Fish Profile – Six Line Wrasse Fish For Reef Tanks

Six-line wrasse is a color addition to any fish tank. It carries numerous attributes that make it unique from the rest of the fish. Before introducing them to your aquarium, know the sixline wrasse fish profile and other details. In the following, you will learn about the profile, features, interesting facts, feeding habits, and about suitable tank mates.

six line wrasse

Sixline Wrasse Fish Species Profile

Here is the six-line wrasse fish profile that will help you to understand them more.

Name and Origin

Sixline wrasse is a marine fish that belongs to the Labridae family. Its scientific name is Pseudocheilinus hexataenia. It’s also called Six stripe Wrasse and Six Bar Wrasse in the aquarium community. They live in the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean. They inhabit warm, shallow, and clear water near the coral reefs. 35 meters is the maximum reported depth where they are present.

Physical Appearance

Six-line wrasse is a beautiful and colorful marine fish. It has a bluish-purple body with six horizontal orange lines, an orange face, and a green tail. There are two white horizontal lines in orange-red eyes. A false eye on the tail side helps to keep themselves safe from predators in the sea.

Size and Age

Maximally 10cm
Lifespan lives up to 7 years

Six Line Wrasse Fish Features

Here are some six-line wrasse features that will help you keep them in the tank better.

Behavior

Six line wrasse have semi-aggressive behavior. It is shy in the wild but becomes energetic on acclimatization to the environment. In general, they are peaceful. However, they become aggressive with new fish, same species, or small fish.
The aggression is also prominent when they lack food, space, and other parameters. They usually nip the fins. Therefore, introduce them in the tank at the end.
Six Line Wrasse Fish For Reef Tanks

Tank Requirements

A minimum 30-gallon tank is required to raise a six-line wrasse. Some experts also said a 55-gallon aquarium is the most suitable for a six-line wrasse. When they don’t find enough space, they become offensive to others. Other water parameters required for the fish are the following.

Temperature 24 – 28℃ Ammonia Level 0–0.25
pH 8.1–8.4 Water Hardness 8 to 12 dkH
Dissolve Oxygen Level 5–6 ppm Specific Gravity 1.022-1.025
Light bright to medium Substrate 7 to 10 cm thick soft sand
Water Change 10 – 25% each week Filtration Needed

Tips: Introduce live rocks and other hiding spots, as their natural habitats have all of these things.

Disease and Cure

The following are some of the common diseases among six line wrasse.

Uronema disease Red Band Syndrome
Pillularis White spots

Adopt proper hygienic conditions for your fish to avoid these diseases. If you find any of the six-line wrasse sick, move them to a quarantine tank and treat them until they become healthy.

Interesting Facts

Here are some interesting facts that define the six line wrasse profile.

  • They release mucous cocoons while sleeping to avoid being prayed.
  • They are excellent for getting rid of pests, i.e., parasitic pyramidellid snails, bristle worms, and flatworms.
  • six line wrasse is an excellent cleaner in terms of copepods, ectoparasites, etc.
  • There is no external difference in characteristics between males and females.
  • They are good at hiding, so they can snatch a share of other fish’s food.
  • It’s tough to breed in the tank because they spread all around the tank. Most of their eggs end in the filtration system.

Is Six Line Wrasse Reef Safe?

Yes, six-line wrasse are reef-safe fish. They are a suitable option for coral reef aquariums. Moreover, they help to create a well-balanced ecosystem.

What Do Six Line Wrasse Eat

Six stripe Wrasse are carnivores. In the wild, they eat crustaceans and invertebrates. However, you can feed them with various foods in your marine tank. The food should be 100% meaty and enriched with proteins. You can feed them with the following food items.

Copepods Krill Frozen meaty preparations Brine shrimp Pyramid snails
Flake foods Pellets Small invertebrates Mysis shrimp Zooplankton
Crustaceans Flatworms Algae in flakes or pellets Bristle worms

How to Feed Your Six-Line Wrasse?

Feed them twice a day. You can also go three times a day with a reduced dose or set the potion via an intelligent fish feeder. The dose should be finished within two minutes. Otherwise, it will raise the ammonia level of the tank. Changing the food item will help them to enjoy the meal. Spread the food all around the aquarium to minimize the competition. Otherwise, they become aggressive.
sixline wrasse fish profile

Six Line Wrasse Tank Mates

Six-line wrasse is a social fish, but not like others. They have semi-aggressive behavior and are suitable for fish only, reef fish, and fish only live with rocks. The companions should have enough energy to compete with it.

Their aggression arises when they lack food, space, and other conditions. Six line wrasse become fin nipper. Moreover, they have aggressive behavior toward another six-line wrasse. Therefore, keep only six-line wrasse fish in a reef tank. The smaller and shy fish are not suitable for their company. Considering all the points, here are some fish you can keep with them.

Powder Brown Tang Tomato Clownfish Yellow Tang Angelfish
Copperband Butterfly Maroon Clownfish Clown Triggerfish Damsels

Summary

Six line wrasse is a beautiful Indo-Pacific native that is a suitable additive in any tank. This 3-inch fish is named after the six horizontal lines on the body. They are hardy and can be in different conditions. However, create suitable conditions to observe optimal growth.

They are suitable to add in single from their family with big and strong companions in the tank because they become aggressive to their family and small fish. Moreover, properly feed them on meaty food and properly handle sickness. These are some important aspects of the six-line wrasse profile.

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