Fairy wrasse turning white?

I've had him for a few weeks and almost every night I swear he's going to die then next morning all happy. He seems to always breath fast and towards
night his head and some of his body turns white and patchy almost. It looks nothing like ick.

Is this normal behavior? I can't seem to get a pic of him he eats like a hog and has from day 1

 

Many fish will change patterns and colors to hide better at night. I have a bright yellow fish that changes to pure ghost white every night.

Take a look at your other fish at night. I guarantee that they show differences as well.

 

Should I worry about the fast breathing? Are they just nervous fish. My others change colors completely his is patchy looking and mainly just the head and some body

 

is it a wrasse that prefers to burrow in sand. it could be stressed at night if it is not covered.
All of my wrasses sleep under the sand.

Other wrasses make a "cocoon" around them when they sleep for protection

 

It's an exquisite fairy, I was told they don't burrow could the white be a cocoon

 

Good point Dingo.

Do you have a 2-3" deep sandbed, J?

Exquisite fairy: "They will bury themselves in the sand to sleep or hide." First link from google.

 

Yes, I do have a 3" sand bed, everyone I talked to said they don't bury themselves. Weird I should have read a bit more. He doesn't bury himself though, he has a little cave and goes there nightly. Is the cocoon they secrete white?

He pretty much has run of the tank now there are only a pair of clowns in the 72 gal with him.

I bought him at an lfs about a month ago which I have now come to not trust, so everything about him scares me a bit.


He breathes fairly heavy but always has, maybe it just looks faster compared to the clown.

 

He doesn't look like that one in the pic though.

 

Exquisite fairy wrasses have TONS of different color combination. Just do a Google search for images, and you'll see what I mean.

 

sometimes they breathe faster than clowns because they are wrasses. they are in general an active fish.

but if it is breathing fast all the time then that isnt good.

The cocoon is a mucous that surrounds it. usual color is whiteish but it is a mucous so you can actually see the mucous membrane.

Dont confuse any normal night discoloration with the mucous though.