I added my royal gramma today to the DT after being quarantined. The poor little guy is getting harrased by my sixline wrasse. His fins are being nipped and torn. What should I do to help lower the aggression of the wrasse? I fed the tank a lil heavy handed after adding the royal gramma just to be sure everyone was full and happy. I'm thinking about cutting the lights out early to give the gramma some rest. Any other suggestions? How normal is this? How long should I let it play out before intervening? I guess the problem is the sixline has had most of the tank to himself for about 1-1.5 months. There were a pair of clowns in there before the wrasse but they never go anywhere near the rock work or corals and just hang out near the overflow box (I've found this behaviour really odd, but they seem perfectly healthy and the wrasse has never bothered them). Thanks in advance, I'm a bit worried here.

I forgot to add that I picked up my next fish today, a flame angel. The flame angel is now in the royal gramma's old home, the QT. My LFS has had this flame angel in there tanks for several months now (I've been seeing him since I bought my tank). In my stupidity I was thinking that I might skip the quaranting process with the angel and add him right into the display if that will help dispel a bit of the attention from the gramma. Sound dumb?

i would turn out the lights and let everyone rest for the night. the six line better watch out, when that royal gramma is acclimated ... he will tear that six line apart !! they are known to be a pretty aggressive fish when it comes to their territory. if it makes it through the night ... i would say that it is going to be fine.

Thanks for the response, thats what I did. I turned out the lights a few hrs early and now both the gramma and sixline are out of sight, presumably tucked in for the night ( hopefully). I really hope the gramma makes it, I just nursed him back to health from an ich outbreak. I'm going to be mad as all hell at that sixline if he kills the gramma.

the gramma will hold its own after it gets use to being back in the DT. i have seen one tear a Sohol Tangs fins to shreds !!

My sixline did the same thing when I added an C. argi for about 10 days then he just forgot about the new fish. I have heard that if you place a mirror against the glass the sixline will be so busy trying to drive off the rival in the mirror that it will forget the newcomer to the tank. :)

couldnt that hurt the 6 line?

I would expect that it will just cause a lot of posturing. Mine sees himelf in the glass, deepens his colors and flares his fins and really looks beautiful.

I usually hire a mediator & $60 a pop! :shout:

The reason they battle, is because they fit the same "niche" in the reef. Both dwell within and around the rock rubble, in search of "like foods", "like habitat" etc.

At 65 Gallons, you should be okay. They'll pick their respective corners and back off of each other. You MAY have to move some rock (if possible) and "confuse" the 6-line. If his/her territory doesn't look the same, it may become a little more submissive as it tries to figure out "home" again.

I've used the mirror on the wrasse before, as a distraction. It does work. It also gives you a chance to see why they are properly called and part of the "flasher wrasse" family. Purdy ain't they :D

D

Thanks for all the suggestions. I had no idea that the sixline was one of the "flasher wrasses".

Actuallly, Pseudocheilinus hexataenia are Pyjama wrasses. But they do flash.. go figure.

I forgot to add that I picked up my next fish today, a flame angel. The flame angel is now in the royal gramma's old home, the QT. My LFS has had this flame angel in there tanks for several months now (I've been seeing him since I bought my tank). In my stupidity I was thinking that I might skip the quaranting process with the angel and add him right into the display if that will help dispel a bit of the attention from the gramma. Sound dumb?

In one word, YES! Unless of course you like to gamble with ICH! But, wait, that's why you set up a quarantine tank. Use it faithfully!

Have you read my article "Nine Simple Rules" to healthier fish? Here's the link for anyone interested - Nine Simple Rules (http://www.theculturedreef.com/nine-rules.htm) Anyone, newbie, experienced and expert can have a healthier reef if these simple rules are consistently followed. It isn't luck, it's following rules.

Happy reefing!

Dick

Update:

Unfortunately I think I'm going to have to build a trap and remove the sixline. He is still hellbent on making the royal gramma's life miserable. Every once in a while I see him chase the gramma all over the tank. The gramma has befriended the clownfish and hangs out among them. The sixline completely ignores him when he is with his "posse." Once he sees the gramma alone though, its game on. :-( Oh Well I really liked the sixline too. Really interesting fish thats fun to watch especially when anything new is added to the tank. He would snoop around it for hours.

Bummer, I was hoping he would settle down and play nice!