what do I need to know about keeping a 6 line wrasse?

[MHannon]

I want to add one to my 30 gal. will this be enough room? Any special food I need? I have formula 1 flake, brine shrimp, mysis, nori and frozen prawn. Any special care or anything else I need to know?

[tom obrecht]

six lines can be nasty as they grow. Similar shaped fish can fall victim. I'd stick with just he six line unless you are getting completely different sized fish (larger)...but in a 30 you won't be able to add much.

[bllfish]

I had one in my old 29 gal. They are great fish but as they get established they become pretty nasty. They harass anything in the tank and are so quick the other fish can't catch them (neither can you). If I were to add one I would make sure it was the last fish I put into my tank.

[fancyfish]

very hardy fish. You can not place another wrasse with this fish. They do get aggressive when the grow and in a small tank this may be problematic.

[LukFox]

You need to know they get evil... it's horrible seeing a 1.5" sixline nipping at a 6" radiant wrasse. The sixline was even added later, but he's grown to be a terror. Not only to the larger wrasse, but to the clowns, the eel, and any other fish he feels like bothering. He isnt particular in who he harrasses shape and size ways. That's JME though, some people have had more nice sixlines. Maybe you'll get lucky if you still want to chance it.

[MHannon]

I have a sebae clown, spotted hawkfish, and a mandarin. The hawk was the first added, then the clown, then mandarin. Both the hawk and sebae are very agressive. About 6 months ago I added 3 pajama cardinals. the hawk and sebae ganged up and niped all of their fins off in the night. I feed the hawk guppies, and because the clown wants to eat what ever the other fish are eating he now eats guppies too. It is wild to see the two fish hunt and stalk the guppies. They dont bother the mandarin though. The hawk and mandarin actually hang out on a certain rock twards the top of the tank. What I am trying to get at is that I dont think the wrasse will bother the other fish. I think the hawk and clown will put him in his place. I am also not adding any more fish after this.

What are their food requirements?

[LukFox]

They'll eat it all. What you're feeding now looks great.

[CrazyLionfish]

Your clown eats guppies!? Like living guppies?! crazy!!!

[NYPD Frogman]

I have a six line wrassse with a mystery wrasse and he tried to bully the mystery that didnt last long mystery wrasse went right back at him.
my 6 line has kicked the crap out of a purple peusdochromis
between us the PC deserved it he's been a bully since I got him
wrasse is a hardy fish and eats anything I put in the tank

[perky]

i saw sumthin amazing about a week ago. My lfs has a large display tank with a 2" sixline and a 1' gigas clam (i think its a gigas). The wrasse swam inside the clam (through the vent). the clam got annoyed, and ............ bye bye wrassy. The clam closed on the wrasse. Must of been a terrible death to be consumed by a clam alive.

mike

[wayne in norway]

You know people get the wrasse as they can get rid of pyramid snails that will otherwise parasitise clams?

Anyway my 6 line is a little brute and has sorted out damsels , pseudo's and killed my male Clarkii. It will amost instantly outcompete the mandarin for food, and will probably pester that too, so your mandarin will be doomed.

I wouldn't add it.

[Fishfirst]

the 6 line will only compete with pods that you produce for your mandarin. Unless your mandarin is eating prepared foods don't get this one.

[MHannon]

CrazyLionfish
Yes, he eats living guppies. It is amazing to see him swallow a guppy larger than his mouth, you would think he would choke.

wayne in norway
I have a 5" derasa and I wanted to get a 6 line to eat any parasites I may have, including pyramid snails. I dont think I have any, but just incase I have any problems down the road.

wayne in norway and Fishfirst
My mandarin does not eat prepared foods, he is very fat from all of the pods I have. Do 6 lines only eat the pods when there is nothing else around to eat? This way I can I keep the 6 line full with prepared foods so he will not eat the pods, or will they always graze on pods?

[perky]

i want to see pics of your clown eating guppies.

The sixline will always eat the pods no matter what. If they are there, why wouldn't the sixline eat the pods. They are very nutrious.

mike

[reefah]

wow this is all very shocking news to me! I thought sixline wrasses were completely harmless. I have one in my 40g, he was the first fish I put in there and he gets punked by my anthia, coral beauty and purple tang.

[MHannon]

Well, I would get a 6 line even though they can be agressive, but I know that I dont have enough pods to support both the mandarin and 6 line. However I am upgrading to a 90 gallon in a few months. ( still planing lights, manafold/overflow, fuge?, building stand and canopy) Do you guys think I will have enough pods in a 90 gallon tank with 90+ lbs. of LR, 30 gallon sump, and mabey a 10/20 gallon fuge? They say you should not have a mandarin in anything less than 75lbs. of LR. Going by this rule you should not have 2 pod eating fish in anything less than 150lbs. of live rock. Will this combination still work? With a fuge I will definitely have enough pods, but my sump and fuge have to be under the main tank togeather. (will be in the living room, cant have it looking like a science experiment. ) Dont know if I can fit both under the tank.

[Hef]

Strange thread from my View. I've had a SixLine for about 3 years now. I've Never seen him agressively go after another fish. He's still small as fish go, in a 120 gal. tank. So he has plenty of room to cruise, and that's why I like him. Great looking fish to watch swim through your tank.
Now, I cant keep Shrimp in my tank. Never knew why, could it be the Six?
I've got Tons of Pods, teh SixLine eats Flake and anything else I put in the tank.

[Fishfirst]

I'd say with say 120lbs liverock and a 20 gallon fuge full of liverock you could keep both. if you can train your mandarin to take frozen foods then I would say you could definately keep both.

[Peter Schmiedel]

Even in my 320g my group of 4 sixlines is very tuff wih ALL new commers. No matter of size and shape. My personall lessons learned is never again! Unfortunately they will never even come close to any trapp I prepared

[b3any]

I'm amazed at peoples comments on the sixline...... I've got one in my tank with 12 other fish, some smaller some larger and he never chases anyone, doesnt even bother the cleaner wrasse.....

[MHannon]

well, I see mixed opinions here. When I upgrade, I am going to wait about a year after my new tank has cycled to get an established pod population, and to make sure he is the last fish added. Hopefully, by then I would have had my mandarin for a little over two years and he will be eating prepared foods. If this is the case, I can add the 6 line earlier.

[MGinGerFisHM]

Hi everyone,

i have a sixlined, which is one of the first fish that was added first, till now it feeds of mysis and pecks on LRs.

Doesn't seem to bother other fishes, altho occasionally chasing one of my cleaner wrasses.