New Sixline Wrasse...Some Trouble

[mrg02d]

Hello all,
I just got a new Sixline wrasse today for my tank. I did a 4 hour long drip acclimation and put him in. He swam around the rock work some and then came out and tried to play with the two clowns I have. (They didnt want anything to do with him). So eventually he stopped trying to swim with them and just watched them from under a rock. Poor guy!

I turned out the lights for the night and went out for an hour. When I came home, I found him back behind the rocks not moving, covered in stringy slime stuff!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Looks kinda like the stuff that the corals spew when they are upset. Maybe he tried to nest in some ZoanthidS?

I immediately put my arm in the tank to move him. He swam off and I sucked the stuff off of him. He then acted normal for a bit and then swam into a crevice in the rocks. He wont come out. No amount of poking at him will get him to come out.

What could this slime stuff be? I didnt QT him, as I had bought two clowns from this seller before and was quite happy. (Strong, HYPER little things). I dont see any white spots, or anything that looks like disease. I dont know if the Coral Banded Shrimp might have been bothering him, as I saw him nearby. The shrimp now goes into this cave that the crevice is in, and sticks his claws out towards the crevice (with the wrasse inside) and then darts out really fast.

I guess I will wait till morning to see if he is still alive.

Water parameters:
Ammonia:0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate:10ppm (around that)
pH:8.2
Salinity: 1.0245
Temp: 78F

Thanks!
Matt

[AMDPhenomX4]

Thats his bed.:"( Aw, All he wanted to do was sleep. Most wrasses will create a mucus cocoon nightly to sleep in to disguise their scent to predators. Its totally natural and totally cool. It will make a cocoon nightly and will eat it in the morning.

And its a common mistake with wrasses. And your welcome Matt.

[Etunes]

Originally Posted by AMDPhenomX4

Thats his bed.:"( Aw, All he wanted to do was sleep. Most wrasses will create a mucus cocoon nightly to sleep in to disguise their scent to predators. Its totally natural and totally cool. It will make a cocoon nightly and will eat it in the morning.

That is cool and gross at the same time.

[mrg02d]

Thats very gross...I wish I had read that about them somewhere before freaking out. You would think that would have been part of their fact sheet!

I hope I didnt hurt him by sucking the stuff off...I also hope I didnt stress him out too much and him wind up with Ich...Sheesh...

Thanks!
Matt

[AMDPhenomX4]

He should be fine. Just let him settle in for a few days. And dont prod him.

[mdaniel2882]

My six line was in the tank first. I added a mated pair of clowns and after about a week he follows them around like a puppy. he is just one of the gang.

I have seen the "slime" thing in the description on only one web site I have never seen it but it does seem like there would be more info on this.