6line wrasse or Mandarin?

[reavely]

in about two months I would like to put one of these fish in my tank (specs below). The pod population has been booming since all the fish went into QTs a month ago (this week they start "matriculating" back in). From what I've read 6 line wrasses and Mandarins eat (or would compete) for the same food so I can;t have them both, right? Would mandarins eat the same critters that bother clams that the wrasse does? (I'd like to get a clam or two in several more months). I'm favoring the mandarin for asthetic reasons, but the wrasse for it's ease in care (comparatively). seeing what I've got for fish already (see below), can anyone see any conflicts with either of these fish and the stock I already have? Opinions?

 

[overanalyzer]

how old is your tank? do you have a refugium?

 

[broncofish]

A while ago I read an article about fish collectors taking the biggest and brightest male mandarins, and leaving the smaller duller looking ones. The ones that females won't mate with. Since that article I am a firm believer of not buying mandarins unless you can support 2, a male female pair, and are going to make an attempt to breed them. From the sounds of it you don't have that setup so I would say sixline. Had one in my 29g, got rid of it because it and the blenny devolped territory problems. Great fish took to frozen brine in no time.

 

[wrassecal]

I would advise against the mandarin, for reasons already posted and you mention the aesthetic value. Manderins stay on the rocks and consequently are out of sight a great deal of the time (always execptions). Sixline wrasse on the other hand is a very beautiful fish that readily accepts prepared foods (always exceptions) and spend almost all of it's time weaving in and out of the rockwork. It is a highly visible fish.....and you might able to tell by my name one of my very favorite fish HTH

 

[thomas712]

Go with the 6 line it is a very nice addition to any tank.
The mandarins like the morish idol should be left alone, unless you can guarentee thier survival. To me this would require that you have a fuge or seperate pod tank.
If only there were enough reefers around that could share a mandarin for a couple of months each then on to the next overpopulated pod tank. Then again there is a stress issue from one tank to the next.
Thomas

 

[reavely]

They are both beautiful fish, that's why I've had a hard time deciding - I was inclined toward the aesthetics of the mandarin because I liked the idea of geting a spot-designed fish to compliment the striped fish I have. The tank is been running for about 5 months, no refugium. I've never seen a m/f pair in the LFS's around here. I'll keep listening, but thanks for the great info so far.

 

[broncofish]

Originally posted by reavely
The tank is been running for about 5 months, no refugium. I've never seen a m/f pair in the LFS's around here. I'll keep listening, but thanks for the great info so far.
I would not keep a mandarin with out a fuge, and at 100lbs of LR. Also let your sytem age a year, and have a back-up pod source(LFS, Friends fuge etc...) ready. Just my humble .02, well.02 for the second time so I guess thats .04

 

[leigh]

broncofish, i'd still be really interested to see that article if you can refind it. i mean, obviously it's not true that fish collectors only take the biggest and brightest--after all at my lfs just up the road the mandarin they have for sale is just a lil itty bitty guy. would it be more ecologically responsible to get him than the biggest and brightest out there or is the punchline the same--we don't do well by them in aquariums so leave them all (regardless of size) in the wild?

 

[melissa v.]

I do not have a fuge or a seperate pod tank, and my manderine is fat and happy, my tank is well over a year old, and 29 gallon and about 65lbs of live rock, i have so many pods and bugs the manderine can't even begine to keep up with them, you see them at any hour of the day just crawling across the rocks, and if i stir the sand hundreds will come to the surface. but you will not see your manderine very much if you decide to get one, he likes to hide in the rockwork.
Melissa V.

 

[reavely]

it wouldn't suprise me to find that the info from that article on collection is true - bigger, brighter, etc sells easier - but then again if I were colecting a fish that is reclusive and hard to find, I might not have the luxury of being so selective, and I doubt collectors throw any back in the drink.

 

[broncofish]

Originally posted by leigh
broncofish, i'd still be really interested to see that article if you can refind it. i mean, obviously it's not true that fish collectors only take the biggest and brightest--after all at my lfs just up the road the mandarin they have for sale is just a lil itty bitty guy.
Yeah me to, I've been searching for that darn article and I can't freaking find it. It was a research survey done over a period of 5 years, and presented to at a marine conference, but I can't find the freaking thing, and it is driving me nuts. Reavely it is not reclusive or hard to find in the wild, you just have to know their sleep patterns, according to one article I read in "Scuba Diver" They can sleep 21 hrs a day in the wild, and wake up to eat, and the go right back to sleep, much like my brother

 

[broncofish]

Originally posted by melissa v.
I do not have a fuge or a seperate pod tank, and my manderine is fat and happy, my tank is well over a year old, and 29 gallon and about 65lbs of live rock, i have so many pods and bugs the manderine can't even begine to keep up with them
Your results are not typical. Congrats on being able to keep him in a small system.

 

[overanalyzer]

Originally posted by broncofish
Yeah me to, I've been searching for that darn article and I can't freaking find it. It was a research survey done over a period of 5 years, and presented to at a marine conference, but I can't find the freaking thing, and it is driving me nuts. Reavely it is not reclusive or hard to find in the wild, you just have to know their sleep patterns, according to one article I read in "Scuba Diver" They can sleep 21 hrs a day in the wild, and wake up to eat, and the go right back to sleep, much like my brother

LOL - sleep for 38 hours straight ONCE and you get a bad rap ....
Also just because they are not big they still try to select the brightest specimens which is how they select mates ....
Lastly - I think these fish tank a long time to starve to death .... so if you do have them watch for them to shrink slowly aroudn the mid section....

 

[jodilynn]

I would have to disagree with everyone who suggest the sixline. I had a sixline wrasse for about 3 weeks and had to get him out. He harrassed my neon goby so much so that Pipi (neon) had to hide under or in rockwork. In order to keep him from starving I had to shoot food to him in whatever rock he happened to be hiding in. That sixline's eyes would look all around for the goby and chase and nip at him. Made me I later read that the sixline wrasse will often behave agressively towards peaceful wrasses and shy, inoffensive species. I also read that the fourline wrasse may behave aggressively towards peaceful wrasses (e.g. flasher, fairy, leopard) and shy, inoffensive species (e.g. gobies, dart gobies). So on that I would look for something else. No sixline unless you no longer want your goby. My goby was my favorite fish but he died last week.
Jodilynn

 

[kimkissyfish]

Love my 6 line, he eats regular food also.. AND I just got a manderine 5 days ago..... My tank is FILLED with pods.. I do not have a fuge either..... My tank is mature though with 80 lbs of LR.. Hm, I hope I dont have a problem.. I do keep a 15 gallon set up and I did seed that with the 9 for 99 special just in case...... God knows why but I "felt the need" LOLOL
Kim
Oh, BTW.. these guys should be compatible, right? I was tod YES!