Wrasse digging under sand...

M

myownkeeper

ok tonight after next wave i stoped by my usual store and i pickup a gorgous green coris wrasse (my third attempt with a wrasse, ive had a sixline and mystery both completly disappear). this time i did a 2 hour acclimaion just to be sure then gently then the little guy go. He almost imidiatly dove down and under the sand. WOW amazing thing to see. When i lost the other two i was told they could stay under the sand for over 8 days. so both times i waited untill about 10 days then broke down the tank. Never found a single trace of either. My main reason for explaining this is to ask, Can a wrasse survive under the sand? Can they breath? Can brissles or other pests consume the wrasse? Im scared i already lost him :x
 
A week would be quite a long time. Every Coris wrasse I've had has done the same thing. It goes there for protection, if a predator would try to get it, it would swim out. I don't think anything would attack it while in the sand. I've lost two Coris wrasse, and both died laying on the bottom, not buried in the sand. Did you check around for jumpers? Your cleanup crew might have taken care of them too, especially if small.
 
My Yellow coris wrasse hid in the sand for over a week before it re-appeared. I had written it off when it finally came out. I've had him close to a year now. He hides in the sand evey night before the lights go out and comes out in the morning. He's the coolest fish in the 40b. Thanks to Matt for suggesting him:)
Mary
 
I have a christmas wrasse that i bought recently...it hid for about a week. It only came out when the lights were off for an hour and then would hide. Today is the first time I have seen it out with the lights on.
 
Its totally normal for a green coris wrasse to bury on the sand. We actually dont recommend them for bare bottom tanks because they require sand to sleep and hide in. Are you sure the wrasse hasnt come out at all. Many times, it may come out for a couple hours then go back into hiding. It should get more and more used to you and the tank....and eventually come out more. Just be patient.
 
...oh and this behavior is typical of other wrasses in the halichoeres and coris genus so Steve, your Christmas wrasse should start to come out more too.
 
My Coris started being more active when my Alk climbed to above 11 dKh.



I have noticed though that from midday thru early evening he's hiding.

He comes out at night, and is finally eating Formula pellets and Freeze Dried Krill soaked in Selcon.
 
i have a hoevens wrasse and it did a simalar thing now its out all day but every morning he is nowhere to be found. I have had it for about 6 months and still dont know where it sleeps. Well I know its in the sand but never have caught him (yes its a him) going into or out of the sand. Probably never will.
 
I find my yellow coris wrasse in the overflow quite often...he likes to jump back in the tank when I try to net him...

He's always been a hide and seek fellow, your's may just surprise you one day. Don't give up yet.
 
I had an aquapod 12 and the last chamber that the pump goes into has an opening into the chamber that goes underneath all the other chambers and I had a firefish jump in there. I found him by cutting the black film off the back of the tank in that lower chamber and eventually had to break down the entire tank, drain the water, turn the tank upside down to save the little guy. You might want to cut the film in that chamber and shine a flashlight in there and see if you can see him. And then use black tape to cover the hole back up. Hope this helps.
 
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