Color AND reef safe

[JLight]

Honestly go on to live aquaria and look at they're reef safe wrasse just to give you an idea of what they all look like then pick after some research on the ones you like.

 

[Grissino]

Honestly go on to live aquaria and look at they're reef safe wrasse just to give you an idea of what they all look like then pick after some research on the ones you like.

Great idea. I'm going to look at the Wrasses now.

 

[Grissino]

Flame Angel will bring the "PoP" that you're looking for. I had mine for years, never bothered any corals in my tank.

My wife has really wanted one but I've got too much expensive coral to take a chance. This is one of those "If only..." Fish for me.

 

[Eienna]

I have a 125 Mixed reef that's a little heavy on the SPS and I'm looking for what you think is the most Colorful reef safe fish out there. I already have 5 tangs that all get along great (purple, yellow, sailfin, hippo and Tomini), a Banana Wrasse, and two clowns. What should my last addition be? I want something that really pops!

You sure bananas are reef-safe?
The color you serm to be missing is red...I think there are some mainly-red flasher wrasses...

 

[Grissino]

You sure bananas are reef-safe?
The color you serm to be missing is red...I think there are some mainly-red flasher wrasses...

I don't know if they are or not. I have a very heavy CUC so I wouldn't know if they're missing or not unless he went on a binge.

 

[eatbreakfast]

If the banana wrasse is Halichoeres chrysus it is mostly reef safe, probably the most completely reef safe coris I have come across.

If it is Thalassoma lutescens then it is not CUC safe at all, and pretty mean to other fish too, so I am gonna go out on a limb and say its a Halichoeres chrysus.

 

[TriggerThis]

DO NOT get a tusk fish OR a flame angel. Unless you want BIG problems.
The tusk fish not ou eat the CUC but they are mean as "$%#! Imagine your powder tang and purple tang being terrorized all day until they cause an ICH outbreak. Next day half your fish are dead and he's still chasing the living ones.
Second: Dwarf Angels are all with caution. I had the most beautiful flame angel of all time in my tank. He was in another guys reef tank for years with no problems. He was in my tank for two months, no problems. Then one day he realizes that he can bite these big squishy things in the tank and some of them taste good.
In a week half my SPS frags were picked clean of their polyps. Two of my plate corals (very expensive ones) are being pecked non stop and not allowed to open, my wells open brain is also on his menu, he single handily cost me over $360 in coral deaths in a month! I feed the tank soo heavily it was not even funny and I would watch him grab TONS of food pieces and pellets, then in the same motion swim down and rip a piece of my plate corals skin off and spit it back out.
It took me and three other people with nets over three hours and ripping apart my tank to get him out. And that caused an ICH outbreak in my tangs. Thankfully they pulled through.

Get any type of fairy wrasse for your color pop. Do not get chance any other with caution fish.

 

[reeffirstaid]

H. Tuskfish behavior in the reef environment, like any species is different individual to individual. I've had several over the years and they all consistently ate my snails and hermits. They have a habit of bumping into the snail while it's on the glass, knocking it loose, and they eating it. Tuskfish, IME, never ate so many snails that it became a major problem and I find the display mildly amusing.

 

[Desperado]

Inexpensive and nice are a royal gramma

 

[Grissino]

So I called a LFS (that is by no means local to me) to see if he could get a Hawaiian Flame Wrasse pair...well he couldn't get them but he had a pair in stock!

It just so happened that someone I go to church with was going right by there yesterday! So I got the fish last night after 5 hours of them riding (I told you the "L" wasn't right) at midnight. They're doing a lot better this morning. They were very stressed from being in the bags.

Thanks for all of the suggestions!
Anyone have anything they want to share with me on Flame Wrasses?

 

[Marshall O]

Just that you should closely monitor the female for signs of changing to male! This is very common with them, and usually never ends well. Otherwise, they are very easy in terms of care. Feed them 2-3 times per day, tank 100% covered, and a large enough tank (which yours is).

 

[Grissino]

Thanks Marshall! Saturday, before getting them Sunday I screened in the back if my hood which was open before. That was one of my greatest concerns.
I officially introduced them to the tank last night after being in breeder tanks floating in my DT for 24 hours with the lights off.
The female is much smaller than the male. He's probably 3 1/2-4" long and she's just over 2". I'll get pictures up today when the lights come on.

Any insight and personal experience about Flame Wrasses would be appreciated.

 

[Grissino]

Okay...update and question. The fish both look great. They're eating well...color is spectacular...I even watched the female back out of her cocoon this morning. However, they're both in the top, back corners of opposite ends of my 125. Female is almost straight up and down 50% of the time but with her fins steadily moving. Male is looking around but stays in a 6" cubicle. Anything I need to do? I've fed twice today already and they dart after brine in their respective corners. There's been no interactions with the other fish other than quizzical looks of "who's the new guy?" Is this a normal reaction to shipping stress? They were in bags for 8 hours Sunday.
Maybe this is what sleeping on the couch looks like in the fish world? I can hear it now: "I can't believe you moved me to South Georgia! Don't talk to me. I don't want to see you until I get over this!"
Any info would be nice.

 

[Marshall O]

Likely just acclimating to the tank. Give them another day or two, and you should see them start to venture out more and more. Keep in mind these will not pair up like you are (most likely) thinking. At best you will see the male randomly swim up the female and flash momentary, then back to its own thing. So them being in separate corners does not surprise me at all.

 

[Grissino]

Thanks. I really appreciate you being on top of this. You sharing your knowledge with me is greatly appreciated.

 

[Marshall O]

Thanks. I really appreciate you being on top of this. You sharing your knowledge with me is greatly appreciated.

Not a problem! Post up some pics once they are acclimated

 

[Grissino]

Male is still swimming hard. Female is lying in the sand with stress lines. She still gets up to eat and swims when other fish come around. When she swims the lines go away.

 

[Marshall O]

Have you noticed any other fish pay them any attention?

 

[Grissino]

Not really. They come over and check them out but that's the male. The female has been all alone the entire time I've watched other than once when my Purple checked her out. She got up and swam for 20 minutes or so but is back in the sand now with stress lines.

 

[Grissino]

So just got up this morning...the male is cocooned away somewhere but the female is still in the corner swimming. I have noticed the female clown go up to her a few times but she's never attacked her, just more or less inquisitive it seems. I am at a loss as to what I should do. Should I do lights out today, wrap the aquarium and Give her a chance to rest? Should I pull her out and risk the stress of that? I'm begging here! Somebody tell me what to do. Sunday at midnight they were put in. Both formed cocoons that night and the next but the female didn't last night. Both are still swimming in the top opposite corner of the aquarium with the female resting in the substrate with stress lines from time to time. The male yesterday evening was beginning to venture out. Both are stressed. I've not seen any combative interaction from my other fish and my params are right on though I do keep my Alk above 12 for coral growth.