Six Line Wrasse - SPS Nipper???

[jcr6479]

I recently purchased a bi-color blenny to help control some green hair algae that just popped up in my 30 gallon reef aquarium. To my surprise, instead of eating the algae, he began chomping on various sps colonies in my tank (Monti cap, Birdnest & Stag). I witnessed this for myself.

To make a long story short, I took him back to the LFS and traded him in for a six-line wrasse since they only gave me store credit. Don't you think that after I put him in the tank he began nipping at my birdnest and still is. Now I have broken my entire tank down twice in the last month, once for a sally lightfoot that developed a taste for fish and for the blenny, and I don't want to have to do this again.

Has anyone ever heard of a sixline eating sps polyps? I know I haven't. Could he be picking at the dead tissue that resulted from the blenny? Or some kind of critter? I'm at a lost. Please help!

 

[Large Polyp Dave]

I had an old 6-line that nipped every darn SPS polyp i had at the time. Within a week all the acros had almost no polyp extension.

Eventally the fish jumped and i found it dead and dried up on the floor. I'm not sure if the nipping goes away... but I had bad luck with one of my 6-lines. My current 6-line doesn't nip.

 

[derekman]

Bicolor blennies almost always eat SPS I don't mean to give you a hard time but you should really research fish before you take them home.... most LFS will let you hold fish for at least a day.

About the sixline, they almost always are reef safe. but as always, it really depends on the individual. If an individual decides it likes birdnest, it doesn't mean all of them do. in this case, I've had 3 sixlines, never having a problem. they always ended up drying on the floor though...

 

[jcr6479]

Thanks for the info. I thought bi-colors were herbivores. I guess when fish are stamped "reef safe" by vendors its not always a guarantee. Thats what makes this hobby interesting. Hopefully the six-line takes a dive soon.

 

[jcr6479]

Does anyone know of a "reef safe" algae eating fish that would be content in a 30g (36") aquarium?

 

[Wiskey]

My 6 line would very carefully and very methodically inspect each colony in my tank, like he was looking for something, I only saw him nip once or twice, but on closer inspection there was food trapped there.

One major problem though, he hated acro crabs, or should I say loved to eat them

Whiskey

 

[derekman]

a smaller yellow tang(though not very friendly) or kole tang sell em when they get too big... tell you what though really, all you need is a S*** load of astrea snails. I have no algae in my tank (just my overflow where the snails can't get to)

 

[Wiskey]

My yellow tang is very friendly, much, much more friendly than my 6 line was.

A lawnmower blenny is also an option.

Whiskey

 

[twon8]

agree with wiskey, a lmb is a much better option than a yellow tang in a 30g

 

[menard]

Bi color blenny, any surface w/in reach he'll pound his head to it . They are very good grazers but there mistaken everything in your tank as algae.
6 line on the other hand dont eat SPS they see something moving in there wheather AEFW or RB or something similar creature in size.........................

 

[rutz81]

I have a sixline, he only really nipped at my birdsnest, he seems to leave everything else alone.

 

[jcr6479]

This what liveaquaria.com has to say about lawnmower and black sailfin blennies:

"It is known to nip at small-polyped stony coral and clam mantles"

I just went home for lunch and watched the six line peck at my birdnest about 10 times. I got up close to the tank and was not able to see anything on the colony that he may think is food. Tonight he is comming out.

 

[jcr6479]

Do you still have the sixline and birdnest in together? How is the birdnest weathering the storm, or did you take either of them out?

 

[rutz81]

Took out the birdsnest, it was slowly receding from constantly being picked at.

 

[Covey]

I got a 6 line and a LMB and both have never picked a thing.

 

[rockindacheeks]

im in the process of trying to catch my sixline because he bullies all my fish

 

[GMAX]

My 4 line has never nipped anything but when I had a flatworm explosion he quickly got it under control. Well he had some help from 4 arrow crabs and a target goby, but I think he was doing the heavy lifting.

 

[Covey]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8365839#post8365839 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rockindacheeks
im in the process of trying to catch my sixline because he bullies all my fish

Oh he is a jerk... but that keeps the chromis schooling.

 

[trueblackpercula]

I was thinking about getting a Pseudocheilinops ataenia would they be reef safe or do they nip on sps as well.
Michael

 

[fishypets]

He may be picking red bugs or flat worms off the coral.