Second sixline wrasse

[Flame*Angel]

I have a sixline in my tank that I've had for about 10 months. I don't think he's fully grown but must be near it and he's very friendly, not the least bit aggressive. It's a 120g tank with lots of rock and hiding places. Scott Michael's book mentions that you can keep more than one of these fish. My LFS has a very small one in that I've been considering.

Do you think that there would be problems adding a second sixline after the first one is so well established?

Do you think that the second sixline being much smaller than the original would help or hinder the situation? I'm wondering if a smaller fish would be seen as less of a threat or would it be just that much easier to bully?

[Aegis]

I like Sly, he's got some cool personality; I hope he doesn't have a weird little behavioral change like Suki did. I wouldn't know if he'd torment the new wrasse or make a new buddy, though. Good luck!

[moonpod]

I was wondering about a six line for my tank. Do they leave cleaner shrimp alone, or do they pick at them? Also, do they screw around with the sand bed?

[Flame*Angel]

Hmmm, I hadn't thought that Sly might change if I added another one. I was thinking he would like a buddy but I would hate to see him change, he's a very personable little guy right now.

I just have one cleaner shrimp right now and it's 3 times the size of my sixline wrasse so there's no problem there at all. For some reason my sixline doesn't seem to bother picking at the sandbed. I have no idea why but I'm pretty sure most of them do.

[hcs3]

just a guess, but i don't think it'd work.

only one way to find out. report back if you try.

henry

[alprazo]

Has anyone attempted this. I just found my old sixline swimming in my sump tonight. It has been missing for two months and I already purchased a second. I'm sure it has eaten every tubeworm in the sump.

I know I've renergized an old thread but if someone has seen or or attempted to keep two sixlines together please post your experience. Thanks

Alprazo

[XxDutchxX]

Do they leave cleaner shrimp alone, or do they pick at them?

I have a sixline in my nano with a cleaner shrimp and he never looks at him. The cleaner is smaller then the sixline and no problems.

[saltykirk]

moonpod, I never had problems w/ 6 lines messing w/ the sand bed. Picked the rock mostly. Mine never got along w/ yellow watchman gobies. Aggression from these guys is comical. They display their dorsal spines, point their nose down, & swim toward their antagonist. That is the behavior you want to worry about when you add your 2nd 6 line wrasse. I would think maybe a male female mix would work & same sex would be trouble

[JOSHUAB]

I have a watchman goby, and after he was well established I put in a 6-line, and they don't have a problem with each other at all....

[moonpod]

I hate my 6 line. I'm trying to spear fish it.

[ozadars]

Susan, if i were you i would try two small ones. Sixline do live in harems and i dont think one big, two small sixlines (aka one male and two females) wouldnt work. Peter has a harem as well. I am sure he will reply to this thread when he sees

[saltykirk]

I don't know what the beef was, it never got violent. The watchman would swell his face out & the 6 line would do his "buzz saw" bit. The 6 line got along w/ all the other fish though.

[Peter Schmiedel]

Susan,

here in Europe we keep them already quite a while in pairs / or groups.(depending on tank size) Thats they way the live in the reef - male dominate harmen group. I personally have 1,4 in my 320 G main tank.

The best is to buy small fish and add them all together. But mostley it also works if you add one or more little ones to your existing one. They should be really small and I would recommend to add more than one.

[JOSHUAB]

How can one tell if they are male or female, to make sure they are not getting a group of small males??? Is there any difference in visual markings or anything like that to distinguish them apart????

[saltykirk]

Perhaps they are able to change sex like many other fishes. Clowns & Anthias do it. Anybody know if this takes place w/ any of the wrasses as well?

[ozadars]

They are protogynous hermaphrodit, means they born as females and then turn to males if necessary so if you will buy very small ones, you will usually have just females. Especially if you are buying all of them from the same store/same tank watch them carefully. If there is no aggression between and all the fish seems healthy them probably in this tank there is eihter just females or one male and the rest is females.

saltykirk, they do change sex but as they are protogynous hermaphrodites, they can only turn into male from female and this is a one way turn. They cant turn back to female and there lots of other kinds of wrasses that can live in harems.

[alprazo]

Would you consider 3.5 and 4 cm small fish? Would anyone attempt to add the smaller fish? THe smaller fish will eat pyramid snails off the clams. The one currently in the tank doesn't touch them. I wish I had seen it in the sump sooner. I think it was sleeping in the base of my downdraft skimmer. It is off during the day and I use reverse lighting near the sump. I never thought to look in there but thats where it swim when I tried to catch it.

Thanks for all of the input

Alprazo

[Peter Schmiedel]

I dont consider 3,5-4 cm small enough in terms of being sure to buy a female.

Selim already explained very good the sexual chanhes of these fish. I can sex mine now watching their behavior and seeing them spawning.