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betat
07/18/2007, 05:20 PM
I picked up a Yellow-Fin Fairy Wrasse at my LFS yesterday. The fish seemed to be acting normal in the store until after it was netted when it kind of just "laid down" in the bag and did not move around at all. Store clerk says "it may be in shock, if it does not make it bring it back for a full refund." So I bring it home anyway, because my wife really wanted it, acclimate it for almost an hour and release it where it simply sinks on its side to the top of my rocks. It lays there for awhile and I decide it is not going to make it so I reach in to pick it out and it swims away and hides in a nook toward the bottom of the tank. In think great, now it is going to die in a spot I can't easily get at!
Well, we check on it from time to time and it is still alive and actually moving from nook to cranny all evening and into today. Miraculously, it came out to feed this afternoon with the rest of the bunch but I notice it seems "tail-heavy" as it swims, that is it doesn't seem to be using it's tail fin to swim, just it's lateral (right term?) fins. If not moving it's lateral fins, it seems to want to sink. Is this normal for a wrasse? It did eat so I gather that is a good sign but I wonder if it was not injured in the netting and bagging process at the store. Opinions and advice welcome and thanks in advance for your help.

anydarnthing
07/18/2007, 07:01 PM
Fairy wrasses swim with their pectoral fins, only use the tail for fast sprints away from danger, the tail-heavy look will get worse as it gets bigger. My 6" Scott's looked like he had too much junk in the trunk if you know what I mean.

DarthSimon
07/18/2007, 07:07 PM
My 5 Inch Lineatus swims the same way. My wife and I make fun of him... He bobs when he swims :)

By the way... My Super male Lineatus, and Solarensis acclimated the same way.. Kinda played dead... I also thought my Lineatus kicked the bucket on the bottom of the tank. Went in to fish it out, and it swam away... He then cacooned and went to sleep the rest of the day.. He did wake up the next morning to have a full meal, and has been great ever since...

Good luck with him....

betat
07/18/2007, 08:00 PM
Thanks for the responses as it is very encouraging. Please explain this "cacooning" that they do. LiveAquaria describes these fish as "very active" and maybe they are after they get used to the tank, but this one spends most of the time hiding in the rocks.