Six Line troubles...

[Raibaru]

Well I've had my six line wrasse for about a year. He occasionally would chase my chromis around but would lose interest after a bit and just go back to its daily foraging.

Unfortunately, he has now been bothering my female osc. clownfish. He chases her all over the tank and eventually pushes her to the top of the tank where I'm convinced he's trying to have her jump out.

I try to stay away from the tank to let them work it out but once he pushes her to the surface I get close to the tank to scare the sixline away.

Should I ignore it completely for a day and hope it's taken care of? Or is it time to pull some fish?

I only have a 10 gallon I can move the fish to. Is it better to remove the pair of clowns to the 10 gallon (as they're far easier to catch) or remove the sixline? Is a 10g too small for a six line?

Sorry for the long winded post. I've got to go out and get a heater and some kind of dinky lighting and filter for the 10g for whatever I decide to do.

 

[snorvich]

Sixlines are vicious. Your choice.

 

[Jerry W]

A ten would hold a pair of clowns, although more room would be better. My sixline is a nasty little bugger. He did the same to a sankey's dottyback, which I removed, and routinely squares off with my smaller clown as well. I've thought of getting rid of him on a few occassions but overall he's a pretty/interesting fish that adds a lot to the tank. I don't think yours will let up anytime soon, so decide who stays and who goes. They are unbelieveably difficult to catch btw so good luck!

 

[Raibaru]

Do you think if I take him out for several months and then put him back in the main tank he'll "learn his lesson" or will he probably just start picking on everyone again once he gets used to the main tank again?

If in the long run it won't work then I'm just gonna try and find someone else who will take him.

Any suggestions for a suitable replacement for him if it comes to that? I currently have 4 fish in a 36 gallon. 2 Osc. Clowns at about 4". A Green Chromis at about 2" and a Midas Blenny at about 4".

Want a swimming fish that will be visible. The clowns stay in the coral, the midas hides until someone walks by expecting food, and the chromis just hovers in place minding his own business.

Would be awesome if it were a fish that would encourage the chromis to swim around with it, even though the tank may be to small for that kind of schooling.

 

[snorvich]

they do not "learn their lesson". What they are, is what they are, and that is aggressive little buggers.

 

[Raibaru]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13103871#post13103871 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by snorvich
they do not "learn their lesson". What they are, is what they are, and that is aggressive little buggers.

Yea, figured as much.

Things calmed down a bit today but if he acts up again tomorrow I'll take him out. Is a 10g tank to small to give him a good life? He really is a great fish and I really enjoy watching him wander around hunting all hours of the day.

But if 10g won't be fair for him I'll try to find him a better home.

 

[ricks]

Or you could just upgrade your tank.

More room would make him less territorial..

And a great excuse for a 100+.

Happy Reefing

 

[melanotaenia]

I had a sixline that did the same thing, always keeping my clowns near the top of the tank and always giving them crap; he never fin nipped at them or tried to "kill" them but he was always pestering them and they were having trouble getting enough food because they were afraid to get into the water column due to the six line coming after them. I eventually had to remove the sixline completely from the tank because he would go after my hands when I was cleaning the tank, and my clowns were really suffering. I knew he was the culprit because as soon as he was removed the clowns after a day or two were out in the open all the time.

I never knew that sixlines were so mean, but the last one I had taught me to stay away from them for any future tank that has docile fish.

 

[ricks]

I have a sixline in my 500, along with (3) sets of clowns, and (3) other wrasses. He is a model citizen never any trouble, with any of them.

I think it's the size of the tank, might just be me though...

Happy Reefing

 

[Cadu]

my six line wrasse is also mean as she can be ...
interesting thing is that are always listed as peaceful ...
mine killed my royal gramma and 2 peppermint shrimps.
i still wasn't able to get her out of my tank ...

 

[lesleybird]

My sixline killed a royal gramma and then a beautiful flasher wrasse in my old 90 gallon. I could not catch him and only got him out when I upgraded to a bigger tank. If you can get him out why don't you give him back to the fish store. Lesley