Competition for food...

[jrandolph1]

Does anyone know if the dragonets and six line wrasse compete for food? I ask b/c we had a mandarin for a little over a year and it was fine until we added the six line wrasse and I believe it starved to death. We have a 2 1/2 year old established 180 gal reef tank with 200lbs of live rock plus it would eat frozen mysis. Was it competition or maybe age?
I would love another one and am very willing to depart with the wrasse.

 

[jrandolph1]

Anybody?

 

[nicetry]

The sixline will out run a dragonette at the dinner table any day. Since they both eat the same natural foods, the wrasse will get more than it's share. I wouldn't keep them in the same tank.

 

[stanlalee]

yep a manderin should have no copepod competition and a sixline and most small wrasse are about as bad as it gets as far a competition for microfauna.

 

[jrandolph1]

Thanks guys. I wish I had known that before we bought "Fender"the SLW.

 

[sepulatian]

I am sorry to hear about your mandarine. It sounds like you had a very suitible environment for him. As stated, they should not have cometitive nor aggressive fish in with them. Mandarines are very docile.

 

[jrandolph1]

It's my fault. I failed to read that the SLW ate copapods. Do you know if the Lawnmower Blenny would compete? I know they eat the same thing but the blenny eats it only in the sand while the Mandarin eats off the rocks, right??? Just tryin to figure out how to get my sand white again. BTW, I don't have either one of these fish yet, I'm just checking with you guys first.