New Flame Wrasse Pair

[kirstenk]

Hey folks....this is sorta long but I wanted all information available. I hope ya'll can help me out. :)

On Friday night I purchased an Hawaiian Flame Wrasse pair. These fish were fully quarantined at my LFS. When I went to pick them up the female was out and about but the male (a real Beauty) had been mostly hiding under a rock but came out to feed. They were in an aquarium with a couple other fish.

I brought them home, acclimated them and dropped them in. Male hid and the female came out a couple of times before lights out.

Sat. morning I wake up to find the male battered and breathing heavily, shrimp closing in. I suspect my Potter's Angle to be the culprit but I also have a Velvet Wrasse. I scoop him up and put him in the sump where I assume he will die.

Today, he is still alive and ate some food but still just lays under rubble hiding.

That's the story, here's my questions.

When should I try re-introduction to the display?
If I need to wait, will the female go male on me?
Should I remove the Potters and add back later?

[Rothie]

JMO,but I would suspect the other wrasse.I have had a few Potters and they were all very docile(and beautiful).All my fairy and flasher wrasses were getting along,but when I added a full grown male C. Lineatus,my male Scotts beat him up.The Scotts is smaller than the Lineatus,and the Lineatus was very robust and healthy before I put him in with the others.I also have a C. Solarensis that I had such a bad disposition that put him in another tank.
I would give the Flame wrasse a really good diet(and fed several times a day)in hopes that he will recover.When he is strong eneough to be reintroduced,I would try to remove the Velvet wrasse to your other tank or sump and maybe try to reintroduce him after a couple of months.

[Philwd]

I don't have experience with flames but my flasher did start to go male on me when the first male died. Happened within a couple weeks. I would try and keep them together or move the velvet until the flames get established.

One more idea that might be tough to do in your tank. Rearrange the furniture. That way the established residents don't have a marked territory to defend.

[kirstenk]

Very well could be the Flame but that fish is dominated over by the Potters. Awhile back I had two other Fairy Wrasse's and the Flame was the lowest in that pecking order.

I think I will remove both to be on the safe side and re-introduce later down the road.

Thanks for the imput.

[dphins]

Any updates?

[kirstenk]

My Flame Wrasse Woes!

I took that male and put him in my 24g Nano. I put the female in there with him. I kept them there for a couple weeks. I removed the Velvet and the Potters and reintroduced the Flame Pair. About a month later the male up and died. I went on the list at the LFS for another male. Time passed and they got in pairs. So I purchased another pair to go with my female. Things looked good until the new female died. It was not fighting between the females. So, I now have a beautiful pair but they were PRICEY!

[dphins]

Maybe it's fate, those two were made for each other?