HELP yellow watchman goby & 6 line wrasse issues

[Angelajean]

Okay so last week, my YWG had got himself in the plumbing section of my 90 gallon tank. We got him out safely.

Now he is back in there. We tried to block it without blocking flow, but the bigger issue is that the reason he is in there today is because the 6 line keeps coming after him. No idea why.

Does anyone have any ideas on why the 6 line would be having issues with the ywg?
Is there anything I can do?
I thought of perhaps trying to make additional cave area for the watchman or perhaps I need to set up my 14 for the watchman. I have nothing in there. It is empty. I was going to set it up for a quarantine tank.

Thanks for the help.:frustrat:

 

[wontonflip]

You can attempt to catch the 6line and put him in time out. Or try the mirror trick. Sometimes fish just like to pick on other fish (and 6-lines can be pretty mean sometimes. Mine is sweet as can be.

 

[Angelajean]

This is the six line I got from Ocean Crazy. I do not think he had any problems with it.
If I use the mirror method would I put a mirror on the outside at the other end from where the watchman lives?
How might this help?
Thanks

 

[wontonflip]

The 6-line will be too busy trying to intimidate the "new wrasse"....I did it with my kole tang (But I think i didn't do it long enough because a few weeks after I took the mirror down, he was back to his old tricks). I knew it was the one from Ocean :)

Try to put him in time out maybe. He was fine w/ ocean because he was already established there. Moves can change a fish.

 

[FishyReef]

I would try to put the mirror on the side of the tank that is opposite the ywg's cave - give the wrasse something to do in the opposite end of the tank. And you can buy covers for overflows to help keep curious fish out ;)

 

[Angelajean]

Thanks Fishy. I had no idea that they sold those. Now I need to figure out where.

 

[FishyReef]

I think Little_Fish posted a link at some point but I can't find the post.... maybe pm her and ask? Or ask your LFS?

 

[Angelajean]

UPDATE:
We got the YWG out of the overflow area for the SECOND time, safely. He is now in the refuge, doing quite well. I have lighting down there too as well as my chaeto and some live rock and sand.
In the DT, all is well too.

We are going away for a few days but I set up my 14 Biocube and am going to put him in there when I return. Maybe I'll get him a pistol shrimp or some type of other fish to hang out with.

Any ideas??

Thanks,
Angie

 

[wavemaster]

I have never had a 6 line but this is what I did for my new goby:

For my diamond goby, I put a piece of pvc pipe in the tank, laying it flat and placing it in the sand. He is using it as his house and it provides protection. The goby fills in one end with sand and watches out the other. At least this will give your goby a place to hide. Moving the fish to its own tanks is the best way to go and the pvc pipe should help keep the fish safe until your ready to transfer him. Good Luck!

 

[Angelajean]

Mine had that in our 40 and when we moved it to our 90 he hasn't had anything todo with
It.

 

[2XAl]

Just out of curiosity, which fish was in the tank first? I had a YWG in mine for over a year, then added a 6-line and if anything the goby will chase the wrasse when he swims by the cave.

 

[Angelajean]

The goby was in the 40 first. The wrasse was in there temporarily and when we moved to the 90, everyone moved together.
I think this my be the problem. They were establishing new territory. The wrasse being an as5 established his dominance. hierarchy, pecking order, whatever.

 

[Angelajean]

Since my 6 line wrasse evicted my YWG, is there any other goby that would perhaps be okay with the 6 line. 6 line gets along great with my Kole Tang,

 

[Ulta]

UPDATE:
Maybe I'll get him a pistol shrimp or some type of other fish to hang out with.

Any ideas??

Thanks,
Angie

I recommend this, They pair up good and with the pistol shrimp always excavating and digging out a home under the rocks he would always have a cave to duck into if he had to :)

My pistol and goby stayed hidden in the cave under the rock for month tho and were very skiddish until finally getting comfortable enough to venture across the tank.

 

[Angelajean]

I want to find a goby that would be suitable in my 90 with my 6 line, kole tang, black white ocellaris clowns, and my dottyback. The tank seems incomplete without a goby.

 

[FishyReef]

I have a pink spotted watchman in my 90 that is doing quite well and stands up to my more aggressive wrasses and tang to defend his cave. He was a good 3" when I bought him, wouldn't want to go smaller than that otherwise I think he'd get bullied to death. There was also a basslet and six-line in the tank when I added him and he did just fine holding his own. I dropped him near the cave I hoped he'd occupy, and he went right in it, hung there for several days and now ventures all over the tank. I frequently watch him chase my other fish out of his territory.