Melanurus Mistake?

[kdg]

Hi all,

I think that i just made my first major mistake. Despite knowing better, i (greedily) added a small-medium Melanurus Wrasse to my BioCube 29. Other occupants include 2 ocellaris clowns, 1 pajama cardinal, 1 royal gramma, and, most relevant here, 1 Yellow Wrasse. Although i had read numerous warnings about the Melanurus attacking inverts, most online commentaries nevertheless described the Melanurus as peaceful towards other fish, including other wrasses. Well, two days in, and the Melanurus is relentlessly chasing/harassing the Yellow Wrasse.

Is this normal behavior for a Melanurus? Is it because the tank is too small (29g)? Is the Melanurus just establishing its presence with the possibility that it will soon stop the behavior? Any thoughts or comments from your past experience are welcomed. Thanks!

 

[raz0945]

The melanurus wrasse needs a bigger tank and the yellow wrasse if it is a yellow coris wrasse will need a larger tank when grown (5") The best wrasses for a 29g is a 6 line, cryptic, or a wrasse that will get to 3" when full grown. Usually one wrasse to a small tank. Great tank, I just took down a 29g I had for 7+yrs. It would not be good to put two wrasses that size in such a small space, my yellow coris is in a 125g and is all over the place. You might want to go on line and look for more info on wrasses and the space they need. Your LFS might take them back, it can't hurt to try. Holley

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

Mine is awesome!!! The only other fish he would chase was the female. He's never picked at an invert (although he may have been involved in the demise of my cleaner shrimp pair) nor at other fish. I suspect, he's in to small a space.

 

[skriz]

Move some rock around and see if that helps. It is a somewhat aggressive fish, but it'll exhibit this behavior more when in a small tank like yours.

No better time than the present to upgrade

 

[kdg]

Thanks for the responses. I would love to move into a larger tank...and I hope to do so in the next year. I'm glad to read that some of you have had luck with a Melanurus. I dread the possibility of having to try to catch it, and then asking my LFS to accept it as a return. I'm finding some solace in the fact that both the Yellow Coris and Melanurus wrasses bury themselves in the sand bed at night. I suppose that the Yellow Wrasse can use this time to de-stress and lick its wounds.

Is it common for a new addition (Melanurus or not) to exhibit aggressive behavior? I've read so much about how established occupants will put a scare into "fresh meat," but i have not come across anything that identifies the new addition as the bully. Things were so peaceful in the tank until this point...

 

[jennm]

Agree that they both need a larger tank (wrasses). I've kept Melanurus and Yellow together in larger tanks with no issues.

They can and will pick at inverts - some do, some don't but as they get larger, they almost always do. That's how Nature programmed them to feed.

They're both great fish.

Jenn

 

[kdg]

Although my data sample is extremely small at this point, the Melanurus's harassment of the Yellow seems to have scaled back today. They are certainly having plenty of interaction in such a small tank, but most of the encounters today have been far more cordial than yesterday.

So far, the inverts appear unharmed, but i fully expect this to change...

 

[brandonmason]

Sell both wrasse and get a mckoser fairy or sixline. Walla problem solved

 

[kdg]

In all seriousness, i've heard such bad things about the Sixline that i have to imagine that most in the hobby steer clear from them. Is that right? I quickly googled the McCosker Fairy Wrasse...wow, that's a pretty fish! Maybe for a larger tank, one day...

 

[sleepyreef]

My sixline is a model citizen in my tank. He cruises around the rocks doing his thing. Not all sixlines are bad.

 

[kdg]

SleepyReef, are there other Wrasses in the tank? How many gallons? Thanks!

 

[sleepyreef]

80 gallon and sixline is only wrasse.

 

[tonymission]

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[camellia]

I gave my six line away after it chased and killed my purple dottyback and the dotty was I the "29" first. Odd but true! I'll never have another 6 line!
Carpenter or McCorki are perfect (single) wrasse for a 29.

 

[kdg]

TonyMission, great looking tank. I think my Melanurus is thinking the same thing as the Sixline in that image.

Camellia, sorry to hear about the Dottyback. Seems like we had/have similar problems with these Wrasses (a new inhabitant harassing an established occupant).

 

[atlweb]

KDG- I think you answered a lot of your questions in your description of the issue. 2 bigger wrasses (or that will become bigger) in a small tank is a recipe for some problems.

I am also guilty of reading advice and thinking "yeah, but my tank is different" and it did not end well for me (I tried a mandarin dragnonet in a 20 gal, and tried everything I could to get pod populations up, but failed). After losing a fish to my own arrogance, it really made me think about the responsibility we have as fish owners. Many people call this a hobby, but in a lot of ways... this is even more involved than being a caretaker of dogs, cats, etc., and most people wouldn't call taking care of a dog a "hobby".

I think we need to change the way we think about our mini ecosystems and really respect the living animals.

I promise I'm not trying to get preachy (and I'm now stepping off my soapbox), as I've definitely gone against the advice of others, but hopefully you can find another wrasse that would be very happy in a 29g.

 

[rdnelson]

Six lines are very cool fish but......They are evil. LOL They are a very aggressive fish in my opinion. I will not have another one in any tank.

 

[kdg]

Atlweb, you raise some good points. A dog, to take your example, shares our ecosystem. These tanks are separate ecosystems from our own. Without getting too philosophical, i suppose one can point out our hubris in thinking that we can somehow replicate a natural reef environment...we of course cannot, no matter how large the tank.

The good news is that both Wrasses appear happier now (though i'm not convinced that human emotions apply here). The Melanurus has basically stopped provoking the Yellow, though the limited space is encouraging what is probably too much interaction, even if it's now peaceful, between the two.

I don't think any action is needed now. As the Melanurus gets larger, i may have to put it into a larger system.

Reading these and other posts on this site have been extremely useful. The problem is that the suggestions about McCosker and Carpenter Wrasses only make having a small-ish tank even more frustrating!

 

[rdnelson]

LOL Better get used to it. No matter how large your tank is, two truths are undeniable. Someone will always have a bigger one and you will always want a bigger one.