Reef Discussion

[scottme]

Hi all,

I got a fairly large Melanurus Wrasse on Sunday and within half an hour, he had disappeared before I could cover the tank. I presume he's buried in the sand as I couldn't detect him anywhere around the tank. Anyhow, my QT is well covered now and as of this morning (Wed) I saw no sign of him.

At what point should I very carefully try to flush him out of the sand and try getting him eating again?

I know they are notorious for hiding for days, but I've also heard stories of them hiding to death. It's his second big move in a few weeks so he's rather grumpy. The QT is a full new speed cycled 3ft setup with 5 other peaceful fish (although the 2 Chromis act like they're on speed). These other 4 champion fish are the remnants from my velvet epidemic, but that's another story...

 

[Savage Henry]

There's nothing you can do but leave it where it is.

Even if you removed the sand it's not going to make the fish feel any better or behave any better. It's likely to make the situation worse and stress the fish.

Any wrasse that dies in the sand probably died from some other reason other than because it stayed in the sand for an overly long period.

My previous Dusky Wrasse, which is now owned by another aquarist, as well as my previous Yellow Wrasse (RIP Banana Man), both of the same family as yours, did the same when introduced to a new tank.

I think this family of wrasse are basically bulletproof so if it dies it probably died from its handling from the LFS rather than from you.

 

[MagicJ]

I would leave it for at least a week.

 

[scottme]

Thanks. This wrasse is a beauty, and after the fish carnage I had visited upon me, I'm very much hoping to avoid any more tragedies.

 

[ezza]

I had a much loved red line wrasse (sold to me mislabeled as a melanarus wrasse) for a long time. He would hide for ages under the sand. He loved mysis shrimp, I found that he would come out in the early morning and evening and swim around looking for food. I cottoned on so would put a cube in to prompt him to come out to say hi.

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

 

[Cosby]

I have two recent wrasse stories of survival.

I moved my 4ft tank from one room to another 2 weeks ago, and during the move my male Leopard Wrasse decided to go to bed. As I really didn't want to disturb my deep sand bed any more than I really had to with the removal of rock and corals in order to find him, I ended up draining the tank almost completely(to the exact sand level) and then moved the tank and started to refill with water.

In the time that the tank was emptied, disconnected from heating and pumps, the temp would've dropped to around 21-22 degrees for a period of at least 2 hours. The wrasse remained in the soggy sand during this time, and I didn't give him much chance of surviving the ordeal.
I started re-adding the water which wasn't particularly warm, and within 2 hours he was back up and swimming about the tank, exploring the rockless scape, complete at ease with his little adventure and the no doubt chilly environment.

What a hardy bastard.

The second act of survival was from my Blue sided fairy who really didn't take well to being quarantined in a makeshift holding tank and then back into the original tank. On the Sunday that I placed him back in my tank he was laying against a rock, gasping...looking like he had about 2 hours to live.

I did not see him again until the following Saturday morning, fresh as a daisy, gliding around the tank, picking at rocks.
6 days of acclimatizing and finding confidence to leave his makeshift cave under a rock.

So, my advice, just let your wrasse be. They'll most likely adjust and come good.