Hi my name is Brian and I’m an addict. I’m addicted to Pseudocheilinus hexataenia and will do whatever I can to get one to survive. Yes my obsession with the P. hexataenia, commonly referred to as the sixline wrasse, is a bit nutty but I have had the damnedest luck trying to get one of these magnificent fish to survive. I am now on my fifth and hopefully final one that I picked up in Oakland on my way home today.

The Pseudocheilinus hexataenia.

It started innocently enough, the colorful and inexpensive fish was one of the first I earmarked to get my start in the hobby. They fit what I was looking for: native to the South Pacific, colorful, small, reef safe and packing some personality.

My first sixline we named Hiro (after the TV show “Heroes” character) and he was awesome, darting in and out of the rocks, swimming around and just having a great time. I got Hiro right around Thanksgiving and a few weeks in quarantine and he’d be making his debut on Christmas…the first fish in my tank.

I had Hiro and six green chromis but unfortunately an ammonia spike and a dip gone bad left me with one chromis and Hiro and the duo went into the display2 weeks early as I was afraid of losing both. They were the toast of the town in the new home and the whole family enjoyed having him around.

After a few weeks, I moved on to my next fish a Ctenochaetus tominiensis also known as a Flame Fin or Bristletooth Tomini Tang named Lilly. Hiro and Lilly got along great and would play follow the leader all around the rock work and it was just incredible having both fish bring out each others playful personality.

In January Hiro decided he wanted to inspect my Seio Prop powerheads closer. The little guy could fit into the inlet and would occasionally dart in and out when they were off for feeding. I was working on the tank one day and discovered Hiro had met a tragic end one of the times the pumps went on that afternoon. Needless to say we were all devastated and even Lilly became more reclusive and wasn’t so playful anymore.

A Bodianus bimaculatus or Candy Hogfish

So I decided to add another sixline and had my LFS order me one and hold it. This one died the next day in the quarantine tank. What sucked was it was Valentine’s Day and as a gift, I took the family to the Steinhart Aquarium at the California Academy of Science in Golden Gate Park. Normally I would have been home to see if there was any sign of stress and maybe he could have been saved.

I decided to go for No. 3 and the same thing, a day-and-a-half in the QT and he was gone. I was able to head back to my LFS for No. 4 and saw one that was in the tank for a few days, looked very healthy, ate like mad and I brought him home. He was dipped and went right into the display along with a Bodianus opercularis or Twospot or Yellow Candy Hogfish and they got along well, pretty much ignored each other except he faded over a few days and last night he finally went to the great reef in the sky.

Seems like I was the only one having troubles with the sixlines from my LFS (he’s a great friend, gets quality livestock and everything else I get from him thrives). The junkie in me went on a quest and brought the final one in this chapter. Either way this HAS to be my last sixline….right?!?!?

I’m hoping this is the lucky one. He has been at the store for at least two weeks, I nice and healthy looking, and was actively eating.  He did OK in his freshwater dip and went right in the tank. After a few minutes of acclimation, he’s out and about and even snacked a bit when I fed the rest of the tank.

I’m really hoping this time. My husbandry has been fine, the parameters are near perfect, nothing crazy going on, jsut bad luck. I think many of us will find a fish, coral or other critter we just have to have and no matter what, we always go back–destined to make it work.