... well its not really but the title did get you here and if you're reading this then you may continue. This thread may be a bit pointless really but there is a moral in it somewhere.
Part 1 - Enter the Dragon
Now, it all started at the LFS when I made the cardinal mistake of buying a fish before researching... The new Dragon Wrasse went in the tank shortly after and looked great
That is until the next day when it looked like a bomb had gone off! The torch coral was overturned and sand was everywhere, my nice clear tank look like a Sahara Sandstorm...
Part 2 - The Debate
Dont get me wrong, the Dragon Wrasse is amazing! Its intelligent and does loads of neat tricks like digging and pilling up stones I mean its really really cool. Then when it gets older it turns into a mean boring dude with rubbish colours... Should the fish go?
Part 3 - Planning the Exit
LFS will take fish back, no questions asked! Cool, its Saturday lets get it out... 4hrs later, the fish has disappeared under the substrate hidden by the lovely scaped LR structures, Wrasse 1 - Sophos9 0
Sunday, no problems change of attack different nets new plan. Throw some food in, yey he's out... ready... GO GO GO!! Missed, a$$ into the substrate, Wrasse 2 - Sophos9 0
Following week, bought bigger net.. Saturday - mission failed, Wrasse 3 - Sophos9 0. Sunday, same old story, Wrasse 4 - Sophos9 0.
Saturday will have to fish it out, bought some size 16 barbless hooks - everytime wrasse gets off the hook - hooks too big so got some 20's, Sunday no luck. Wrasse 9 - Sophos9 0
Following week, do or die. Out comes all the corals followed by a floor full of live rock. Detritus kicked up everywhere cannot see a thing, where is Wrasse? Finger searched the substrate like a bomb disposal team, oh there he is - made me jump. Net, quick... got him, bagged him and racing off to LFS.
Wrasse 9 - Sophos9 1, I won the war?
Part 4 - The Aftermath
So the previous parts were hell, the worst is yet to come... So wrasse won the battles but not the war but hell he left a legacy! My lovely scaped tank is a mess of odd shaped rocks, 2hrs of putting back together and nothing looks right, its as if someone has changed the rocks during my trip! 6hrs and we have something that looks okish. My arm is like a prune and the salt has striped it of all goodness, fingernails look like they have been sandpapered.
Following day, wet skimming like a bugger - nitrates 50ppm detritus central and I dont like the scaping so in I go for another try. Looking better, next day the rocks were not as stable as I had hoped. The Urchin has not things around, brain coral fell and knocked Torch Coral over which fell onto bubble coral - all corals severely angry at there owner. Rocks out last night, rescaped, midnight #### - wheres the Starry Blenny, I love that fish and hope I have not squished him? All the rocks out again, found Blenny safe but stressed! 7hrs and bed at 2:20am, my arm is burning through the exposure to salt. My fiancée text me on the latest fish count, Orchid Dottyback, Mandarin, Starry Blenny, Clowns, Cleaner Shrimp and 1 Peppermint all accounted for! Still missing, 1 Peppermint, 1 snail and a Peacock Wrasse (which dont get up till midday usually)
Who knows what the nitrates are, skimmer skimming like crazy this morning and all this because of one thing - I did not check before I bought!
Note to self: Take the Pocket Expert guide of Marine Fishes and Inverts when I got to the LFS
Hope this has been... erm interesting?
Part 1 - Enter the Dragon
Now, it all started at the LFS when I made the cardinal mistake of buying a fish before researching... The new Dragon Wrasse went in the tank shortly after and looked great
That is until the next day when it looked like a bomb had gone off! The torch coral was overturned and sand was everywhere, my nice clear tank look like a Sahara Sandstorm...
Part 2 - The Debate
Dont get me wrong, the Dragon Wrasse is amazing! Its intelligent and does loads of neat tricks like digging and pilling up stones I mean its really really cool. Then when it gets older it turns into a mean boring dude with rubbish colours... Should the fish go?
Part 3 - Planning the Exit
LFS will take fish back, no questions asked! Cool, its Saturday lets get it out... 4hrs later, the fish has disappeared under the substrate hidden by the lovely scaped LR structures, Wrasse 1 - Sophos9 0
Sunday, no problems change of attack different nets new plan. Throw some food in, yey he's out... ready... GO GO GO!! Missed, a$$ into the substrate, Wrasse 2 - Sophos9 0
Following week, bought bigger net.. Saturday - mission failed, Wrasse 3 - Sophos9 0. Sunday, same old story, Wrasse 4 - Sophos9 0.
Saturday will have to fish it out, bought some size 16 barbless hooks - everytime wrasse gets off the hook - hooks too big so got some 20's, Sunday no luck. Wrasse 9 - Sophos9 0
Following week, do or die. Out comes all the corals followed by a floor full of live rock. Detritus kicked up everywhere cannot see a thing, where is Wrasse? Finger searched the substrate like a bomb disposal team, oh there he is - made me jump. Net, quick... got him, bagged him and racing off to LFS.
Wrasse 9 - Sophos9 1, I won the war?
Part 4 - The Aftermath
So the previous parts were hell, the worst is yet to come... So wrasse won the battles but not the war but hell he left a legacy! My lovely scaped tank is a mess of odd shaped rocks, 2hrs of putting back together and nothing looks right, its as if someone has changed the rocks during my trip! 6hrs and we have something that looks okish. My arm is like a prune and the salt has striped it of all goodness, fingernails look like they have been sandpapered.
Following day, wet skimming like a bugger - nitrates 50ppm detritus central and I dont like the scaping so in I go for another try. Looking better, next day the rocks were not as stable as I had hoped. The Urchin has not things around, brain coral fell and knocked Torch Coral over which fell onto bubble coral - all corals severely angry at there owner. Rocks out last night, rescaped, midnight #### - wheres the Starry Blenny, I love that fish and hope I have not squished him? All the rocks out again, found Blenny safe but stressed! 7hrs and bed at 2:20am, my arm is burning through the exposure to salt. My fiancée text me on the latest fish count, Orchid Dottyback, Mandarin, Starry Blenny, Clowns, Cleaner Shrimp and 1 Peppermint all accounted for! Still missing, 1 Peppermint, 1 snail and a Peacock Wrasse (which dont get up till midday usually)
Who knows what the nitrates are, skimmer skimming like crazy this morning and all this because of one thing - I did not check before I bought!
Note to self: Take the Pocket Expert guide of Marine Fishes and Inverts when I got to the LFS
Hope this has been... erm interesting?
I love these fish but will probably never own one for the same reasons you mentioned (they get agressive and like to "redecorate").
