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Phormium
11-14-2019, 10:04 PM
I have 5 flasher wrasses in my 120 gallon reef tank: male Blue, male Filamented, male Yellowfin and 2 females. One female was sold to me as a Yellowfin and the other as a Carpenters.
They were introduced in 2 phases. First just the Blue and Filamented males, then the Yellowfin and females about 6 weeks later.
The rest of the occupants are a yellow Coris, 2 Chalk Bass, Royal Gramma, 2 Green Clown gobies, Redhead goby, and a Pygmy filefish. They have lived peacefully for at least a year...
Recently the male Yellowfin has started to become aggressive, chasing and bullying the other flasher males and the Coris. He has definitely become the king of the tank. And even more recently the female Yellowfin has become aggressive toward the other female. She’s been picked on so badly that she hides in rocks all day and comes out, not always, only to feed but has to avoid being chased at that time as well.
So I’m seeking advice whether I should try and intervene or not. Just let nature be nature and live with the outcome? Try to catch the offenders and keep them aside for a time before reintroducing? Or give them up and add something totally different? Maybe introduce a few others to help disperse aggression? Thoughts are appreciated.

bauder1986
11-15-2019, 06:00 AM
So to quote a few people that like to mix semi aggressive to their own family of fish. Watch closely for a few weeks. They could be simply re-establishing the pecking order. But watch for any of them getting injured or possibly too stressed that they get sick. If that happens, quarantine the injured/sick fish and nurse back to health. While they are in quarantine watch the others to make sure they don't pick a new weak link. If they do and it's the same bullies then entertain the idea of trading those bullies out. If it's not the same bullies then it's just a pecking order thing. Continue monitoring. Re-introduce the quarantined fish when it's ready. Keep watching until pecking order is established.