Male and female flasher wrasse question

[Dturner]

I bought a female flasher wrasse a couple weeks ago from my LFS and bought a male filamented wrasse today. The female is chasing the male around the tank everytime she sees him. Is that normal? Seems like it'd be the opposite way.

 

[Washburn82]

I know with clowns and most other fish (along with human couples as well), the females wear the pants in the relationship. They tend to get bigger and more dominent.

 

[BL1]

The male may become more dominant with time but, the female has had several weeks to claim the whole tank as hers. With wrasses, the male will get bigger, and be dominant but, since they're two different types there's no guarantee that your female won't eventually turn male as well.

 

[Dturner]

Thanks BL and Washburn

 

[Washburn82]

ahh i was not aware of that. Thanks for correcting me BL1 :) learn something new everyday.

 

[Dturner]

Well the new male filamented flasher wrasse has been coming out more, but as soon as he comes out the other wrasser chases him until he goes into hiding. I have been trying to trap the female wrasse in a "inverted" 2-liter soda bottle... no luck yet. I am starting to lose hope. If I don't get this female wrasse out soon, the new one that I just paid $50 for will most definitely die of starvation. UGH! Anyone with any game-changing ideas for me?

 

[BL1]

Well, you can try turning the lights out, re-arranging the rockwork and seeing if that helps. You can try taping a mirror to the side of the tank to divert the fish's attention. unfortunately neither of those methods worked when my wrasse started showing aggression towards the other.

 

[AdamC]

I have been trying to use the inverted 2liter to trap my yellow tang all afternoon. No luck, can't even catch one fish just a snail in the sandbed.

 

[Dturner]

I have been trying to use the inverted 2liter to trap my yellow tang all afternoon. No luck, can't even catch one fish just a snail in the sandbed.

Adam, try making the hole that the tang swims in a little large so he doesn't have to squeeze in there. Also try putting a good amount of seaweed/nori sheets inside it, the yellow tang should go in it pretty quick. I wasn't even trying to catch my yellow tang and he swam in the trap I set for the flasher wrasse. I have also caught a yellow tang using the soda bottle technique about 6-8 months ago and it worked great with the seaweed inside it.

UPDATE ON WRASSE:
As of today the male filamented wrasse is out and eating like a pig, he doesn't seem so threatened by the female flasher wrasse, and she doesn't seem to be picking at him as much. I am thinking everything might work out okay, I just had an extra shy wrasse on my hands and he is doing much better. Woohoo!

 

[AdamC]

Yeah I ended up blocking him in and got him to run in the net. I put seaweed in the 2liter and food. Only thing I caught was a snail and urchin.