Advice needed; 6 line wrasse/rock work

ReefKnot

ReefKnot

New member
I know there are a bunch of threads about this but I cant seem to find one which answers my questions. I have a 29g with 30 lbs live rock, and am tthinking that I'd like to get a 6 line. I have 2 fake perculas, a banggai cardinal and a scarlet cleaner, plus 4 blue leg hermits and snails. The rocks I have dont create ALOT of natural caves, but there are a decent amount, maybe 15-20. I am trying to decide on my next addition, and I'm considering a wrasse, although keeping in mind that it will be tough to add fish after that. It should be noted that I live in the middle of nowhere, and I can only get small 6 lines.

Should I add any other fish I'm considering first? And should I look into making a bit more rock work for a wrasse to feel comfortable?
 
I added a six-line to my tank about a month ago and it has become one of my favorites. It swims around picking on the rock all day and it also eats pellets. I've even seen my bi-color damsel swim up to it and lay over into a cleaning station position and the wrasse has picked at it a time or two. I think your rock work is fine. 15-20 "caves" should be more than enough.

HTH
 
I'd say the six line should be your last fish. Adding any more would really be pushing the bioload limits.

I added a six line to my 30g reef two months ago and it seems to be settled in nicely. No aggression so far, and is pretty reclusive, swimming in and around the rockwork all day long.
 
You already seem to know the six line will be your last fish addition, so I suppose your question is more about "caves" and a comfortable fish. My 6 line has one particular hole in a rock he likes to sprint to when spooked, but otherwise he seems happy just hanging out in the spaces between the rocks. I think you'll be OK with what you have, no need for actual "caves". If you really want to, you can drill a hole into one of your bigger rocks, a hole wide enough to stick your index finger in up to to the second knuckle. That's the kind of hole my 6-line uses as a sanctuary when spooked.
 
I am going to have to agree with Steve's advice this morning in another thread;

ReefKnot said:
OK I'm starting to consider what my next addition will be, was hoping for ideas, suggestions or advice. I've got a 29g tall with 30lbs of LR, with corals in the future.

2 False perculas 2"
1 Banggai Cardinal 2"
1 scarlet cleaner
4 blue leg hermits
and Astrea snails

I would like a 6 line wrasse, but I've been told many times by many people to add that last. I'm thinking about either a royal gramma, neon blue goby, or a midas blenny.

Does anyone have any other suggestions of a new fish. I'm definitely a beginner, so I am looking for something fun and interesting, but somewhat non aggressive. Although my clowns are a big pushy, so it would be good if it can at least stand up to them if necessary. Thanks!
Click to expand...

snorvich said:
Unfortunately, you are somewhat full up. Those clowns, once sexually mature, will take over that tank. You could add a neon goby without too much problem or possibly a royal gramma but only one of these. I would definitely not add a sixline wrasse.
Click to expand...
 
Just remember when you add a 6-line wrasse, it will be eating lots of small beneficial crustaceans.
 
They can become bully's so make sure your other fish know there place in the tank before adding the 6 line. Good call thinking about the rockwork for the fish's sake. I would be more concerned about having hiding spots for your other fish before you have one for the six line IMO.
 
This is the first I've heard about 6-line wrasses being the last addition... are they more aggressive than other wrasses? We have a melanarus & a yellow coris in our 125g and a blue line in our 46g; none of these seem to be concerned with the other fish at all; all 3 stay out in the water column during the day and sleep in the sand at night. Interested in learning more about the 6-line.
 
Maybe last addition is a good choice, but possibly they don't become bullies until they reach a certain level of maturity (?). If so, there may not be anything you can do to affect this if adding a small one. I'm assuming you're not planning a mandarin in this tank, but they are not compatible with mandarins long term, besides eating the pods, they very often will kill the mandarin.
 
Maybe I've just been lucky, but I've never had any problems with a 6-line. now other wrasses are another story, but a 6-line should be fine, great for getting rid of pests too.

The important thing to remember is that you only have so much room in your tank for fish, so everything needs to get a long, and you have to have a plan in mind for what you want in the tank. Its never a good idea to just go to the fish store and pick something out b/c it looks cool. (I'm not saying you have to know each exact fish, but have an idea of what you end plan is)
 
They are great fish, but come with a caveat. Just be aware, as others have said, that they potentially come with an attitude. Or their attitude can change with time.

I have one and I really like the fish.. one of my clown mated pair died. I then got a new juvenile to pair up with the widow.. the wrasse did not take kindly to the newcomer and harassed the fish incessantly. The juvenile clown would have died due to stress if I did not intervene.

I had to remove the wrasse to quarantine. He's lived in the QT now for about 2 months. I am letting the juvenile clown grow up a bit, to at least be equivalent in size as the wrasse. I moved the rockwork and corals around too. Meanwhile this turned into a great opportunity for me to 'tame' the wrasse. He was quite skittish before. Since being in QT I now have him eating from a 'feeding stick' and he will come out of hiding when I call to him. Pretty cool.

I may try to introduce him back to the display tank in the coming few weeks.

Before this situation though. He was perfect and got along well with everything else in the tank. He did a great job nipping at common flatworms, problematic toadstool burrowing pods, and occasionally cleaning the other fish.
 
Alright is the real only problem the attitude? To get so many flat "no's", there must be pretty strong reasoning behind this. To note, the 6 line I would be getting is significantly smaller than my other fish, and would be the last fish I would get. I've been told that I do have enough space, so what is the problem?
 
IMO/E you don't have enough space -- not as far as bio-load goes, but in the terms of attitude -- they become more aggressive the smaller the tank. In addition, when/if your clowns start to spawn, things could get pretty bad.
 
My clowns are a few years away from spawning, so I'm not really considering that a problem any time in the near future....

But 4 fish would be too much bioload for 30lbs of LR, 4 hermits and 8 snails in a 29g tank? My LFS, (the owner is a close friend), has told me I could manage 5, is there a way to decide that?
 
gweston said:
Before this situation though. He was perfect and got along well with everything else in the tank. He did a great job nipping at common flatworms, problematic toadstool burrowing pods, and occasionally cleaning the other fish.
Click to expand...
Oh those pests - I'm always so busy protecting my pods, I forget about everything else
ReefKnot said:
My clowns are a few years away from spawning, so I'm not really considering that a problem any time in the near future....

But 4 fish would be too much bioload for 30lbs of LR, 4 hermits and 8 snails in a 29g tank? My LFS, (the owner is a close friend), has told me I could manage 5, is there a way to decide that?
Click to expand...
It partly depends on what all you plan on having as far as corals, how much rock and other biofiltering. Those clowns become rather large fish in terms of girth. If you think in terms of what size the fish are going to be at maturity and choose small ones then you can have more in terms of bioload than you otherwise would.

In other words, the more you think nano fish, the more fish you can have. The more you think in terms of each liking to have a different niche, the more fish will get along together. I'm not saying how many fish you can have just giving examples. Here's what I mean: one hidey hole fish, one water column fish, one rock perching fish, one sand perching fish - that sort of thing.

If you weigh a fridmani an your adult ocellaris female, I think the ocellaris is many times the bioload. Personally, I prefer smaller fish :)
 
Last edited:
Angel*Fish said:
Oh those pests - I'm always so busy protecting my pods, I forget about everything else
It partly depends on what all you plan on having as far as corals, how much rock and other biofiltering. Those clowns become rather large fish in terms of girth. If you think in terms of what size the fish are going to be at maturity and choose small ones then you can have more in terms of bioload than you otherwise would.

In other words, the more you think nano fish, the more fish you can have. The more you think in terms of each liking to have a different niche, the more fish will get along together. I'm not saying how many fish you can have just giving examples. Here's what I mean: one hidey hole fish, one water column fish, one rock perching fish, one sand perching fish - that sort of thing.

If you weigh a fridmani an your adult ocellaris female, I think the ocellaris is many times the bioload. Personally, I prefer smaller fish :)
Click to expand...

Ok you lost me part way through that, and I'd really like to understand.

So, my clowns would be what kind of fish? and my cardinal? I see your point of the girth of the fish adding to the bioload.... I'm not planning on getting anymore past a wrasse, but now i'm reconsidering, because of the idea of it eating all the good things off my rock....

Additionally, I haven't considerd what corals I may get in the future, because I dont plan to add any for a while, I'm on a budget....

I am considering a goby, most likely a neon goby or a high fin red banded goby.... But I would like a fish who is a bit active, as one of my ocellaris doesn't leave the corner, and the cardinal doesn't leave its corner either....

Any other ideas of what I might get? I am thinking about a royal gramma, but my LFS doesn't stock them, so I haven't been seriously considering it...
 
i've had a few really experienced aquarists tell me to not get a six line unless you have a huge tank.

once they acclimate to your tank they can become aggressive as most everyone has stated in this thread.

another wrasse i have read this about is a mystery wrasse...

EDIT: in regards to bioload, how old is your tank?
 
bobby: My tank is only 2 and a half months old, one of those was the first cycle, so its basically still new, got my cardinal 1 week ago, and the clowns 3 weeks before that....
I've been told to avoid 6 lines from experienced aquarists and that it would be ok by experienced ones too.....

ohchris: my tank is too small for both of those....
 
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