Why is my Yellow Coris Wrasse hanging at the top of the tank splashing like crazy?

[pammy]

Hey All. Is it normal behavior for a Yellow Coris Wrasse to hang out at the surface of the tank and splash like crazy? I've had this fish for about 6 weeks. Haven't added anything new. Fish looks great and is eating great. I have an open tank. About a week ago, I noticed all kinds of salt dried on the top 1.5" of the tank above the surface of the water. Finally realized, it was one of the fish splashing. I thought it was my Longnose Hawkfish at first, but then all of a sudden noticed it was the Coris Wrasse. No one is harrassing him at all. Parameters in the tank are fine. I didn't notice him doing this until the past week. He's mainly staying at the top of the tank which he never did before, and swimming in place, but back and forth, really fast, and every couple of minutes, creates a big splash. I'm sitting about 5 feet away on the couch, and he just splashed me all the way over here. I can't have dried salt all over my couch and carpet if he's going to splash constantly, so I guess I'll need to bring him back to the LFS if he continues this. Wouldn't be an issue if it was a covered tank, but it's an open Elos tank. I also can't keep the tank clean with him splashing like this either. I clean off the dried salt and then an hour later, the top of the tank is covered again as well as the glass on the light fixture. All fish and coral look great. I can't really think of anything that has changed that would be causing this kind of behavior. I did swap out my T5's a few days ago with new bulbs (and shortened the photo period), but I think this behavior started a few days before that.

Hmmmm... he hasn't moved from the surface of the water for hours tonight, except when I fed the tank and he ate well, and the MH light just shut off for the night. The T5's only are lit right now, and he immediately came down from the surface, and is swimming around like normal now poking around on the rock.
Strange! If it was too bright for him with the new T5's and the MH lit, wouldn't he go to the bottom of the tank, not the top? I never really saw him behaving like this until the past week. MH bulb is about 6 months old. Should I try raising my light fixture? It's currently about 9" above the surface of the water.

Temp 79-80f
Salinity 1.025
PH: 8.4

It's been a few days since I measured the following parameters, but when I checked, they were:
Alk: 8
Calcium: 400
Mag: 1230
Phosphates: undetectable'
Nitrates: 5
Nitrites and Ammonia: 0

Thanks!
Pam

 

[Chibils]

If he's thrashing oddly, it might be a sign of flukes or other internal parasites. I've never had a coris wrasse, so for all I know it's perfectly normal. Just something to think about.

 

[tylorarm]

I have yellow coris wrasse and elos open tank. Mine doesn't go anywhere near the surface so far. I also have checkerboard and mystery wrasse, the former close relative. They haven't threatened the surface yet either. When alarmed the yellow and checkerboard go to the sand, the mystery to the rock. You might want to check the disease forum, or maybe just a behavioral quirk.

 

[tylorarm]

i was warned yellow coris could be jumpers, but sounds like yours is doing something different.

 

[pammy]

Thanks for the responses. I forgot to mention that the tank is a 53gallon tank (31x19.5x19.5) with a 7 gallon sump. The pair of clowns are on the smaller size. 2" max each. Royal Gramma is about 2". Hawkfish is about 3". Firefish is about 2.5". Coris Wrasse is about 2.5". That's all that's in there, and the aquascaping is nice and open with plenty of swimming room and hiding spots.

I took the chance on the Coris Wrasse in an open tank, because they do tend to go into the sand when scared rather than up to the surface. I will try the fish disease forum if he doesn't calm down in the next day or two. I raised my light an inch tonight to see if it helps, since he calmed right down the second the MH shut off for the night. I replaced the T5 bulbs this week though, not the MH, but maybe he didn't like the brightness??

Tylorarm.... You have a mystery wrasse in an open tank? How long have you had him? I LOVE that fish, and was considering getting him as my last fish, but they're pretty expensive to take a chance in an open tank (about $169 at my LFS). I thought maybe it would be a safer choice out of the wrasses, because I'd guess they would go for the rock when scared like the Possum Wrasse does. WOW...I didn't know Elos made tanks that size!! Mine is a System 80 - 53 gallons.

Thanks, Pam

 

[chrisstie]

6 weeks is pretty decent but you still may want to inspect the fish to look for any rips in the fins or strangely almost-the-right-color-but-not spots on the fish.

If all looks well maybe double check there's no stray current or anything in the water?

That's quite a mystery but I would definitely say not normal behavior.

And a mystery wrasse with a tank that size with other wrasses and no top? Save your money imo

 

[pammy]

Well, it looks like the new bulbs may have been affecting this Coris Wrasse. I could tell he hadn't splashed at all today because everything was perfectly clean, no dried salt marks, and he hasn't splashed at all since I've been home for the past several hours. He is swimming around the tank like normal. All I did, was raise the light an inch. I am surprised new bulbs could make a fish behave like that, but that must be it. I did inspect the fish closely, and can't find any discolorations, or tears in the fins etc. He looks super healthy.

Pam

 

[snorvich]

A mystery wrasse in an open tank can be problematical.

 

[tylorarm]

I've only had the mystery a couple weeks. He sticks very close to the rocks so far, however, looks a little more skittish than my other wrasses. 28" depth might help his chances, but it only takes once. I guess we'll see...

 

[pammy]

Well, the yellow coris wrasse is back to splashing like crazy. He stopped it for about a week after raising the light fixture an inch. He hasn't stopped splashing tonight. I thought maybe he was trying trying to get me to feed him. Fed the tank about 30 minutes later, and as soon as he ate, he went back to splashing like crazy. I tried shutting off the MH light to see if he would stop, but he didn't. I ended up shutting off all the lights until he went to bed, then turned the T5's only back on. Is this normal behavior with wrasses or the yellow coris wrasse? He is splashing up to 5 feet away. I hate to bring him back to the LFS, but I can't have salt water all over the carpet and furniture. I'm wondering if I should try another yellow coris wrasse, or if they will all do this. He looks perfect. No discoloration, or problems with his fins or anything. Parameters in the tank are good.
Pam

 

[RokleM]

I have something similar, and wonder if they go through some sort of cycle. About once a month, it will hang out near the top of the water, or swim along the same wall. The rest of the month, all is normal.

 

[pammy]

Hi Eric. You see the same behavior with a Coris Wrasse as well, or a different fish?
Thanks!
Pam

 

[Ventralis321]

These need sand to sleep in at night. If he doesn't have sand he could be freaking out. Also maybe its got a gas bladder problem and he floating at the top trying to swim down. If you can figure out exactly what the cause is you then can get a diffinitive answer on a solution.

 

[pammy]

Hi Ventralis. I don't have a deep sand bed, but it's deep in sections and he has a spot where he buries himself when he goes to sleep every night. He also seems to have no problem swimming down. He'll stay at the surface for a couple hours splashing like crazy, then he'll swim normally around the tank at the bottom and middle like normal. I just cleaned all of the dried salt that he managed by splashing today, and a minute later, water is dripping down the front of the tank as he's splashing. I just don't know if it's common with this species of fish, or just this one fish. I may see if my LFS will swap him for another to see if another does the same. Thanks, Pam

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12336741#post12336741 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ventralis321
These need sand to sleep in at night. If he doesn't have sand he could be freaking out. Also maybe its got a gas bladder problem and he floating at the top trying to swim down. If you can figure out exactly what the cause is you then can get a diffinitive answer on a solution.

 

[RokleM]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12332582#post12332582 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pammy
Hi Eric. You see the same behavior with a Coris Wrasse as well, or a different fish?
Thanks!
Pam

Correct. Halichoeres Leucoxanthus / Halichoeres Chrysus.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12336741#post12336741 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ventralis321
These need sand to sleep in at night. If he doesn't have sand he could be freaking out. Also maybe its got a gas bladder problem and he floating at the top trying to swim down. If you can figure out exactly what the cause is you then can get a diffinitive answer on a solution.

Not completely true. Mine is in my frag tank. I had a large container of sand at the beginning. After a couple of weeks, it started sleeping in the rockwork instead. It's been without sand for almost a year.