Help! Carpenter's Wrasse Fighting!

CrazyLionfish · 04/25/2006, 08:07 PM

Got 3 females and 1 male online a while back. One of the males and females died (were in kind of bad condition when they arrived) anyways.. so I am left with 2 females. They were inseperable for a while. Yesterday, I didn't see one of the females, and was worried. Today, I see the other one come out, very plain colored (pale peach/orange, due to stress im assuming) to eat and the other more colorful one chased her all over and kept forcing her to hide behind the skimmer box. I kind of scared the other one away and it hasn't bugged the other one for a while.

I'm wondering if this aggresion is because of 2 females? (was under the understanding that it was ok to house females together) or if one is turning into a male (also unsure of this) or if one was just declaring what part of the tank was hers and this aggresion will fade away?

Thank you,

Matt

CrazyLionfish · 04/25/2006, 08:26 PM

^^^^^^^^^^^

CrazyLionfish · 04/26/2006, 04:27 PM

Should I put one in a specimen container or what?

nccmike · 04/26/2006, 05:41 PM

wish I knew more about those fish.
Can you put a divider in the tank to let him recover for awhile?

CrazyLionfish · 04/26/2006, 05:44 PM

I might be able to. However, the one whose getting "chased", has no sign of physical damage, he is just "banished" to the area by the skimmer box. Anytime she comes out the other one comes over, I'm guessing shes just establishing territory, but I'm not sure

Avi · 04/26/2006, 07:00 PM

One of your females, the more colorful of them, seems to be undergoing a sex change from female to male. Take a look here, about the Fairy Wrasse group, of which the Carpenters Wrasse is a member.....

http://www.reefscapes.net/articles/a...hilabrus1.html

At the same time, it seems to be going into a more aggressive breeding condition. Congratulations...your tank is a very healthy one.

CrazyLionfish · 04/26/2006, 07:36 PM

So after this sex change from female to male is finished, the aggresion should tone down?

I can't tell if that "your tank is a very healthy one" is sarcastic lol, I'm guessing not, just clerifiying. So once this female fully changes into a male, it will possibly want to breed (and thats why its so aggresive right now?)

Thank you very much for the info.

Avi · 04/26/2006, 08:07 PM

It isn't sarcastic, at all. I always see these kinds of things as a sure sign that things are very good in a fish tank. If it weren't, fairly obscure and quirky inate things that we take from the sea and put in a little box of water wouldn't experience all the habits they show in the wild. If you weren't doing things well, some stress even if otherwise undetectble and not apparent would prevent the fish from undergoing a sex change. Again, congrats.

CrazyLionfish · 04/27/2006, 05:50 AM

Thank you very much!

04/25/2006, 08:07 PM	#1
CrazyLionfish Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: IL Posts: 1,627	Help! Carpenter's Wrasse Fighting! Got 3 females and 1 male online a while back. One of the males and females died (were in kind of bad condition when they arrived) anyways.. so I am left with 2 females. They were inseperable for a while. Yesterday, I didn't see one of the females, and was worried. Today, I see the other one come out, very plain colored (pale peach/orange, due to stress im assuming) to eat and the other more colorful one chased her all over and kept forcing her to hide behind the skimmer box. I kind of scared the other one away and it hasn't bugged the other one for a while. I'm wondering if this aggresion is because of 2 females? (was under the understanding that it was ok to house females together) or if one is turning into a male (also unsure of this) or if one was just declaring what part of the tank was hers and this aggresion will fade away? Thank you, Matt __________________ Matt Current Tank Info: 75 gallon fowlr, 12 gallon, 40 gallon reef

04/25/2006, 08:26 PM	#2
CrazyLionfish Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: IL Posts: 1,627	^^^^^^^^^^^ __________________ Matt Current Tank Info: 75 gallon fowlr, 12 gallon, 40 gallon reef

04/26/2006, 04:27 PM	#3
CrazyLionfish Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: IL Posts: 1,627	Should I put one in a specimen container or what? __________________ Matt Current Tank Info: 75 gallon fowlr, 12 gallon, 40 gallon reef

04/26/2006, 05:44 PM	#5
CrazyLionfish Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: IL Posts: 1,627	I might be able to. However, the one whose getting "chased", has no sign of physical damage, he is just "banished" to the area by the skimmer box. Anytime she comes out the other one comes over, I'm guessing shes just establishing territory, but I'm not sure __________________ Matt Current Tank Info: 75 gallon fowlr, 12 gallon, 40 gallon reef

04/26/2006, 07:00 PM	#6
Avi Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Westchester County, NY Posts: 7,327	One of your females, the more colorful of them, seems to be undergoing a sex change from female to male. Take a look here, about the Fairy Wrasse group, of which the Carpenters Wrasse is a member..... http://www.reefscapes.net/articles/a...hilabrus1.html At the same time, it seems to be going into a more aggressive breeding condition. Congratulations...your tank is a very healthy one. __________________ I'd keep the whole ocean if my den were big enough Current Tank Info: 120 gallon reef with 210 lbs. of live rock, Aqua-C EV180 Skimmer, Aquactinic double 250W MH with blue plus t5 support; 58 gallon freshwater planted tank using CO2 and T5s; 30-gallon cube with a few fancy goldfish; and a 110 gallon FOWLR

04/26/2006, 05:41 PM	#4
nccmike Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 158	wish I knew more about those fish. Can you put a divider in the tank to let him recover for awhile?

04/26/2006, 07:36 PM	#7
CrazyLionfish Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: IL Posts: 1,627	So after this sex change from female to male is finished, the aggresion should tone down? I can't tell if that "your tank is a very healthy one" is sarcastic lol, I'm guessing not, just clerifiying. So once this female fully changes into a male, it will possibly want to breed (and thats why its so aggresive right now?) Thank you very much for the info. __________________ Matt Current Tank Info: 75 gallon fowlr, 12 gallon, 40 gallon reef

04/26/2006, 08:07 PM	#8
Avi Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Westchester County, NY Posts: 7,327	It isn't sarcastic, at all. I always see these kinds of things as a sure sign that things are very good in a fish tank. If it weren't, fairly obscure and quirky inate things that we take from the sea and put in a little box of water wouldn't experience all the habits they show in the wild. If you weren't doing things well, some stress even if otherwise undetectble and not apparent would prevent the fish from undergoing a sex change. Again, congrats. __________________ I'd keep the whole ocean if my den were big enough Current Tank Info: 120 gallon reef with 210 lbs. of live rock, Aqua-C EV180 Skimmer, Aquactinic double 250W MH with blue plus t5 support; 58 gallon freshwater planted tank using CO2 and T5s; 30-gallon cube with a few fancy goldfish; and a 110 gallon FOWLR Last edited by Avi; 04/26/2006 at 09:00 PM.

04/27/2006, 05:50 AM	#9
CrazyLionfish Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: IL Posts: 1,627	Thank you very much! __________________ Matt Current Tank Info: 75 gallon fowlr, 12 gallon, 40 gallon reef