Added one 16 days ago. It hides in the rockwork and only comes out to eat. Seems petrified of my anthias even though my anthias never goes near it. Is this normal for this fish? How long until it's swimming around?
Exquisite Wrasse
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I wouldn't say so. Usually after a day or two they're out and about and being confident. Anthias and fairy wrasse to inhabit similar areas of the tank and that could be causing it anxiety. How big is the exquisite and can we get a picture to establish life stage?
Also @SaltyT @i cant think @Petcrazyson Any thoughts?
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It's a reefer 750. The fish is about 2 inches so on the smaller side. Impossible to get a picture because it literally just darts out of the rock and goes right back in. I can't even find where it is hiding. I just know the general area since it doesn't leave that section of the tank. Here is a pic of the tank.
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wrasses can be shy up front and soon open up but surely appear when food is introduced
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16 days though? Seems like quite a bit in my experience. I have been feeding every few hours to try and get it out and keep any aggression I can't see down. It eats every time but is literally mia the rest of the time. It was out a bit on day the 2nd and 3rd day but that was it.
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As long as it's eating well things are still positive. Probably just slowly acclimating.
My harlequin tusk, 3 weeks, tamarind-2 weeks and my worse- marine betta close to 4 months
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This is a video I took 5 days ago. This is basically as much as the fish is out. If anything it's even less now.
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I wouldn’t say normal. These guys a pretty docile, but not as to where it’s scared of nothing bugging it. It should be comfortable at over 2 weeks, but every wrasse is different. So it only comes out when you are feeding you say. Does it come out to eat, and eat out and about vigorously like the other fish? Or does it shy away or only come out of under a rock or coral and take one or two bites and disappears again?
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It eats pretty vigorously. But goes back and forth between hiding and not hiding. It never fully comes out and if it swims out to far it freaks and darts back immediately. Something seems strange to me but not sure what else I can do. Yesterday I put a mirror on the opposite side of the tank to try and keep the fish congregating on the other side.
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Then it is eating enough. It seems it’s been acting more like a dotty back or a basslet rather than a fairy wrasse. Take off the mirror unless it’s for cancelling aggression. Since your trying to get all the fish to another side of the tank away from where he is, he will decide to hide even more, because he doesn’t see it safe to come out as there are no fish swimming in that area.
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Yes it acts more like my yellow assessor than a typical fairy wrasse.
I know I'm late to the party, but since I was tagged I'll give my opinion. This is typical behavior for a fairy wrasse that's being intimidated. I noticed a yellow wrasse in your video, he could be the culprit harassing your new exquisite wrasse when you're not around to see it.
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Hey thanks for the reply. The yellow coris is the most docile fish. The exquisite wrasse looks to be on its way out. I have noticed it coming out less and less. When it is out it is swims more vertical. I think it's my lyertail giving it hell followed by a chromis.
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Yes my lyertail is an utter butt. I have had it for 5 years and never had issues like this before. I don't believe the fish has directly went at the exquisite but I feel like the exquisite is stressed by its movement and posturing. I added a pintail at the Sametime as the exquisite and it is doing great.
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I am going to try one last thing. I am going to put a mirror on the side of the tank to keep the lyertail pinned on one side of the tank. I am.also contemplating changing the aquascape where the exquisite is hanging. I want to try and force it out. After 3 weeks obviously nothing is going to change.
Sometimes they don’t need to chase like you said they feel it. If you can trap and hold anthias and see if exquisite will settle.
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So I put mirrors on both sides of the tank to keep the lyertail active killing itself. Will leave it up for a week or two. I don't want to go overly crazy as I think something is off with this exqusite. It hasn't left the corner of the overflow in 3 weeks. It's almoat.like it has a swim bladder issue or something. It only skims the surface and hangs vertically. Each day it is out less and less.
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