6 Line Wrasse

[Burlington Reef]

I have one on hold at the LFS. I have an established 30 gallon. I'd like to make sure it will do well. How do you feed yours?

[barbra]

They are not picky. If it's meat, they'll eat it. If it isn't meat they'll taste it nonetheless. I've never had one refuse to eat.

[currentking]

they are easy to keep, but beware, they can be very territorial when it comes to other wrasses, so if oyu plan on buying any other wrasse, I suggest to get them first. I made that mistake and my 6 line killed my 2 african spotted wrasse.

[jakleen]

they eat everything . mysis,shrimpw/spirulina . anything you feed other fishthey will eat too. good luck. jakleen

[Reefmack]

Anyone expect compatibility issues between a six line and a dottyback? My diadema dottyback (pseudochromis) can be a bit bossy at times. Will a six line stand his ground?

[pmartin727]

6 line

I have one he is cool

he eats brime mysises or what ever I put i the tank
not picky at all

When I first got him he rubbed up on the wrong coral/ anemone not sure but he got a lump on his head....A month later he was back to normal

[texas1977]

I would expect some problems with those two. That might be quite a battle between those two. I have seen a chromis kill a yellow watchman and the same one harrasses a 6 inch diamond watchman with no fear. The 6 line is pretty tough though. They have teeth. Let me know what happens if you try it, but I personally wouldn't.

[Aadler]

If you want a good pod population dont get the 6line, because you will be like "what pods?" after you have him for a week! :) great fish though, fun to watch.

[Reefmack]

It's not a chromis that I have (I have a pseudochromis - a dottyback). I don't think the dottybacks are as bad as the chromis, but I know my little yellow/pink guy can be very territorial. If the 6 line is pretty tough maybe it will work, but I'm concerned about trying it. The dottyback usually is constantly in & out of the rockwork. Does a six line have the same habit or do they stay more in the open water area of the tank?

[pmartin727]

I have a 2 bartlett anthais as well and they mess with the 6 line every now and again but he handles his own.

My six line stays in and out of the rock work

[luxo1]

read my thread...he/she is quite the character! I never see him/her at night, but every morning when the lights turn on, he/she is there!

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1135500

[Shagsbeard]

Most wrasse will pick your rocks for food... you'll never see another bristle worm. They're still there, but won't come out of the rock work unless they get really big. You wont see many pods swarming the rocks either... they get eaten before you can spot them. Wrasse are that good as predators.

Some will "refuse to eat" but really that's only because they've been satisfied by picking at your rockwork.

[sir_dudeguy]

If you want a good pod population dont get the 6line, because you will be like "what pods?"

very good point :) But also, the way i look at it is...why have lots of pods if you arent intending to keep something that eats them? Such as a sixline :) I mean, they're just food IMO...food that cleans the tank just a bit, but not a whole lot...if you have a good clean up crew as well i dont think you'd notice a difference :)

[luxo1]

What a tough night.....my Six Line Wrasse went nuts when I added two true Percula clowns...he made them crazy, by chasing them and nipping at them. He would not let up, and they ended up jumping out of the tank and onto the plastic filter cover in chamber two. If I didn't happen to walk by the tank and look, they would be gone by now. I called my LFS and asked what to do -- they suggested that I separate the wrasse from the clowns for the night, by putting the wrasse in chamber three by himself. Of course, he is nowhere to be found, and I know at night he hides and buries himself in the rocks. I pulled out all of the rocks anyways, at there suggestion, hoping to find him. No luck – I know I will see him tomorrow morning…..he has pulled this stunt before. The LFS also suggested that tomorrow morning I find Mr. Punk Wrasse and put him in chamber three for the day, and give the clowns a chance to acclimate to the tank by themselves with my nice calm Banggai Cardinal. I will feed all fish well. I will rearrange the rocks and corals tomorrow, so that new territories can be established. Tomorrow night, Mr. Bad Wrasse will join the Percula clowns and HOPEFULLY leave them alone. I hope to establish a new order of dominance and good will in my tank. I plan on being the dominant fish. The LFS said reorganizing the rocks will make Mr. Wrasse realize there are new living arrangements.....and hopefully he will not be so much on the attack.
**Mr. Fish Whisperer**

[luxo1]

He's now back in with everyone, 2:00 Central time, Sunday. Let's see how the day goes.....he seems much more muted, and is staking out a new area of rock, away from the clowns. If he acts up again, he will have to go back to the LFS.

[mayor10]

As said above feeding is easy with the six line, they'll eat most anything except pure veggies. At least mine does anyway.

It's suggested that a 6 line be the last fish you introduce to your tank because they can be very aggressive. It was the last one I added, joining an ocellaris clown, bicolor blenny and royal gramma. The 6 line and gramma had to work out some issues the first day or so, but all has been great since.

I love my six line, always on the move, never shy and just plain beautiful. If I'm on one side of the tank he and the gramma always come over to see what I'm doing.

[bgiles11]

I have had great success with them in the past, I recently purchased one about 3-4 weeks ago, and after the first day, I have not seen it since. I am not sure what happened to him, but he is probably in fish heaven. I looked and looked, but I can not tear down my whole tank to find. Also if he has died, CUC would have disposed of any remains. But they are good hardy fish, just dont add any other wrasses with him, nor mandarians because of pod depletion.

[Reefmack]

What's the habit of the 6 line" Are they constantly in & out of holes in the rock (as with my dottyback) or do they hang out in the open part of the tank? I'm hesitant to get one with the dottyback I have, but maybe being added last, like mayor10's situation, it might work?

[kb0vhy]

My 6 Line is 1 of the first fish I bought. He took 2 rides down the overflow before I finally fixed it so he wouldnt fit!! Never showed any signs of injury?? Maybe he thought it was fun?? He rides the flow of my 2 Koralias like a little surfer! Eats Nori when I put in for my Foxface. He chases a couple of the other fish on occasion, but nothing more than a freindly "I'm Gonna Eat That, So Back Off!". I love to watch him

[akabilly]

You may want to re-arrange your rock work if you can. That way the existing territory is scrambled and the new fish will be on equal terms deciding territory as your current resident.

[luxo1]

akabilly: I totally re-arranged all of the rock. He was docile for about an hour, and then started nipping the clowns. Not minor nipping, but nipping at them so badly that if I didn't step in, I think they would be dead.......so -- I grabbed the two clowns and put them back in chamber three. Enough of this... In a day or two, I will catch the wrasse, and return him to the LFS. This particular guy just can't get along with these two new clowns.....

[Reefmack]

Still trying to get this answered, after 2 attempts. It doesn't seem like a tough question if you own a 6 line:

Are the 6 lines constantly in & out of holes in the rock (as with my dottyback) or do they hang out in the open part of the tank?

[luxo1]

Reefmack, they swim all over, and in and out of any rocks and rock crevices.....you will see them a lot. They sleep in the rocks, so at night, you will not see them when the lights go out.....

[Reefmack]

Thanks luxo1. Sounds similar to my dottyback behavior, and the 2 would probably be squaring off at each other. May not be a good combo in a small tank.

[luxo1]

In a small tank, definitely not....don't do it!

[joshola]

I have a sixline and a bicolor blenny which were introduced at the same time, and they're buddies -- at least I think so. Most of the time when the sixline passes the blenny, he bristles his dorsal fin, and sometimes he'll look like he's about to nip at the blenny, but he just gently inspects him and -- sorta like grooming -- and the blenny doesn't mind at all. I've heard that sixlines will eat parasites off of other fish. I'm hoping this is just an instinctual thing and the sixline isn't actually chowing on parasites. Both seem healthy and happy.

[pmartin727]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10135550#post10135550 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pmartin727
I have a 2 bartlett anthais as well and they mess with the 6 line every now and again but he handles his own.

My six line stays in and out of the rock work