Dragon Wrasse Care

[40g Nano]

Is a dragon wrasse a hardy fish?
And does it need a well established tank to thrive?

I there anything else I need to worry about if I end up getting one?

for the tank-
40 gallon breeder
I will upgrade or give away when the fish gets bigger

thanks!

 

[jdiefenbaugh]

Kept a mature pair for years, probably the worst fish you can put in an aquarium, lol. They constantly move rocks and dig. Non stop. All the time. Their juvenile finnage is neat, but they are a drab fish as adults. I enjoyed watching the pair work together, but would've enjoyed it more in someone else's tank. These are the only 2 I've kept, and they were bullet proof.

 

[40g Nano]

I dont really care as much about the digging or moving around since it is a fish only tank
Are they aggressive at all as a juvenile?

and will it get along with a six line wrasse?

 

[ReeferWarrant]

They are really timid in the wild, they act like floating debris near their hole and then dart in when scared.

edit: as juveniles

 

[40g Nano]

Can they defend themselves?

 

[Waters]

I wouldn't put one in a 40 gallon tank...especially with other wrasses. As juveniles they are timid and will get bullied.....they grow quick though, getting pretty big (10-12")

 

[40g Nano]

I won’t put the six line in then

if I ended up getting the dragon wrasse, should it be one of the first fish?

 

[kev.2013]

I won’t put the six line in then

if I ended up getting the dragon wrasse, should it be one of the first fish?

They “require” a minimum tank size of 180 per LiveAquaria; whether that’s accurate or not, it seems like this fish should not go in a 40B

 

[jdiefenbaugh]

They “require” a minimum tank size of 180 per LiveAquaria; whether that’s accurate or not, it seems like this fish should not go in a 40B

+1. I can't overstate how destructive these fish are as adults. They can move surprisingly large rocks, and are very persistent. The 2 I kept were in a 6000 gal exhibit, I can't imagine them in a normal sized tank.

 

[vetteguy53081]

They flip every rock and dig out frags looking for worms and thing they can eat
They hog up all the food when it hits the tank.
They stir the sand in the process when digging creating a cloud.
Wanna know more? . . . LOL

 

[40g Nano]

So you just think that a small juvenile shouldn’t go in a 40g?

 

[Waters]

I wouldn't bother...they grow too quick for a 40g to even be worth keeping them short term.

 

[40g Nano]

Ok then
Thanks for the advice!

 

[Derobe16]

I had one for years and it was a love hate relationship..lol! I can’t tell you how many times I was going to return him I. The beginning. I ended up really enjoying watching the things he would do in the tank. They really do make a huge mess though.