HELP! (Wrasses)

[Spork3245]

Okay, so going off my thread from yesterday: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2336190

I went ahead and purchased the wrasse, it was in the LFS's "pre-quarantined guaranteed" section which is where I usually buy from (salinity is kept at 1.024 in that section too), so I'm currently floating the bag and I have a huge problem, my current Male C. Solorensis is going NUTS attacking the bag and trying to get at the new addition, the wrasse in the bag is doing the same thing from inside the bag.
I'm starting to think that this was a bad purchase and that it was not a female C. Solorensis and is possibly a C. Aurantidorsalis...? The only saving grace is that C. Aurantidorsalis has a max size of around 3" and this fish closer to 4"+.

What should I do since the fish store is closed? They sold me an acclimation box which was pretty cheap but I did not realize it was 1.) small and 2.) a floating one (ugh).

Am I currently screwed?

 

[jaa1456]

Put it in the box until the aggression stops. Also what Lfs in NJ has a QT section?

 

[eatbreakfast]

Put it in after lights out, it will give both a chance to chill out.

There may be some chasing tomorrow, but once they figure out which one is the boss and which one is not the subdominant fish will avoid the dominant one.

 

[Spork3245]

Put it in the box until the aggression stops. Also what Lfs in NJ has a QT section?

It's in PA, I live next to the Delaware River, it's about 30+ minutes from me

 

[Spork3245]

Ugh, I have "her" in the box, she's not too happy atm. I cut a piece of pvc pipe to put in the small box for her, but it floats...? What should I do?

 

[Mike S]

Put a PVC elbow or another type of fitting in there. It should sink and give the fish some cover. Leave it in there for a few days and see if the aggression settles down.

 

[ingtar_shinowa]

Elite Aquatics has a large social acclimation box that is a must imo for mixed wrasse tanks. Hunter put me onto them and I mixed a solarensis and a Aurantidorsalis. Spent 2 weeks in the box then the new wrasse hid in a corner for a week. No real chasing and today they hang out at feeding time, show nearly no aggression at all.

 

[Spork3245]

Just turned the lights on after having lights out for about 10 hours, my male wrasse seems to be ignoring the new addition now and not constantly circling the breeder/acclimation box.
I'm going to wait about 30 more minutes to see if he continues to ignore "her", if so, should I go ahead and drop "her" in? He just swam up to the box and then slowly swam away as I was typing this, doesn't seem obsessed with it now.

 

[Spork3245]

After the lights were on for a bit, the Male started to harass the "Female" again, or at least the box she's in. I'm going to call around and see if I can find a LFS/petstore with a larger acclimation box so "she'll" be more comfortable for a few days

 

[Spork3245]

After the lights were on for a bit, the Male started to harass the "Female" again, or at least the box she's in. I'm going to call around and see if I can find a LFS/petstore with a larger acclimation box so "she'll" be more comfortable for a few days

Bah, the current box is 8x4x4, a LFS about 40 minutes from me has a larger one for only $10, but it's 10x6x4 (LxHxW), I honestly don't think that's going to make enough of a difference to warrant the 40+ minute drive there and back.
I feel so bad for this fish as there's such little room for her. I wish I could find a larger one somewhere.

 

[nikon187]

Okay, so going off my thread from yesterday: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2336190

I went ahead and purchased the wrasse, it was in the LFS's "pre-quarantined guaranteed" section which is where I usually buy from (salinity is kept at 1.024 in that section too), so I'm currently floating the bag and I have a huge problem, my current Male C. Solorensis is going NUTS attacking the bag and trying to get at the new addition, the wrasse in the bag is doing the same thing from inside the bag.
I'm starting to think that this was a bad purchase and that it was not a female C. Solorensis and is possibly a C. Aurantidorsalis...? The only saving grace is that C. Aurantidorsalis has a max size of around 3" and this fish closer to 4"+.

What should I do since the fish store is closed? They sold me an acclimation box which was pretty cheap but I did not realize it was 1.) small and 2.) a floating one (ugh).

Am I currently screwed?

aside from saving on salt, 1.024 will do nothing for disease. hypo salinity is 1.009

 

[Spork3245]

aside from saving on salt, 1.024 will do nothing for disease. hypo salinity is 1.009

What? I wasn't referring to the salinity keeping parasites away, they run various meds for about 6 weeks before putting the fish into that sale section. I was referencing that they have it at high/normal salinity where-as in that section, where-as most LFS keep their salinity lower to "hide" potential parasites (so-to-speak, usually at 1.019).

 

[evolved]

As I comment on the ID thread, I believe the issue here is you may be attempt to mix a sub-male with a male. It might work, but you need to be very, very cautious. Do not release the new guy unless all signs of aggression cease. If that doesn't happen, you'll need to find that new guy a new home.

 

[Spork3245]

As I comment on the ID thread, I believe the issue here is you may be attempt to mix a sub-male with a male. It might work, but you need to be very, very cautious. Do not release the new guy unless all signs of aggression cease. If that doesn't happen, you'll need to find that new guy a new home.

I just saw your comment - What do you mean by transitioning? Is this species hermaphroditic like clown fish where they can switch between male and female?
I've had that in the back of my head since last night when this all started, but didn't think that fairy wrasses could switch gender.

How long can I theoretically and safely keep the new wrasse in the 7x4x4 breeder box? I feel like it barely has any room and honestly feel horrible for the fish right now.

 

[evolved]

Wrasse are protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning they are all born female and can transition to male. They will transition to male as the environment requires. In a harem, there is typically one terminal male amongst many conspecific females, with a few sub-males in the mix (essentially, ones waiting to fill the terminal male's slot when he ends up missing - dead or prayed upon). Wrasses do not "pair"; it's all about the dominance of the terminal male over the submissive females.

The Cirrhilabrus genus, like many others, is also sexually dichromatic, meaning there is a visually difference between males/females.

 

[RDtrack]

Ditto to Hunter's comments. A transition wrasse can bad to any fish that has the same shape....if it's another wrasse of the same gender watch out.

You might feel bad for the fish in the in the acclimation box but you'll feel worse when you release it and the other wrasse goes into attack mode. I'd observe what happens in the evening. Is your current wrasse circling the acclimation box or is it just swimming around normally.

I had a female lineatus that would have killed a male rhomboid if I hadn't been able to catch the rhomboid and return it.

Good luck but take your time.

 

[Spork3245]

Ditto to Hunter's comments. A transition wrasse can bad to any fish that has the same shape....if it's another wrasse of the same gender watch out.

You might feel bad for the fish in the in the acclimation box but you'll feel worse when you release it and the other wrasse goes into attack mode. I'd observe what happens in the evening. Is your current wrasse circling the acclimation box or is it just swimming around normally.

I had a female lineatus that would have killed a male rhomboid if I hadn't been able to catch the rhomboid and return it.

Good luck but take your time.

My current wrasse is actually doing both. It's circling the box and occasionally leaving it alone for a few minutes before returning to swimming around the box. Once in awhile he'll seemingly try to "charge" at the box and/or try to "bite" the box.
The wrasse inside the box however doesn't really seem to be doing much of anything while this is occurring, it's more-or-less just "sitting" in the box. However, occasionally it will start to "fight back". I just feel horrible that it has such little room to move around it, it seems like torture for the thing.

Should I try and return it? The store has a "no returns on livestock" policy but I'm hoping that since I've spent so much money there over the past 6 months, that they didn't have a scientific name for the wrasse and that I bought "her" just before closing last night that they'd be willing to at least offer my store credit of some-sort. OR should I just continue to keep "her" in the breeder box and hope for the best? Is it truly safe (for the fish) to do this? I just don't want "her" stressing out to death due to the small amount of space.

 

[Spork3245]

Here's some pics of the new addition in the breeder box and my current wrasse circling it, if it helps:

Unfortunately the colors are slightly off from the camera than how it looks in person, but it's much clearer than the pics in my ID thread at least. You can kind'of see the yellow/gold on the main body in those compared to how "she" looked in my other thread.

I've kinda just been hoping that my Male C. Solorensis is just super horny and that's why he's been trying to get at the new addition, but I doubt I have that kind of luck

The Male is being such a jerk ATM that I saw my Flame Angel chase him away this morning, which is incredibly odd as my Flame has been SUPER peaceful since adding him and usually swims side-by-side with my current Wrasse and my One-Spot Foxface. Up until this point, the C. Solorensis has easily been the "friendliest" fish in my tank, seemingly wanting to be every other fish's best friend.

 

[RDtrack]

I would stop buying fish there if they won't take it back and give you full credit. The credit may not $ but store credit.

I know my LFS would do it. Now if I had the fish for three or four months I would probably get some credit but not a full refund.

You could leave it in the acclimation box for awhile longer and see if it helps.

Good luck.

 

[evolved]

What you're seeing is in fact "attack mode". You can't release that fish into the tank so long as that behavior is happening (unless you wish to witness a real attack...).