Saving my fish...

KillerReef

KillerReef

Wrasse-a-holic
I got a Scarlet fin flasher and a Carpenter flasher last wednesday that were immediately harassed by my purple tang into hiding. They have chosen a spot where I can not catch them w/o tearing the whole tank apart. They have not eaten that I have seen. I left the lights of the first couple days for them to adjust, but this didn't seem to ease their fright.

I am thinking of turning them off again hoping to make a difference. I'm hoping that feeding them in the dark w/o the pressure of Ms. Nasty(the PT) chasing them may work. I feed rod's original, rods herbivore, PE mysis cyclopeeze flake and form. 1 and 2 with little success with these guys. I have tried soaking the food in garlic, that doesn't seem to help either. Any other very enticing food you can think of? I know if I can just get them to start eating, they will adjust, and that a hungry fish is a healthy fish. Any thoughts?

Any other suggestions? Thanks, Dave
 
Purple tangs are extremely aggressive Sometimes it can be difficult to add other fish after they are in the tank
 
lisafoster said:
Purple tangs are extremely aggressive Sometimes it can be difficult to add other fish after they are in the tank
Click to expand...

I know they are semi-aggressive and she has always accepted newbies after a couple days, but I think these fish are extra sensitive. I have had her for nine years so she is not going anywhere, though I am tempted. Every other fish was added after her. I think my mistake, I mean, I know, my mistake was not using a separate acclimation cup to introduce them.

I am just looking for fresh ideas to maybe get them eating before it is too late. Thanks, Dave
 
Little wrasses are very sensitive to be chased i had a yellow candy hogfish in 240 reef and decided to add a group of fairy wrasses wrong choice never saw the fairy wrasses again the candy ho would never let them come eventually the yellow hog was put in my predator tank.
 
completely agree, though I know if I were not such a dummy and had used an acclimation cup, my PT would have warmed up to them as she has to all the others...
 
Regarding the food, I've found few fish can resist nutramar prawn roe. And it stays in suspension enough that some may drift to wherever the wrasses are hiding. Good luck.
 
thanks, small alien, I will see if I can get some locally. Good call...

Re: removing the PT, I tried for about an hour yesterday, but with no luck, I have too many corals attached to the rocks to tear it apart. Good idea, though...
 
Just ordered some from Marine Depot, will be picking it up in a couple hours, all the reviews say this is a good food for finicky eaters, so hopefuylly this will get them eating. Thanks again for the reply, SA...
 
Fed it to the tank and made sure some made it into their hole, so hopefully it enticed them enough to feed. The rest of the fish absolutely loved it...
 
Well, I went back to lights on today, only for a couple hours, and I'm pretty sure that both of them ate something since there is a lot more movement in their hole and the scarlet( i think it's the scarlet, hard to tell with only actinics) looked to be popping out to at least try to eat. The darn PT is such a PITA though as she and the melanurus just seem to hover around the entrance to their hole.

Smart Alien, thank you for the tip, I think that is what triggered the feeding response...
 
Yeah purple are very nasty. Hope you get those guys eatting soon. i have a pseudochromis who i have to net sometimes when adding new inverts cause he thinks they are food. Dont have any peppermints cause they were eaten by him.
 
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