Help - Aggressive Earlie Fairy Wrasse

Fish Biscuit

Active member
Previous to Friday night, tank inhabitants are a randall goby, helfrichi firefish, barnacle blenny, possum wrasse, & mandarin. Tank is a 65 rimless with sump & fuge.

Friday night I added an earlie & a dwarf pintail fairy wrasses to the tank. Everyone was fine. They were hanging around each other while sorting out the tank. Saturday I was not home much but everyone seemed fine & eating ok & still hanging around.

Sunday I notice the earlie chasing the pintail. The aggression level varied & was not constant. I decided to add more live rock to the tank & move around the side where the earlie seemed to hang out. Things seemed to settle down for a little while & the earlie would chase the pintail. I fed the tank 5 times to see if the extra feedings would help. My tank was being fed twice a day with the addition of the fairies. It got to the point where the earlie was seeking out the pintail to chase it. I decided to pull the pintail before things got worse.

Today I worked a short day so I could catch the pintail & return it. The majority of the rock work was moved around. I come back home about 2 hours later & see the earlie messing with the firefish. The firefish seems to hold his own with the earlie & gives him a bump the next time he swims by. The possum & mandarin are unnoticed by the earlie & the goby is displaying at him. Later I see the earlie cruise around to find the firefish & chase him.

Will the earlie eventually settle down or is he more likely to continue harassing the firefish? I turned the room light off so just the moonlights are on the tank & the fish will go to sleep.

I'm not sure how much adjustment time to give the earlie. I don't really want the firefish harassed & will pull the earlie & sell him if I have to. Not sure if his behavior needs to settle down from the pintail being removed or if I just ended up with a jerk for a fish.

Please help & thanks,
Michele
 
Earlie's are generally considered peaceful. He could just be trying to establish the pecking order with himself at the top. He could calm down after a couple weeks.
 
I just Googled them and I find it hard to believe they go for $700 or more. WOW, so Michele if you don't mind my asking what did you pay for yours?

Yes it's a very beautiful fish for sure!
 
I called the store & they recommended the mirror trick & thought it should settle down in a few days. I don't leave the mirror out constantly, just pull it out when he starts picking on the firefish. One glance in the mirror & he runs & hides like a sissy lol. Most likely the earlie is going to be the last fish in the tank.

The firefish hangs with the goby & the goby isn't intimidated at all so the firefish has a place to go & be safe.

I paid $625 & considered it to be a good price. I wanted a fancy wrasse & I'm limited in potential fish being reef & shrimp safe so my Christmas bonus went to the LFS this year.
 
Well he calmed down a little & now is starting to go after the possum wrasse. I only see him push the firefish when I feed the tank. It's not constant aggression but I don't want this going on in my tank.

I have a diamond tail flasher in an acclimation box so I don't know if that is what is setting him off or not. Strange thing is that he is still intimidated by the goby & now the mandarin as well.

Tomorrow I will take the rock work apart to catch him & he will go back to the store to be sold on consignment. Lesson learned the hard way. :(
 
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