terminal male pink margin fairy wrasse ,dying?

[iamwrasseman]

i bought a beautiful pink margin wrasse a couple of weeks ago from you guys and he seemed okay for the first few days . he slowly progressed into what i will call insanity and is slowly starving himself looking for a tank mate . a very long story made short ,do you think that terminal male wrasses should be left on the reef because of their disposition ? the wrasse was beautiful and went crazy looking for a female in my opinion ,he constantly searches in a hunched flashing way that i have only seen briefly by others . he seems obsessed by thease actions to the point that he has stopped eating and does nothing else but this "dance"in an attempt to lure females to his area which isnt going to happen .i wish that i could find out the survival rate ,long term or such a fish . when i say long term i really mean more than your 14 day guarentee ? honestly there are some fish that should be left alone and i think he is one of them . i wish that his beauty did not lure me into purchasing him . he will probably die within a few days but i put him in with a few other fairy wrasses to try to get him off this path that he is in . i dont expect my money back because its also my fault for buying such a fish but do they really survive in captivity ? i have asked around and found that they indeed do not ,so why do we add to thier demise and catch them only so they can die in out captivity ? i have always stood behind you guys and now i must rethink what we all are doing . i also am sorry for even saying this on your site but we all are concerned for the wellbeing of our fish and all that are collected . i also am very sorry for not having the capibility to keep such a fish alive as i love them dearly and do own close to 50 wrasses ,many of which are very delicate and difficult to keep but i have succedded most of the time . sorry to speak tainted words but some fish really ought to be left on the reef .
thanks Dave

[dfs/la2]

Iamwrasseman,

Thank you for your Post and recent order with LiveAquaria. We appreciate you concerns with the male Wrasses and will look into this further for you. We will post back tomorrow with further information on this subject.

We thank you for your patience in this matter.

Michelle L.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith

[iamwrasseman]

thanks
Dave

[DFS]

Dave,

I am very sorry to hear that you are having problems with the incredible Cirrhilabrus rubrimarginatus you purchased a few weeks ago. I think placing this fish with other wrasse is a good idea, but please keep a keen eye on everyone’s behavior to make sure there is limited aggression as this can happen when mixing numerous species of Cirrhilabrus.

The problem you are experiencing with this fish can happen even to the best of us, regardless of the diligence taken for the fishes we obtain. Sometimes fish can have a difficult time adapting to new surroundings, and can stop eating, refuse to eat, or even perish for a variety of unknown reasons.

Larger species require a good bit of swimming space and water temperatures between 72-78 degrees in order to thrive. A varied diet of enriched meaty foods will keep these fishes in good health. Most species of Cirrhilabrus are found in relatively deep water on rocky outcrops or in rubble zones, and prefer more subdued lighting condition to maintain their ideal coloration, but will adapt to higher intensities of light on most reef style aquaria.

From my personal experience Terminal Phase Male Cirrhilabrus normally adapt very well to captive conditions when maintained in an appropriate environment, and can thrive for many years. Although these fish would surely prefer and benefit from several females, it is not necessary for their survival in the home aquarium. All species of Cirrhilabrus that are readily available in the aquarium trade can thrive for many years in the home aquarium, even Terminal Phase Males.

Cirrhilabrus reproduce quickly and are very abundant fishes in most parts of the world where they are found. These fishes are hermaphroditic, and have the ability to change sex. When the dominant terminal male from the harem or group is either removed or perishes, the largest female will take its place and develop into a fully functioning male. As long as the fish are collected in an ethical and responsible manner, sustainably harvested without damage to the habitat, decompressed properly, and handled appropriately post-harvest, there is no reason for rethinking their collection for the home aquarium.

To give you an example I have maintained a giant Terminal Phase Male Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis for 4 years now in my office aquarium without any females present with no problems at all. This is one example out of the hundreds from fellow hobbyists that have success in maintaining large male fishes of the genus Cirrhilabrus.

When you have a free moment, please keep us posted on how the fish is adapting to your other aquarium. If you experience additional problems please contact our customer service representatives and we will be more than happy to credit your account for this fish, and I apologize for the inconvenience.

Please don’t let one bad experience deter you from pursuing your passion of Labrids!

Cheers!

[jmaneyapanda]

Do you think he is possibly excessively preoccupied by reflection? I had an angel recently added spend a week "dancing" against his reflection.

[iamwrasseman]

thanks for your response and explaining some things for me ,i am sorry to say that he didnt make the day in my wrasse tank . i really think it was to late when i put him into the tank but as you would know you have to try all avenues if at all possiable and i did what i could .
again thanks Dave

[dfs/la2]

iamwrasseman,

Thank you for your post. We are sorry to hear about the recent loss of your Margin Wrasse. A PM has been sent to you in regards to this matter.

Mike S.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith

[iamwrasseman]

i really appreciate the professionality of your entire group , everyone handled my situation great ! i really wasn't looking for anything but knowledge but they refunded my money . any time that i can do business with you i certainly will .

thanks again Dave