2 wrasses ok?

[littlebeard]

So here's my problem. I recently purchased a few sps/lps frags. Somehow or another my amphipod population exploded. I've read a few post of people who have had problems with amphipods eating corals and I have noticed that they seem to be interested in being near enough to my new coral frags that they are irritated.

I'd like to get a wrasse to deal with this problem. My LFS has a few to choose from and I'm liking the look of the Blue Scaled Fairy Wrasse.
Do they eat amphipods? And can I get a pair or are they a solo fish?

And yes, I have a screen lid.

 

[Maritimer]

"Pairs" of most wrasses won't often work out in our aquariums (leopard wrasses sometimes do), but singles of multiple compatible species work well.

Fairy and flasher wrasses most often cruise open water, snapping up plankton - easy to feed, but often ignore small critters lurking in crevices. Better bets for pest-and-pod patrol would be one of the leopard wrasses or wrasses of the genus Halichoeres.

~B.

 

[littlebeard]

Would a Checkerboard Wrasse work better?

 

[Maritimer]

Probably a better pod-picker than a fairy wrasse, but how big is your tank?

Those guys get close to a foot long.

~B.

 

[littlebeard]

Those guys get close to a foot long.

LOL, ok.

Yeah it's a 125. Could probably survive but would basically own the tank.


Christmas Wrasse?

 

[landlubber]

i think its a matter of avoiding certain pairings. for example a mystery wrasse is going to relentlessly harass a fairy. there is a chart online that gives the species with the highest probability of success.

 

[nereefpat]

Christmas Wrasse?

If it's H. claudia, then that's a perfect fish for this

 

[SaltyT]

Christmas Wrasse?

H. Biocellatus is also called a "christmas" wrasse and is another good option if you can't find a H. Claudia.

 

[littlebeard]

I picked up a H. Biocellatus. They labeled it as a Christmas wrasse. No less than 3 seconds in the tank, he took out a big amphipod. Then in the next minute took out about a half dozen more. 6 down... 20,000 more to go.... I hope he can keep up!


Thanks!

 

[Bigfish of La.]

The H biocellatus is a Red Line wrasse and the H claudia is the Christmas. I have both and they constantly look for pods