mystery wrasse help

[twabatman2004]

So I screwed up and added a mystery wrasse too soon. I just couldnt resist when I saw him. Now pretty much anything I add after him he picks on (imagine that) I already have a pair of percula clowns, Hippo tang, and a green chromis all of which he never messes with. The other day I put a 6 line wrasse in to help control my flat worm population without even thinking. The mystery wrasse of course didn't like the new addition and chases it every time he sees it. The 6 line is slowly coming out more and more. I also put 6 peppermint shrimp in a few days ago and they keep ending up dead with legs missing and of course I see him picking on them while they are dead. I haven't seen him messing with the live ones but I have a suspension he is the one killing them. My question is, I was eventually going to get a few more fish, but I thought about getting them all now to try to give it more going on in the tank and hopefully take the bullying to a minimum. I was going to add a yellow tang, some type of goby and maybe a few more chromis. Think this may work? This is all in a 75 gallon sps dominated tank. And yes, I have already tried to catch the mystery wrasse for a several days. It's near impossible.

 

[rpjaws74]

I have mine in a 500 glln and I love the guy. But can be a little fiesty at times. I dont think he will mess with a yellow tang in particular but a goby he might and the anthias. But I agree with you if you add them all at once you have a better chance of less aggression. Maybe if you move some rock around where he likes to hang out that might keep him preoccupied for a while

 

[twabatman2004]

I have mine in a 500 glln and I love the guy. But can be a little fiesty at times. I dont think he will mess with a yellow tang in particular but a goby he might and the anthias. But I agree with you if you add them all at once you have a better chance of less aggression. Maybe if you move some rock around where he likes to hang out that might keep him preoccupied for a while

He hides everywhere so moving rocks wont work. Im hoping if I add a few fish at once it will throw him for a loop and lessen the agressiveness. Key word being hope haha. He is a awesome fish but a pain in the butt. Do you think he is killing the peppermint shrimp or just picking at them after they are dead?

 

[Blitzburggirl]

Mystery wrasses are known for eating shrimp. My old one could put them down like a frat boy with a shrimp ring at a sorority party. This has nothing to do with add order.

And a 6 line wrasse is a predator of the same type and taste of the mystery wrasse. When building a reef, it certainly helps, to choose inhabitants that don't overcrowd one specific niche. There can only be one Kim Kardashian.. thank God.

 

[coreyg]

My mystery only has problems with other wrasses. I don't have shrimp in my tank, because of the mystery.

 

[firsttimereefer]

I have a pair of mystery wrasse and they are very peaceful in my tank and even submissive at times. They share a tank with two perc. Clowns, a coral beauty, one chromis, a yellow tang, and one large skunk cleaner shrimp. Also snails and things. I put mine in last so there will be no issue I hope. That seems like a lot of fish in a 75 so there may be territory issues regardless

 

[Daniel Reef]

I'm thinking of a getting a mystery wrasse but was under the impression that they eat snails and other CUCs. I don't plan on having a shrimp. Sounds like everyone is saying that it would be okay to have a mystery wrasse if there are no shrimp and that it won't touch the CUC.

 

[aleonn]

When I had a mystery wrasse, it always picked on new arrivals (smaller gobies, blennies, and wrasses) to the point of death. He never did touch my established ornamental shrimp, and didn't touch my CUC.

He was really smart about evading traps, but eventually I got him. I starved the tank for a few days, placed mysis in a clear plastic water bottle with the top inverted, and placed the bottle in an area he often hung out in.

 

[JSeymour]

The sixline and the mystery wrasse may never be compatible. They are very closely related being in the same genus.

The only real problem my mystery wrasse has is it likes to eat shrimp(tank used to have several peppermints) and smaller hermit crabs. Of course he only shares the tank with three fish, a yellow tang and a pair of dragonets. He completely leaves the dragonets alone, but bosses my yellow tang around. He rules the tank, but as a "peaceful" ruler. As long as the tang doesn't try and steal his food or defend something, he has no problem with her.

Here is a little video showing him bossing her around a bit. They have both been in the tank for quite sometime together, so this isn't just the tang being new or anything. I just uploaded the video, so it may take a few minutes for it to be available.
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hV05AeAdnfM?hl=en&fs=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[twabatman2004]

I am going to put these fish in Sunday. I will keep everyone posted on how it goes. Good news is no dead peppermint today when I got home. Maybe they just happened to die and he was eating them after they died? Wishful thinking I know but that's what i'm hoping!

 

[rpjaws74]

I am going to put these fish in Sunday. I will keep everyone posted on how it goes. Good news is no dead peppermint today when I got home. Maybe they just happened to die and he was eating them after they died? Wishful thinking I know but that's what i'm hoping!

I thought that was strange people saying there mystery wrasse was eating peppermint shrimps,snails and hermit crabs cause I have all of the above and Ive never seen any of them missing or my mystery wrasse picking at them. But who knows!! But keep us posted and good luck!!

 

[twabatman2004]

I thought that was strange people saying there mystery wrasse was eating peppermint shrimps,snails and hermit crabs cause I have all of the above and Ive never seen any of them missing or my mystery wrasse picking at them. But who knows!! But keep us posted and good luck!!

You just got lucky :lmao: Im tired of trying to catch him so it is what it is now. Im just going to let everything play out and see what happens.

 

[rpjaws74]

I guess so!! but yeah I would just play it out and see what happens let us know.

 

[twabatman2004]

well, I noticed the 6 line has been coming out a little more than usual the last day or so. I came home today to see both the mystery wrasse and 6 line swimming around basically paying neither any attention. Pretty nice! I did just put a yellow tang and 3 more chromis (total of 4 now, hopefully a few will make it). Hopefully all is well now and fighting will stop completely.

 

[jscarlata]

mine definitely eats snails, i frequently have to add more snails, i think he goes for hermits too...i WISH he would get my peppermints, i dont like them anymore. they are good scavengers, but they are darn greedy, they always steel food form the plate corals, makes me crazy! ill be adding a Tomini and blue streak this weekend as they are done with 4 weeks of QT at the end of the week, so it will be interesting what happens, the tang is bigger than the mystery, so i dont forsee any issues

 

[VVickedFish]

So I screwed up and added a mystery wrasse too soon. I just couldnt resist when I saw him. Now pretty much anything I add after him he picks on (imagine that) I already have a pair of percula clowns, Hippo tang, and a green chromis all of which he never messes with. The other day I put a 6 line wrasse in to help control my flat worm population without even thinking. The mystery wrasse of course didn't like the new addition and chases it every time he sees it. The 6 line is slowly coming out more and more. I also put 6 peppermint shrimp in a few days ago and they keep ending up dead with legs missing and of course I see him picking on them while they are dead. I haven't seen him messing with the live ones but I have a suspension he is the one killing them. My question is, I was eventually going to get a few more fish, but I thought about getting them all now to try to give it more going on in the tank and hopefully take the bullying to a minimum. I was going to add a yellow tang, some type of goby and maybe a few more chromis. Think this may work? This is all in a 75 gallon sps dominated tank. And yes, I have already tried to catch the mystery wrasse for a several days. It's near impossible.

peppermint shrimp? with a wrasse and you put in the mystery wrasse first? In a 75 gallon? Patience & doing your own research is the key to this hobbie. Either the store sold you or you just started buying like crazy. I suggest you pull him out or start buying semi-aggressive lifestock for a 75 gallon tank the whole tank is the wrasses terrority. I have a pair in the my 120. It aint that big. But i bought them small and put them in last with purple tang and Aust. Tusk.

 

[twabatman2004]

peppermint shrimp? with a wrasse and you put in the mystery wrasse first? In a 75 gallon? Patience & doing your own research is the key to this hobbie. Either the store sold you or you just started buying like crazy. I suggest you pull him out or start buying semi-aggressive lifestock for a 75 gallon tank the whole tank is the wrasses terrority. I have a pair in the my 120. It aint that big. But i bought them small and put them in last with purple tang and Aust. Tusk.

I must admit, it was a situation that I knew better about buying it but did it anyways. All is well now.

 

[Goku2099]

Uhh yea mystery wrasse..... I have one and he never ate my cleaner shrimps when I first got them even when they were bite sized, but after those died any new ones I tried to add he suddenly decided he likes to eat shrimps now. So who knows they can change their minds about things, but once they get a taste for shrimps they never go back. And yes they hate any conspecifics (anything with a similar body shape or color). I did manage to get a little yellow coris wrasse in my tank though because he was super healthy and he chased it only a couple of times then got over it. I guess because he is sucha different color and so much smaller he leaves it alone. Mystery Wrasses are little punks that's why they are called mystery wrasses cause it's a mystery to what they are thinking. They are always up to something and always on the hunt for little inverts.