Lettuce Nudibranch & Six-line Wrasse

[Wade]

The lettuce nudi looks to be large enough to go unmolested by a six-line.  The six-line I have is only maybe 3 inches if that and I've had it for years so that's as big as it's going to get.  Will it still shred the nudi to pieces or is the nudi too big for it?

[Gig 'em @ NDstructible]

That's a good question, I wish I knew from experience, but I would imagine a 6 line wouldn't go after something that is much much larger than its mouth. This is just a guess though...

[Wade]

When I was a kid a caught these little large mouth bass fry that were about 3 inches long and some equal size catfish at a local rock quarry that they had stopped using years before and was then a "secret" fishing spot.  I kept them together in a 10 gallon for a few months and I kept noticing that the catfish numbers were steadily declining.  Then one day I found a bass with an equal sized catfish sticking out of it's mouth.  I've since never thought that something was too big for another another animal to eat.  Granted, a wrasse is not a large mouth bass, but they are pretty voracious eaters from what I hear.  I may give it a shot if I can get a nudi cheap enough and then we'll know for sure! 

[mFrame]

Just now, Wade said:

When I was a kid a caught these little large mouth bass fry that were about 3 inches long and some equal size catfish at a local rock quarry that they had stopped using years before and was then a "secret" fishing spot.  I kept them together in a 10 gallon for a few months and I kept noticing that the catfish numbers were steadily declining.  Then one day I found a bass with an equal sized catfish sticking out of it's mouth.  I've since never thought that something was too big for another another animal to eat.  Granted, a wrasse is not a large mouth bass, but they are pretty voracious eaters from what I hear.  I may give it a shot if I can get a nudi cheap enough and then we'll know for sure! 

Sounds like me at a buffet.

I think you'd be fine, but I guess you could try putting the nudi in a transparent tupperware container and observe to see how interested in it the wrasse is.

[+SChrisEV]

I don't know if they would go after a lettuce nudi, but I do know from experience that they will go after shrimp that are much larger than their mouth, larger than their body.  I had to banish mine to the sump in my last setup because he was taking out cleaners and two fire shrimp. 

[Gig 'em @ NDstructible]

20 minutes ago, Wade said:

When I was a kid a caught these little large mouth bass fry that were about 3 inches long and some equal size catfish at a local rock quarry that they had stopped using years before and was then a "secret" fishing spot.  I kept them together in a 10 gallon for a few months and I kept noticing that the catfish numbers were steadily declining.  Then one day I found a bass with an equal sized catfish sticking out of it's mouth.  I've since never thought that something was too big for another another animal to eat.  Granted, a wrasse is not a large mouth bass, but they are pretty voracious eaters from what I hear.  I may give it a shot if I can get a nudi cheap enough and then we'll know for sure! 

Haha you're talking about a large mouth bass here! Almost like comparing apples to oranges. Have you ever seen a bass go after a duck? LOLZ! I have seen wrasses grab a crab and beat it to smithereens, but that was a large melanurus wrasse, not a 6 line. I feel like larger sea slugs survive because they aren't palatable to fish, whereas shrimp and crabs are worth the fight? Again, I wish I knew from experience. Maybe introduce them together and carefully watch how the 6 line responds to it and yank it out if the 6 line eyes it too much.

[Wade]

Yeah when I revamped my tank about 8-10 years ago with your all's help and guidance ("hey buddy, stop using tap water and get yourself an RO/DI system!"; "A what?") I chose fish that were both attractive and functional.  The wrasse was to take care of unwanted critters.  I learned about dipping corals since then, but still love the wrasse.  The nudi's are cheap enough I guess that if he eats it, he eats it.  

[JasReef]

Wade I was about to say the same thing, it is cheap enough to see what happens.

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[Wade]

Well so far the nudis have only been harassed by a halloween hermit.  They're about 1.5" so I guess they're too bog for the wrasse to mess with

[JamesL]

I think the nudibranch would be too big.  Like Wade, I put a six line in my tank to control flatworms (and he also wiped out my pod population).

[Wade]

Last i heard from the folks that bought them is that the two they added were approximately 1 - 1.5" in length and are both MIA at the moment.  They were eating the algae (red hair algae) but are now no where to be seen and there's plenty of algae still present.  They could be someplace they just can't see them, but at this point they're looking to add a tuxedo urchin as well.  the wrasse didn't appear to bother with them though.