Radiant wrasse turning very pale????? Doesn't seem normal

[fishoholic]

I know most wrasses change colour from juvi's to adults but mine got very pale over night. For the past 2 months he's been getting a little bit whiter on the very top of him, and a bit lighter on the bottom, but today I got home and he's very pale seems healthy still so I'm wondering if it's just the change of colouring or if I should be concerned. Google images show they get a tiny bit paler but not as much as mine is now.

He is about 2-3 inches in size and is in a too small tank, a 34g cube. He was in Doug's 260g, but because of his small size when we got him, the leopard wrasse kept chasing him and attacking him. We plan on putting him back into the 260g (when he got big enough) but I'm wondering if the small tank is affecting him Any thoughts????? Doing a water change tonight just to be on the safe side, but all the other fish seem fine and normal.

Here is a pic of him as a juvi


Here's a pic of one (off the internet) that I'm pretty sure is an adult


This pic (off internet) is similar to what he looked like yesterday


Here's what mines looks like today (wasn't any where near that pale yesterday)

[Coralgurl]

Mine did this occassionally but seemed for a brief period of time only (1/2 hour).

He ate and was active so I never worried about it. Is yours staying pale for a long period?

[fishoholic]

Originally Posted by Coralgurl

Mine did this occassionally but seemed for a brief period of time only (1/2 hour).

He ate and was active so I never worried about it. Is yours staying pale for a long period?

He's very active and ate yesterday (haven't fed yet today but betting he'll eat) and seems healthy, just abnormally pale. I noticed when I got home around 5:45pm today, and he's still pale now at 7pm (although maybe not quite as pale?) pic taken just now at 7pm, the other pic was taken around 6pm.

[Jaws]

Do you have any cleaner shrimp or cleaner wrasses or anything that could be cleaning your wrasse? That can cause a fish to go very pale while cleaning in order to show any parasites or scrapes a fish might have.

[fishoholic]

Originally Posted by Jaws

Do you have any cleaner shrimp or cleaner wrasses or anything that could be cleaning your wrasse? That can cause a fish to go very pale while cleaning in order to show any parasites or scrapes a fish might have.

I have a peppermint shrimp. He hides 90% of the time so it's unlikely but I guess possible. Nothing else in the tank that would act as a cleaner.

[HaZRaTTy]

Do you leave the house for extended periods of time? maybe he gets depressed due to you not being around?

Sorry i'm tagging along and couldn't help myself hope he turns out okay.

[fishoholic]

Originally Posted by HaZRaTTy

Do you leave the house for extended periods of time? maybe he gets depressed due to you not being around?

Sorry i'm tagging along and couldn't help myself hope he turns out okay.

He ate last night and is acting normal, it's just very odd how pale he is.

[pinkreef]

HE IS A PRETTY FISH, MAYBE HE NEEDS ANOTHER OF HIS KIND
MY BANANA WRASSE REALLY SEEMED MUCH HAPPIER WHEN I GOT
TWO MORE. I DONT KNOW IF YOUR WRASSE IS A TYPE THAT LIKES
TO BE IN A GROUP OR NOT. HOPE HE BOUNCES BACK, BARB

[pinkreef]

OOPS I MEANT HALICHOERES CHRYSUS - CANARY WRASSE NOT BANANA

[fishoholic]

So bizzaraly enough when I got home today the wrasse wasn't pale anymore. In fact he looks totally normal. No idea why he went so pale but I'm happy he looks fine now.