Why Is My Sixline Attacking Things?

[nanoambiance]

I just got a sixline wrasse, cute little guy, pretty and small specimen, probably not even 1.5 inches. He was put in the tank two days ago, has lots of rockwork to search over, and ate yesterday, and this morning. But I noticed today, he got behind my large cleaner shrimp (3 times its size) and rushed in and nipped its tail? Then he went over and basically ate the tube of a nassarius snail, before it rushed under the sandbed (i hope it doesn't die). He ignores the hermits and snails, and peppermint shrimp seems to share a sleeping space with him, WHAT GIVES? THIS IS A REEF SAFE WRASSE? any opinions, or does this happen with them?

 

[drakken]

Yikes!! Sounds like you got a bad one. My sixline is not aggressive at all and bothers noting in my tank.

 

[nanoambiance]

"BAD ONE". That is one of the few discouraging things about this hobby, you are the one in 500 that got the psycho sixline . . .I will try to keep him fed well, but if he keeps picking, does anyone have any idea how I will get him out without tearing my entire tank down . . .

 

[nanoambiance]

LOL, thanks . . .does anyone give a ---? Not here . . .

 

[daniel411]

Relax, not everyone can be on 24-7. Plus there is NO easy way to remove a small quick fish! You can try the coke 2L bottle trick, but most likely catching a small quick fish requires half the tank being torn down and pure luck that you don't have to take it all down.

 

[wrassecal]

I'd give him a little more time. Sixlines are pod pickers so they will pick at rocks, shells etc. It is possible he was going for a pod and not the actual livestock especially if your nassarirus was on the sandbed. They also eat bristle worms. I've had my sixline for almost 2 years. Oh yeah, they are also cleaners. Mine will sometimes swim up to another fish and it looks likes he's nipping at it but, he's trying to clean it. Cool fish.

 

[tiencvu]

does anyone have any idea how I will get him out without tearing my entire tank dow
You can try to catch it with the fish net like the fisherman do....
a huge big net....It is very hard to get the fish out of the tank without removing anything....I ended up removed all my rocks and coral out of the tank to catch the live fish...It is much eaiser when it is death though...
Good luck...

 

[lesleybird]

Hi, I have a small one that I have had for two years. He is about an inch and a half full grown. I say full grown as he has not gotten any bigger in the two years that I have had him. He has never been agressive to anyone in the tank except for him and the flame angelfish kind of chase each other, but neither fish hurt the other. Well, one day I placed a royal gramma in the tank the same size as him and he attacked and killed him before I could remove either one. Go figure. He is fine in the tank with shrimp, crabs, and other fish larger than him. I sources that I have read all say that these sixlines are peaceful.
Lesley

 

[wrassecal]

Lesleybird - Mine did not like me adding a mandarin after the sixline had been in the tank for over a year. I had to get mandarin out.

 

[nanoambiance]

He seems to have relaxed a bit, although the hermits still duck for cover if he gets near them, and some snails were upside down and dead last night . . . sigh . . .

 

[aarone]

I have a six line and he sometimes nips at my pistol...well around his cave anyways...im sure he is just looking for pods. They will cruise around all day searching for these.
aaron

 

[nanoambiance]

Thanks for the replies everyone. The sixline I had before (early in my sysems history) was fantastic, and very docile like they are, with good healthy appetite. Wiith this new one, my shrimp are still alive, and no more snail attacks (mainly nassarius, poor little guys), so I will keep him fed (his appetite for flakes, shrimp, pellets, and whatnot is good). I am also starting a pod tank, so that will give him another food source and hopefully leave my larger invert cleaners alone. Still a cool fish if you ask me, despite the frustrations with this specimen. Adios.

 

[toddpolish]

I saw mine kill one of my peppermint shrimp. This was after 6 weeks of them being in the same tank with no problems. I don't have the other 2 anymore either so I know where I can lay the blame. He also harasses new fish added to the tank, but only for the first day. A couple times I've seen mine nip at my hammer coral, but no lasting damage. I dunno, they aren't as peaceful as some sites claim. Some people have nice ones apparently though...