Pylei wrasse being bullied?

[DracoKat]

Hi all,

I've had a Pylei wrasse for about a month and half now. He was in an acclimation box for about a week and half before I released into my tank. Naturally he'd hide in the upper corner of the tank. For a few days, my female flame wrasse would "shoo" At it, not attacking directly but giving a warning. The other fish did not pay any mind at all to him.

A few weeks later, lights on, he's still hiding in the corner, and the flame wrasse is leaving it alone. Pylei's head is right at the surface, partially out of the water. I can touch his head and he won't swim away as I'd expect a fish to.
Lights out, he's all over the tank.
Given this, I feel he's being bullied by the flame wrasse.

Any ideas what I can do? Catching the flame would be near impossible.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Is the back half of his body dragging, almost as if he is having trouble staying horizontal?

Also, if it is a case of bullying one will need to be removed and the pylei sounds like the easier candidate.

 

[leahfiish]

Was he swimming and acting normally while in the acclimation box?
Also are there any other wrasses in the tank? Adding more might help spread out aggression.

 

[DracoKat]

Is the back half of his body dragging, almost as if he is having trouble staying horizontal?

Also, if it is a case of bullying one will need to be removed and the pylei sounds like the easier candidate.

he looks healthy- I thought swim bladder, but the fact he's swimming after lights out and not turning upsidedown, i don't think its swim bladder issue. swimming fine, just staying in one place at the surface. He's eating when it's feeding. Even in the acclimation box, I released him when he seemed to get too antsy being in a small confined place.

I have a leopard wrasse, hoeven's wrasse, yellow coris wrasse and the flame wrasse.

 

[eatbreakfast]

My thoughts are spinal injury more than swim bladder, swimming is more controlled, but still not right, and also exhibits a reluctance to move too much.

 

[DracoKat]

When I get home tonight, I'll video him. I am at work and can't at the moment.

 

[DracoKat]

@eatbreakfast @leahfiish

 

[DracoKat]

I just fed, and he goes down a couple of inches to grab the food, not shy about stealing the food from other fish, but he goes back to the top in between bites

 

[eatbreakfast]

Good news is his spine is fine. But he is definitely stressed. He may benefit to going back to qt to get more confidence.

Also adding a few fairy wrasses simultaneously can diffuse aggression.

 

[leahfiish]

Definitely seems like some kind of balance or buoyancy issue to me? If you put him back in the acclimation box is he still swimming like that?

 

[DracoKat]

I'll put him back in the acclimation box (my QT isn't set up presently) and see if it makes a difference with his stress/ buoyancy problems.

if it is balance/buoyancy, what can I do for him?

If it's stress, time is what he needs?

thank you both for prompt replies!

 

[MIKE NY]

Just a word of caution...be careful what you wish for because the Pylie is one of the more aggressive Fairy wrasses, although there are always exceptions it probably will have the same or even more aggressive disposition as the Scotts you recently traded in. I had the Cebu variant of the species and mine was also bullied at first by other fairies, but after it matured and transitioned into a beautiful super male it turned the table and had to be removed. Heavier feedings helped with the aggression of the other fairies.....

 

[DracoKat]

Thanks @MIKE NY for the warning!

The info I've been finding on the pylie has been really mixed. Some sites say peaceful, others say semi aggressive to aggressive. I decided to take the chance. If I have to rehome, I will do so, but I'd like to give him a shot first

I do feed a lot, and I may add a few more fairies to help disperse the aggression.

 

[DracoKat]

@eatbreakfast @leahfiish

the wrasse is swimming normally in the acclimation box. No difficulties or floating, so I know it's healthy.

He must've been bullied or stressed.

Any ideas what I can do so I can release him again soon? I see him trying to get at the other fish when it comes close.

 

[leahfiish]

They might just not be compatible.
You could try adding other fairy wrasses at the same time. But I wouldnt release it from the box if they are trying to attack each other.