I have a 75 gallon tank. current inhabitants are 1 six line wrasse, 1 coral beauty, 1 emerald crab, 1 skunk/cleaner shrimp, 1 blood red shrimp. The six line has never bothered either the skunk or blood shrimp. About a month ago I added two peppermint shrimp. They recently disappeared. So I went out and bought two more. The wrasse immediately attacked and killed both of them. Is this normal behavior for a six line wrasse?
six line wrasse is on the attack!
- Thread starter cpittmx
- Start date
Chiefsurfer
New member
I have heard some wrasses can be a bit nasty, but never heard of this particular scenario.
lordofthereef
One reef to rule them all
This isn't uncommon. Is the wrasse pretty big? I have heard of them eating shrimp, crabs, anything in can actually eat.
lordofthereef
One reef to rule them all
Guess he is just a butthead. Either way, I have heard of these guys being this way before. I guess your choice is bye bye shrimp or bye bye wrasse :wavehand:
peppermint shrimp are dinner for any wrasse or pseudocrhomis that can take it down. adding one AFTER the wrasse just isn't wise to begin with. Cleaners sometimes get a pass because they are excepted as cleaners. Peppermint are little more than feeder shrimp for most wrasse. sixlines that dont bother shrimp is only due to size, small crustaceans are what they eat naturally.
+1 on what stanalee said. i learned this the hard way as 3 days after adding a pep shrimp it was dead. it was at the bottom of the tank with some legs torn off. i removed the shrimp but left the stray legs and sooner then not the 6line was swiming around with a leg sticking out his mouth.
i saw the 6line chase the shrimp but it always seems like he lost interest or the shrimp went somewhere the wrasse didn't mind so i though nothing of it.
how did yall catch your 6line?
i saw the 6line chase the shrimp but it always seems like he lost interest or the shrimp went somewhere the wrasse didn't mind so i though nothing of it.
how did yall catch your 6line?
not really. for every one thats troublesome there's one that doesn't bother anybody. My sixline was the first fish in my tank and has never bothered any other fish introduced after (false perc, royal gramma and LM blenny but I have put in timid small fang blennies and it didn't bother those either). it will defend itself but never starts anything. my false perc is much worse and charges all my fish (luckily they all defend themselves). shrimp attack shouldn't be considered aggression, they find them tasty treats (sometimes too big to eat) not tankmates.
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Saltwaternoob
New member
Mine took out a couple of cleaners before I could figure out what was going on. Very active fish, chose him over the shrimp
Saltwaternoob
New member
Wonder if the size of your tank came into play? Mine is way to active to be swimming in circles
When kept in small tanks, 12g nano for example, it is common knowledge that the 6-lines will start to get testy with age. We do have to keep in mind, that like humans, all fish can be different. Like Stan, I too put mine in first (125g) and have never had him do anything but defend himself. I have 4 peps, 2 emeralds, 1 skunk and numerous snails and hermits that were all added after the 6-line. He has yet to show any interest in any of them. He just looks for pods all day long until lights out.
Mine was fine for the last yr in my 210 and never bothered anyone in the tank. In the last month it has gone on a rampage tearing at my clowns, tangs and attacked our new sailfin already. Has not bothered any of the blood red shrimp in there thoug. As soon as I can get him out his new home is the sump!!
SATAN FISH
New member
Same thing happened to me, only this is in my 125 gallon. Tank specs are listed in my sig. I also have had fish disappear in my tank. I believe it is due to this bastard. I also have video of him trying to punk out the other fish in my tank too.
http://www.youtube.com/user/satanz31#p/a/u/1/FhE_sqOnqoc
I thought he was looking for food in the sand at first, but then I posted this video and people informed me that he was trying to intimidate the other fish in the tank. They don't seem to care about what he is doing though. Except one of my fire fish just recently disappeared, and two of my three pep shrimp are gone and the other one never comes out.
Good luck catching him though, I have tried fish traps and all kinds of things to catch him. It may come to tearing apart the ENTIRE TANK to catch him.
wayne_brettsky
New member
I just bought a 6 line and introduced him to my tank yesterday, along with a Flame Angel. Prior to adding them, I had one clown, one scooter blenny, one striped blenny, and a few hermits and two emerald crabs. This morning I woke up and my striped blenny had been decapitated, laying on the bottom of the tank. Before I added the line and the flame angel, my tank was happy. No issues at all. I dont know which fish killed my striped blenny, but I suspect the 6 line wrasse. It really sucks. The striped blenny was interesting and really seemed to happy. Will other fish kill a fish if its unhealthy? I wonder if he had something wrong with him? He seemed really happy and I didnt see any of the other fish messing with him at all. Anyone experience anything like this before?
Xandernfs
New member
Six lines are very active swimmers and I think that is what is very attractive about them. I, myself, also had a bad experience with one. IMO, they need to big (125+) to have enough room to swim and not be aggressive. Many have had them in smaller tanks, but it runs a risk. I can only imagine the pain it would be to get one out of a 75.
