Six Line Wrasse Question

[Nickman]

I want to get my first salt water fish and the Six Line Wrasse is one that I find very beautiful. This site says they eat crustaceans and nano-reef.com describes them as "an active invertebrate hunter".

Doesn't that imply they will eat your snails and hermit crabs that makeup your clean-up crew?

 

[f2titan]

I want to get my first salt water fish and the Six Line Wrasse is one that I find very beautiful. This site says they eat crustaceans and nano-reef.com describes them as "an active invertebrate hunter".

Doesn't that imply they will eat your snails and hermit crabs that makeup your clean-up crew?

I have a six line in my tank. I have not see the above from mine. I think he moves some of my smaller/bits of coral some times. But, he gets along just fine.

 

[returnofsid]

Welcome to Reef Frontiers!!

I've had several 6 line wrasses, over the years. I've never had any problems with them eating any of those things. However, one thing to keep in mind, if you'll ever want a Mandarin Dragonette, you will not be able to have that wrasse. The wrasse will outcompete the Mandarin for the food source that the Mandarin must have.

 

[Nickman]

Mandarins are not in my future as I only have a Nanocube 12G DX.

I know I can only really keep 1 or 2 fish responsibly in this tank and I've always had a Firefish, Royal Gramma, or Six Line Wrasse on my short list. I've heard that the Six Line Wrasse is fairly aggressive so that would probably make it a one fish tank.

Due to a massive flatworm problem I was leaning towards the wrasse to add beauty and hopefully have it put to work as well.

 

[kngofaquaticoIs]

never had many problems with the 6 lines as far a aggression, but i know alot of people who have.... but again they are awesome fw eaters...
good luck
shane

 

[tcduongxx]

Good fish to have. Make sure your tank is mature to the point where you have lot of bug and work for them to eat. Also if you want giant clam some day and you have problem with those little white parasite snails. Six line would be the best to help keep them under control.

 

[kngofaquaticoIs]

when they get big enough they will eat small starfish(tiny brittlestars) aphiopods and copepods, and sometimes pepermint shrimp and cleaner shrimp when they molt....

snails and blue legs are usually really safe with the sixlines..
shane

 

[vinny2261]

Most of the Six lines I have had also will eat Mysis Shrimp, other frozen and flake food. They also constantly hunt for Pod's and other small creatures. I have kept them with Mandarin's. But a bigger, mature tank definitely helps keep the mandarin healthy. They are a Wrasse, they just do not get as large as some of the other varieties do. They are a little less aggressive and consider a reef safe Wrasse.

 

[kungfuchan2000]

Six lines experienced I have was all positive (I had 2 before). They never bother my corals or crustaceans. They would flash at other fish once in a while (just self defense alert, not aggression). My wife used to put a little mirror next to the tank to see him/her flash at its own reflection because they are very pretty when they open up all their fins ....!

IMO, they are one of the most "REEF SAFE" fish I've ever kept.

 

[MGDMIRAGE]

Six lines are awesome fish but they are insanely active and i wouldn't want to put one in anything as small as a 12 gallon. Mine does laps around my 20 gallon long all day and I wish i had a bigger tank for him to cruise around I'm sure it's boring staring at the same scenery over and over.

I would stick to one of the smaller gobies for your 12 gallon, or another firefish as they aren't too horribly active.

In the end it's of course your choice but keep in mind how active and inquisitive these fish are, it may end up very bored in such a small environment.

 

[1fishkeeper]

I cant say much about them I have only had one, and that was for less that 24 hours. He ended up carpet surfing sometime in the middle of the night. They are good looking fish and it has crossed my mind once or twice on getting another one. Maybe I will but it will be the last thing that I stalk in my tank after everything else goes in.

 

[Nickman]

tcduongxx -I guess I don't know what it means to make sure my tank is mature and has lots of bugs. I consider my tank mature as it's been running close to 7 months. I wouldn't say there are a lot of bugs though. I see a couple when I use the magnifying glass to look at the live rock, but not a lot.

kngofaquaticoIs - Your comment about molting made me think of my emerald crab and my desire for a fire shrimp. I'd be bummed if they molted and were attacked by a six line.

MGDMIRAGE - Everybody's comments were positive about six lines but yours made me think these fish are being enjoyed by most of you in large tanks. I suspected my tank would be borderline for a six line. Would it live, yes but thrive, maybe not. I guess I really was leaning toward a six line as my first fish for the added benefit of being one of the few fish that could help me with flatworms without resorting to chemicals.

 

[bigblue141]

I want to get my first salt water fish and the Six Line Wrasse is one that I find very beautiful. This site says they eat crustaceans and nano-reef.com describes them as "an active invertebrate hunter".

Doesn't that imply they will eat your snails and hermit crabs that makeup your clean-up crew?

The crustaceans the six-lines eat are just copepods, mysis, brine, and all the other tiny life that thrives in a reef. Never had any issues with six-lines in the past. They are very pretty and active. All the one's I've had have always eaten flake and frozen foods just fine.

 

[glacierdiver]

I had a six line for about 10 years and they are wonderful for keeping unwanted pests down but mine ate every peppermint shrimp, emerald crab and attacked a lot of snails but it didn't eat as many snails as my large hermit that loved escargot.