Is this normal for an wrasse?

[EDJFA]

I added a Solon Fairy Wrasse to my tank yesterday. Very cool looking fish.

I put him in the display, he ate immediately, so I thought everything was good. This morning, he's swimming in the top corner of the tank, hiding behind the return output. Doesn't seem to want to leave that spot.

That doesn't seem normal. I've not had any other fish that have done that. Some have hidden, but they've gone into the rocks.

Should I be concerned?

 

[PalaciosAn]

What type of bed do you have, most wrasse like to have a sand bed. They normally burrow in the sand to sleep and if they get scared.

 

[EDJFA]

I have a sand bed.

I figured out what's happening. I also have a Marble Wrasse that has been in the tank for a few months now. Every time the new wrasse tries to leave the corner, the Marble darts at him.

The Powder Brown and Dejardinis are also hanging out in that corner more than usual. I guess they're just trying to work out the new pecking order.

 

[kegogut]

Might be best to put the new wrasse in an acclimation box until the other wrasse gets used to him.

 

[EDJFA]

That would be great. Getting him out from under the rockwork at this point would be a major chore.

The Marble Wrasse seems to have bullied him to a point where he's afraid to come out into the open. He's created a little burrow for himself under the base rocks.

 

[albano]

What type of bed do you have, most wrasse like to have a sand bed. They normally burrow in the sand to sleep and if they get scared.

This is not at all true for fairy and flasher wrasses...

 

[EDJFA]

Well, unfortunately it's a non-issue now.

I was on the phone just a few minutes ago when I looked up at the tank and noticed that the new fish wasn't in his normal spot.

Happened to glance down at the floor - which is where I saw him.

He had been there long enough to dry out a little bit, but I tried holding him in the return stream, felt him twitch a couple times, then nothing.

Before I buy one of those again, I guess I'll be putting a top on my tank. That was an expensive lesson to learn.

 

[albano]

Before I buy one of those again, I guess I'll be putting a top on my tank. That was an expensive lesson to learn.

Sorry, thought that you knew that wrasses must be 'caged'!... basically any fish can jump, so it's safest to cover all tanks

 

[EDJFA]

I did. I was just today looking at ordering a kit from BRS. I've had tanks up for about 6 years now with only one other jumper. That one was a clownfish.

I knew I was taking a chance, but like many of us learned the hard way that this hobby will burn you if you take too many chances.