Sixline Wrasse Suddenly Becomes MEAN?

[mrg02d]

Hello all,
Tonight I am battling a new problem with my tank. My sixline wrasse is brutally beating the smaller of my two Oscellaris Clowns. I dont know what to do, or why he is doing this. He chases him all over the place. This happened once the lights went out. Instead of going to bed, the Wrasse went over to the sleeping Clowns and attacked the small one. He will not stop unless I come to the tank and tap the sides.

He was added last to the tank, and all has been well for months until tonight. I turned the lights back on, and he is still doing it.

What could be going on here? Am I going to have to "tank him for a ride"? Strange thing is, is that the clown just takes the abuse? He had no problem attacking the little goby I tried to have some time ago...
Matt

 

[Tank2379]

Some Sixline's will do that they will pick on the smaller more vulnerable fish to bully... You might want to take him out for now and put him in your fuge...

 

[mrg02d]

Even after months of peace? My fuge is just an AquaClear 50 HOB fuge mod. No room for a fish. :-(

I like my clowns much more than that sixline wrasse. I might have to "take him for a ride".

I just dont see why this is happening after months of peace. Nor do I understand why the clown is just taking this. The big clown just lets him pick on his buddy!

MAtt

 

[Tank2379]

Took this off of Live Aquaria Site... I would suggest feeding a little more if your not...

The Six Line Wrasse is both beautiful and active. With its six distinct, horizontal blue lines overlaid against an orange body, this member of the Labridae family brings a zip of color to any marine reef aquarium. This is especially true when a courting male Six Line Wrasse displays an increased color intensity. However, it is the active darting amongst rock outcroppings and corals that most attracts the Six Line Wrasse to any onlooker. Also known as the Sixline or Sixstripe Wrasse, Pseudocheilinus hexataenia is native to reefs of the Indo-Pacific and the coast of Fiji. Here, the Six Line Wrasse forages amongst corals and rocks for foods, mainly keeping to itself. In the home aquarium, the Six Line Wrasse requires a peaceful environment with a generous supply of hiding places and live rock on which they can forage for food. Here, the Six Line Wrasse will search for live foods in the form of small crustaceans such as pyramidellid snails (clam parasites), urchins, and commensal flatworms. The Six Line Wrasse is also known to feed on unwanted pests on live rock, such as bristleworms.
Though generally peaceful, the Six Line Wrasse may act aggressively towards peaceful Wrasses and other easily-intimidated fish, especially if inadequately fed or if its habitat is void of places in which it can hide.
The Six Line Wrasse diet should include vitamin enriched frozen mysis shrimp, vitamin enriched frozen brine shrimp, and other meaty foods along with a high quality marine flake and marine pellet food.

 

[mrg02d]

Hello,
Thanks for that info from liveaquaria.com. I have been cutting back on feeding the guys due to an algae issue. Honestly, I dont know how much to feed. I feed pellets to them and occasionally mysis. I usually feed enough that each fish gets a few pellets each. (Maybe 4-5 pellets). I feed every other day. Is this too little?

Matt

 

[Tank2379]

depending on your live stock and what type of filtration you are using I would feed everyday... At least twice a day, if your having algae issues I suggest getting a Phosphate reactor Bulk Reef Supply sells the Dual Reactor and it works wonders on Phospahtes and getting rid or your Algae... Also how is your (CUC)- Clean up Crew lookin???

 

[mrg02d]

Hello,
I will try doubling the food. (Feed every day instead of every other day).
For phosphates, I am trying out some chaetomorpha in my new mini fuge. Phosphates were at 0.5ppm until I added some clearmax to the fluval 305. I took this out on sunday and ran just the macroalgea. Phosphates still at zero, but only time will tell...

Matt