I can't until this Saturday, since the store is open only on the weekends. But any suggestions of what I should get instead? I mean, the shrimp is doing fine, acting the way I expected him to: staying in the cave when the lights are on then coming out and foraging at night. The substrate I have is between 1.0 mm and 2.0 mm because I was originally going to get a mantis but decided not to, so the substrate is too large for burrowers. ): I don't know what to do. Could I change the substrate? Last edited by Doc Hammer; 07/16/2007 at 07:40 AM.

07/16/2007, 01:02 PM	#10
Peter Eichler Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 6,081	1-2 mm is fine for burrowers, it's just not very good for sand sifters. __________________ April 2015 TOTM

07/16/2007, 03:07 PM	#11
dcombs44 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 2,913	This is just an opinion, but if you do decide to get a mantis in the future, make it a species only tank as the mantis will make meals out of many things. __________________ Current Setup: 10 Gallon Skimmerless Zoanthid Tank Lighting: Single 175 Watt Metal Halide (14,000 K Hamilton Lamp) Filtration: 10 gallon sump/refugium and Phosban Reactor Return: Mag Drive 700 Controller: ReefKeeper Lite (Basic Version) Circulation: TBD Age of System: Build is in Progress

07/16/2007, 03:12 PM	#12
kkyyllee Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: rescue ca Posts: 963	you could do like everyone else and get a pair of clowns, or if you only want one fish in there a royal gramma