4-line vs. 6-line wrasse

[Spar]

Seems like very few people go with the 4-line's. Is there a reason why that is the case? I always thought both were very active, eat flatworms, etc, but the 6-line is much more violent.

I am deciding on which to get. I do want to put other wrasses in the tank too, so don't want to guess wrong at the beginning.

 

[flfireman1]

The 6 line is much more readily available than the 4 line. Although the 4 line is a little less violent than the 6 line I would avoid it as well. If your planning on adding it I would recommend making it the last fish you add. I had one and any new wrasse I would add would get harrassed to no end.

 

[evolved]

Availability; that's all.

4 lines don't get quite as big (3" v. 4"), but their temperament is just the same. Pretty aggressive.

 

[Spar]

i mainly just need a wrasse that will eat up my flatworm problem. any others that are more peaceful that we will do this? I bought a Melanurus a little while back and took him out after he took out all my Bangaii Cardinals. Seems like the flatworm eaters are always violent.

 

[flfireman1]

i mainly just need a wrasse that will eat up my flatworm problem. any others that are more peaceful that we will do this? I bought a Melanurus a little while back and took him out after he took out all my Bangaii Cardinals. Seems like the flatworm eaters are always violent.

I'm surprised to read this about a melanarus wrasse they are usually peaceful. Mine is a model citizen.

No other wrasse did a better job on the few flatworms I had than my dusky wrasse. It is constantly investigating every nook and cranny of the live rock searching for pods or anything else it can find. You can also try a yellow or green coris wrasse.

 

[Spar]

i like the idea of the dusky and coris wrasses. my wife likes the green coris wrasses, as we have too much yellow in the tank already.

are green coris wrasses as peaceful as the yellow variant? will they accept other wrasses and also school together with other green coris? i am going to open a new post specific on this question as well since this post may just be grabbing X-line wrasse browsers.

thanks!

 

[pacislandaqua]

4-lines are much nicer.

Both are territorial and rather vicious after established.

 

[pacislandaqua]

4-lines are much nicer.

Both are territorial and rather vicious after established.

 

[jaa1456]

4 lines tend to cost more than a 6 line and i guess people like the coloring better on a 6 line. I see 6 lines around me from 10 - 15 bucks and 4 lines go up to 30 bucks, so I guess for someone starting out with no knowledge or very little on either fish will go with the cheaper brighter fish. Just a guess

 

[johnoates]

6 line is very aggressive seems to be more then the 4 line.

 

[Wolverine]

i mainly just need a wrasse that will eat up my flatworm problem. any others that are more peaceful that we will do this? Seems like the flatworm eaters are always violent.

The bigger problem here is that the "flatworm eaters" are not very consistent in their tendency to eat flatworms. My advice in this situation is to get a fish that you want, and if it happens to eat flatworms, that's a bonus. Every fish that I've seen listed as a possible flatworm eater I've seen fail in enough tanks that I don't even bother to recommend any of them anymore.

 

[gunlocators]

I liked my 6 line but it mysteriously died

 

[Guygettnby]

in the past my 4-lines have always been nicer. but thats a fish by fish thing. i have had 6-lines be very timid and not agressive at all towards anything but mayb e a snail/hermit here or there.

yellow corris wrasse was a great addition in a zoo tank i had years ago. it was strictly zoas and palys with a few fish. the corris wrasse kept any pests i had under control and did a great job at it.