fairy wrasse being bullied

thommo75 · 01/01/2015, 05:42 AM

Guys,
Suggestion please. My royal dottyback is bullying my new fairy wrasse. It has bitten part of his tail off. I don't have a qt. Will they sort it out and settle down or do i need to intervene. My tank is a 70 gallon cube.

Thanks.

Kearnel · 01/01/2015, 06:37 AM

Hard to say, some fish will settle their turf war sometimes not. I've lost a couple new additions due to being bullied, they just hid, starved and died. Although a QT is good for other reasons, it'll do little for your bully problem other than giving you a place to put either victim or jerk. I'm currently trying to devise a way to remove an Ebli Angel, nippy little thing and terrorizes everything new.

Newsmyrna80 · 01/01/2015, 07:11 AM

You could rearrange the live rock. That throws off the dottyback's territory claim.

Stevenliu9 · 01/01/2015, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Newsmyrna80

You could rearrange the live rock. That throws off the dottyback's territory claim.

I would do the same

gone fishin · 01/01/2015, 09:24 AM

The mirror trick may help keep the dottyback attacking himself.

billsreef · 01/01/2015, 10:35 AM

Those dottybacks are among the more obnoxious ones, and wrasse all too similar in body shape. Those tricks might work, but the odds are not good for them to work long term. Try them, but keep a close a eye on things, and be prepared to intervene.

thommo75 · 01/01/2015, 04:14 PM

Thanks for the advice guys. Will move his favourite rock and let you know how it goes.

ghellin · 01/01/2015, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billsreef

Those dottybacks are among the more obnoxious ones, and wrasse all too similar in body shape. Those tricks might work, but the odds are not good for them to work long term. Try them, but keep a close a eye on things, and be prepared to intervene.

+1 The Dottyback is not a fan of look a likes.

Nina51 · 01/01/2015, 05:04 PM

if nothing else works and if it's possible for you to do (if you have a sump), try trapping the dottyback and giving him a time out in the sump for a couple of weeks. in the meantime, while he's cooling his heels in the sump, rearrange several rocks to create new territories, if you can.

01/01/2015, 05:42 AM	#1
thommo75 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 46	fairy wrasse being bullied Guys, Suggestion please. My royal dottyback is bullying my new fairy wrasse. It has bitten part of his tail off. I don't have a qt. Will they sort it out and settle down or do i need to intervene. My tank is a 70 gallon cube. Thanks.

01/01/2015, 07:11 AM	#3
Newsmyrna80 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Florida Posts: 2,312	You could rearrange the live rock. That throws off the dottyback's territory claim. __________________ 80 gal frag with 30 gal refugium, Orphek Atlantik LED, Red Sea RSK300 skimmer, predominately SPS and LPS Current Tank Info: 80 gallon reef tank with 30 gal refugium

01/01/2015, 09:24 AM	#5
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	The mirror trick may help keep the dottyback attacking himself. __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

01/01/2015, 10:35 AM	#6
billsreef Moderator 10 & Over Club Join Date: Oct 1999 Location: Long Island, NY/North Miami Posts: 36,538	Those dottybacks are among the more obnoxious ones, and wrasse all too similar in body shape. Those tricks might work, but the odds are not good for them to work long term. Try them, but keep a close a eye on things, and be prepared to intervene. __________________ Bill "LOL, well I have no brain apparently. " - dc (Debi) Current Tank Info: Far too many tanks according to my wife, LOL.

01/01/2015, 05:04 PM	#9
Nina51 biggliest cofveve champ Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: 5th floor, Illinois, gewgaw expert Posts: 3,506	if nothing else works and if it's possible for you to do (if you have a sump), try trapping the dottyback and giving him a time out in the sump for a couple of weeks. in the meantime, while he's cooling his heels in the sump, rearrange several rocks to create new territories, if you can. __________________ of all the things i've lost, i miss my gary the most. Never hold your farts in. They travel up your spine into your brain, and that is where crappy ideas come from. Current Tank Info: i gave my reef away and i feel like a bird out of a cage!!

01/01/2015, 06:37 AM	#2
Kearnel Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Brantford, Ontario Posts: 315	Hard to say, some fish will settle their turf war sometimes not. I've lost a couple new additions due to being bullied, they just hid, starved and died. Although a QT is good for other reasons, it'll do little for your bully problem other than giving you a place to put either victim or jerk. I'm currently trying to devise a way to remove an Ebli Angel, nippy little thing and terrorizes everything new.

01/01/2015, 04:14 PM	#7
thommo75 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 46	Thanks for the advice guys. Will move his favourite rock and let you know how it goes.