Hoevens wrasse keeps hiding

[HV1990]

Okay so I have had this guy for around 8 months now. He used to come out all the time and swim around. Now he comes out every three days or so and just shows himself for a couple of hours then its back in the sand. When he is out I look for signs of stress i.e. missing scales, blotches on body for fungus or infections, cloudy eyes, and rapid breathing. Nope nothing. He eats since I feed when I see him and he is as fat as can be.

Food consist of P.E. Mysis, Nori sheet (not sure why he likes this), new life spectrum optimum flake.

Any suggestion.

Fish tank stock

mystery wrasse
Marble wrasse
Hoevens wrasse
2 engineering gobies
2 chromis
and a scopas tang
radiant wrasse

 

[evolved]

Prolonged periods of hiding is typically a sign of aggression from another fish. This doesn't necessarily mean you'd see damage on the melanurus, it's more a matter of one of the tankmates bullying him by intimidation.

When he is actually out, how's the interaction between the other tankmates? I suspect one of your other wrasses doesn't like him. What happens just before he disappears back into the sand?

 

[flfireman1]

Prolonged periods of hiding is typically a sign of aggression from another fish. This doesn't necessarily mean you'd see damage on the melanurus, it's more a matter of one of the tankmates bullying him by intimidation.

When he is actually out, how's the interaction between the other tankmates? I suspect one of your other wrasses doesn't like him. What happens just before he disappears back into the sand?

+1
Im willing to bet your mystery wrasse has something to do with it. Keep a careful eye on him/her when its out and about and watch for aggression from the other fish in the tank.

 

[HV1990]

when he is out he seems fine. darting in and out of live rock. My mystery wrasse seems very calm towards him. I believe it may be the marble wrasse. He seems to raise his all his fins and flare up when the marble gets near. I really don't want to have to get rid of any of them

 

[evolved]

when he is out he seems fine. darting in and out of live rock. My mystery wrasse seems very calm towards him. I believe it may be the marble wrasse. He seems to raise his all his fins and flare up when the marble gets near. I really don't want to have to get rid of any of them

I believe you've answered your own question.

If it's been going on this long, there's no reason to believe it will stop. If you don't get rid of the aggressor or the one being prayed upon, nature will get rid of the latter for you.