Wrasses In Fight over a Girl??

Well, that does make more sense. I guess he just looks too close to the same for his taste.

I am assuming that the Flame is the aggressor here. I think I remember you having a pair of them.

 

Surprisingly no. The flame is the one that is usually more aggressive, but the red velvet is the one who is attacking now and has been flashing the female flame a lot.

That's why I was so surprised this started happening, because normally if there is a little quarrel it is the flame being the aggressor, but those are short spats that end no harm done. But now it's the red velvet being so aggressive. That's why it's so weird!

 

Probably not what you want to hear, but I'd trade the red velvet for a different wrasse which doesn't resemble a flame wrasse. I don't think it's two males together that's the problem, as many have shown that can be done just fine (myself included), but the fact the flame and red velvet look so similar in appearance. Basically, I chalk it up as an issue of mistaken identity, and there's no way to solve that without removing somebody. As I'd want to keep the pair together, out would come the red velvet.

One last quick thought; are you certain the female is a flame wrasse? I'm pretty sure it is in memory of your pictures, but just a thought.

 

Yes, she's a flame wrasse. I got the pair together. I really hope they can work this out. I love them! I'll see how things go today.

 

If you can, for clarity and to avoid future confusion, you might want to correct your first post because it does say two male flames.

I have heard of rubrisquamis' (red velvet wrasses) becoming aggressive. Is the male flame (the one being picked on) showing any damage, torn fins/missing scales etc? If not, I would wait and see if they can work it out, it's possible the velvet wrasse just wants to establish his dominance in the tank and this will subside in a few days.
If you start seeing any damage on the male flame or if it starts hiding all the time and can't come out and eat normally I would take the red velvet out as soon as possible, personally, put it in a sump or your 37 until you can find a new home for it.

My 2c

 

Thanks, I was really tired when I wrote that post...I'll go back an correct it.

I've had them for several months in there together and everything has been fine. I've had the red velvet for 6 months and the flames for 4 months or so. The male flame is the more dominant one, but all of a sudden two days ago something changed. I'm thinking it has to do with the female.... I don't know why they would be fine with each other for months and then all of a sudden one of them (the subordinate one) turns and starts going crazy?

 

I'm not sure why the female would have anything to do with it. What would the Red Velvet gain by making some sort of connection with the female flame wrasse?

I would probably guess that the red velvet is just turning territorial/dominant. I think there is much more for a fish to gain from overall dominance than from fighting "over" a female that it probably won't reproduce with.
Dominance is an ongoing thing and AFAIK can switch at any time as fish age, it's not set in stone once established initially.
For example, as a fish gets older and weak other fish may finally begin to assert dominance over them, as an example, or sometimes the dominant male in a harem will be overtaken by a younger, more feisty fish and kicked out.
Or maybe when the Red Velvet was introduced to the tank it was undernourished or not in 100% health, or was still slightly juvenile (still possibly transitioning to a full male) and not ready to start asserting dominance and now that it's the only Red Velvet it is finally completing that transition, I'm sure there are other possibilities too.

Just my thoughts from what I've read, I'm no expert or anything but I think these kinds of behavior are interesting so if anyone else has other ideas I'd love to hear them.

 

Thanks a lot. The normally quiet and peaceful red velvet has been feisty lately, but nothing like he is to the flame wrasse. That attitude is reserved just for him! I guess I'm hoping it's over the female so that it will stop eventually....

I scared the wrasse out of his hiding hole last night so I could squirt some food at him. He ate a couple pieces and then was attacked by the other wrasse and went back into hiding.

This is so distressing to me!!

 

Any damage to the flame yet fins/scales/bruises?

Rather than scaring it out of the rock to feed it is there a way you could use a syringe and some airling tubing or something to squirt some food into the rock where it's hiding? Might be easier on the fish.

Also, the reason it may be going after the male flame and not the female is that the female is subordinate to the male flame so it is no threat to the Red Velvet if it can dominate over the male flame. /speculation

 

Well there's no way I can squirt food to him directly. I didn't scare him on purpose, but I was moving a rock in hopes that I could let him stay in his hole but that food would reach him. Anyway, when I moved the rock he swam out.

The flame isn't injured in anyway, just scared.