New six line not eating

[mc12301]

Hi everyone, I added a six line wrasse to my 55g FOWLR on Sunday night. Acclimated properly.

There’s a damsel and a clown in there as well as coral banded shrimp and tuxedo urchin. The only odd thing I noticed was that the damsel went after the six line pretty hard for an hour or so. Couple times the wrasse went right back at him.

Then the two have settled in. The six line is cautious and stays in the rocks mostly but he’ll come out for a swim here and there. Damsel ignores him now. But the six line is not eating. Five days and no food. Swims right past spectrum pellets. Tried frozen brine the second day. No interest. Going to try again later.

Should I be feeding something different? I never see him grazing on the rock. So I’m concerned that he’s going to starve.

 

[griss]

Some clowns can be aggressive and so can six lines. That said, have you tried frozen Mysis? If he's not looking under nourished, maybe he's eating pods in the rocks and sand?

@leebca @Dr. Reef any thoughts?

 

[leebca]

Should I be feeding something different? I never see him grazing on the rock. So I’m concerned that he’s going to starve.

The Six Line Wrasse is a carnivore. Don't try to feed it adult brine shrimp. Read through the Fish Nutrition post. Worth noting is that they are known to eat snails and shrimp. A healthy fish can live weeks without eating, however if not eating within a week from now after trying the foods in the link, consider moving the Wrasse out of the Tank and into a hospital tank where no other fish is around.

Damsels can be bullies. In fact, many if not most are just that. So although it may seem they have "settled in" in fact, there is animosity -- a continual subtle aggression.

Was the Wrasse quarantined before adding to the 55?

 

[mc12301]

I didn’t quarantine the wrasse first. Never have done that before.

I will try frozen mysis this weekend.

If the underlying issue is the aggression from the damsel, what do I do once I put the wrasse in a separate tank? Won’t I have same problem once I acclimate him back in? would it make sense to quarantine the damsel for a couple weeks instead and hope when he returns to the tank he is more peaceful?

 

[OldReefGuy]

are you able to change some of your scape? move some rocks around etc...? basically a re-set on territory...

 

[leebca]

If the underlying issue is the aggression from the damsel, what do I do once I put the wrasse in a separate tank? Won’t I have same problem once I acclimate him back in? would it make sense to quarantine the damsel for a couple weeks instead and hope when he returns to the tank he is more peaceful?

If the two don't get along, then either one has to be rehomed elsewhere, or there needs to be a divider in the aquarium (unsightly) such that neither fish can see the other.

 

[mc12301]

No interest in mysis. Very active swimming around looking it at. Just no bites.

 

[leebca]

Do you have access to any live foods (e.g., adult brine shrimp, white worms, pods)?

Performa a large (50%) water change. A water change of that size sometimes stimulates the eating process.

 

[mc12301]

Wrasse ate live brine.

 

[leebca]

Yeah!!

Now the hart part -- getting it to eat frozen brine shrimp, then frozen other foods. Get it away from Brine Shrimp as soon as you can.

 

[mc12301]

Why not brine shrimp?

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

Not much nutritional value to brine shrimp.

 

[leebca]

Vinny has said it. PLEASE! Download then read, the Fish Nutrition document Brine Shrimp info there along with many other bits of information.