six line wrasse compatibility

i would like to keep a target mandarin, however, i have a six line in my tank right now. should i get rid of the six line before i add the mandarin? i hear they will compete for food and the mandarin will lose every time.

6-line wrasses are hit and miss with aggressive behavior. I have avoided them for that reason. they tend to get super territorial once established. they play nice with fish much larger than they are, but Mandarins are not larger and are really passive eaters. Chances are it will not get enough to eat, may hide often and eventually starve to death, unless your system is large enough for the wrasse to establish his territory in one area and the goby in the opposite side of the tank, say, 55 or larger.

Also, Mandarins are pod eaters, and need a large supply of food to graze on. Many do not switch easily to frozen fare. They are a tough fish to keep and need a well established tank to have a chance.

-Doc

Those two fish will compete for the same food sources, and the mandarin will lose. I would not put the two of them in a tank as small as yours. I have a sixline and a mandarin in my tank, but I have 300 gallons to work with.