Fairy wrasse behaviour.

[anydarnthing]

I would like to know if anyone else has noticed anything like what is happening in my tank, it is so weird. I have a 220gal and a 240gal both filled with fairy wrasses and assorted other fishes(Tangs, Angels) but when I clean my 220gal the wrasses will come up to my hand or just come up and look at me. My 240 on the other hand, all the wrasses hide in the rocks and will not come out. The 2 tanks are in the same room and yet the they behave completely different, there are no fish in the 240 that would scare the fairy wrasses.

[Capt_Cully]

I'm gonna need to see a pic of those 2 tanks!

[robs fish]

Probibly in the 240 there is a fish that gets spooked very easily and scares the rest of the fish.

[pancho]

I have an Exquisite Fairy Wrasse in my 240 that always swims around my hand. He will even let me touch him and he just continues to swim around my hand. He never gets spooked.

[Lahn Doe]

I think it depends on the fish. My rubrisquamis will swim around my hand and the luteovittatus will hide in the rocks. Both are in the same tank and the luteovittatus is the bigger fish.

[anydarnthing]

I don't think species has anything to do with it since I have 14 different species in both tanks for a total of 24wrasses..

[BMW///M3]

Originally posted by pancho
I have an Exquisite Fairy Wrasse in my 240 that always swims around my hand. He will even let me touch him and he just continues to swim around my hand. He never gets spooked.

Both my clown and my exquiste both do that, whenever i'm messing with the sandbed they are swimming around my hand, it's cool

[jmaneyapanda]

I would suggest it has something to do with the tankmates. I'm *guessing* your inquisitive fish have no real threats in their tank, in fact may feel dominant. They're gonna act like they own the world. Whereas the shy fish probably are fearful of someone else in their tank. That dont ever build up the nerve.
I saw a similar thing in my tank. I have a pair of linatus and a trio of flame wrasses. When introduced the male lineatus was the boss, and harassed the flame. The flame would come out to eat, but would hide a lot. Well, now, the flame has surpassed the lineatus in dominance. And now, the flame will stay an inch from my hand the whole time it is in the tank (waiting for food to come out of it), while the lineatus is freaky (jumper).

[poknsnok]

i want pics too!!

[anydarnthing]

Well the tankmates of the 220gal are as follows Regal Tang, 2 Yellow Tangs, Powder blue Tang, Flame Angel, Orange-spotted Goby pair with Pistol shrimp, Pink-spotted with its own pistol, tasseled Filefish, Midos Blenny, Mystery wrasse. The 240 has Purple Tang, Sailfin Tang, Tomini Tang, Saddleback & Vagabond butterfly, Regal Angel, Bellus Angel, 3 chromis, Circus Goby, Red Coris wrasse that is awake for only 6 hours a day, and a Leopard Wrasse. Here are the pics of the tanks, its weird you would think the 220 would have the jumpier Fairy Wrasses from the tankmates.


As you can see I have a Xenia problem.

[jmaneyapanda]

what is the scientific of the "red coris wrasse" you are speaking of? Is it big? If so, you may be looking at a potential bully, or at least a perceived bully.

[anydarnthing]

Coris Gaimard, I thought the same thing but I watch my Bathyphilus, Lineatus, Punctatus, and Rubrisquamis follow the Coris around eating whatever he stirs up when he digs through the sand. He is big though about 9-10" long I haven't seen any "bullying" behavior though but then I'm not watching the tank 24/7. It's still weird that I actually can get the Fairy wrasses to eat from my hand in the 220 but not the 240...
Thanks

[jmaneyapanda]

who knows, maybe just individual fish. If you ever switch fish in the tanks, you could "test" if it were environmnetal. But, then again who cares. I think we should just chalk this up to "wierd".

[zemuron114]

what fairies are not coming out??

BTW - coris gaimard's get gigantic... he WILL start eating some of your fish. I have had them in the 20" range. Although passive when they being held, they will definitely munch small things that will fit into their mounths (which will include a 4" fairy wrasse)

sounds like there is a freaked bigger fish that is freaking everyone else out!

beautiful tanks

[Fairy Wrassler]

A few years ago my fairies were all freaky like you describe and I couldn't work it out. I was also losing a fish for no good reason every few weeks. I was annoyed at them for being such wusses.

Then by accident we discovered the unknown octopus in the tank that must have come in on live rock and everything fell into place.

I managed to remove the octopus over the next few days of being awake all night in shifts with my wife, I apologised formally to the fish and all got back to normal.

I hope you do not have a problem like this - the message is only to try to consider all of the possibilities.


FW