Fairy Wrasse for Aggressive Tank

[ca1ore]

Looking to add a couple more fairies. Currently have 5 in my 450: rubrisquamis, roseafascia, sailfin/bluethroat, lubbocki and labouti. Any suggestions on compatible additions? I know naoki tends to be aggressive, but that would be one option. Scotts or multicolor velevet (luteovittatus) others?

 

[eatbreakfast]

Naokoea would work.

One from the Cyanopleura complx: cyanopleura, ryukyuensis, solorensis, luteovittatus(though luteovittatus is hit-and-miss with availability.)

A temminkii species

A scottorum or melanomarginatus

A pylei

 

[Jesterrace]

Looking to add a couple more fairies. Currently have 5 in my 450: rubrisquamis, roseafascia, sailfin/bluethroat, lubbocki and labouti. Any suggestions on compatible additions? I know naoki tends to be aggressive, but that would be one option. Scotts or multicolor velevet (luteovittatus) others?

The Labout's also tends to be more grumpy when it gets older/more mature. So be aware of that. Not sure about it since you do have an established melanurus but given that your tank is really big you could try going with a lightning wrasse:

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1379+1761&pcatid=1761

 

[ca1ore]

The Labout's also tends to be more grumpy when it gets older/more mature.

That's good to know, thx. My current one is the first I have ever kept.

 

[evolved]

Naokoea would work.

One from the Cyanopleura complx: cyanopleura, ryukyuensis, solorensis, luteovittatus(though luteovittatus is hit-and-miss with availability.)

A temminkii species

A scottorum or melanomarginatus

A pylei

Agree with those; all good.

Not sure about it since you do have an established melanurus but given that your tank is really big you could try going with a lightning wrasse:

https://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+1379+1761&pcatid=1761

That'll be hard on motile inverts, but possible.

That's good to know, thx. My current one is the first I have ever kept.

It's pretty much 50/50 with age; half stay tame.

 

[ca1ore]

Thanks chaps; most helpful as always.

 

[ca1ore]

Any sense as to why scott's tends to fade in captivity. Is it a females thing, or feeding? Happens with some anthias, which I always have figured is food related. BTW, H2, your thread on wrasse complexes has been most helpful to me.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Any sense as to why scott's tends to fade in captivity. Is it a females thing, or feeding? Happens with some anthias, which I always have figured is food related. BTW, H2, your thread on wrasse complexes has been most helpful to me.

They have been kept with females in captivity and still fade. My suspicion is that in the wild males get picked off by predators pretty quickly and just aren't meant to keep their colors past what their lifespan in the wild would be.

 

[ca1ore]

My suspicion is that in the wild males get picked off by predators pretty quickly and just aren't meant to keep their colors past what their lifespan in the wild would be.

Well that sucks .... for them.

 

[evolved]

Any sense as to why scott's tends to fade in captivity. Is it a females thing, or feeding? Happens with some anthias, which I always have figured is food related. BTW, H2, your thread on wrasse complexes has been most helpful to me.

Thanks! ;Happy

My suspicion is that in the wild males get picked off by predators pretty quickly and just aren't meant to keep their colors past what their lifespan in the wild would be.

Interesting thought. Possible.

It is definitely not a "females" thing, as that has made no difference in captivity.
My personal suspicions have always hovered around possible diet (but what would this be?) and, more likely, an issue with bright lighting - similar to how we see P. attenuatus darken up with exposure to intense lights.

 

[TJ's Reef]

Great thread here, and currently in the deciding time frame of possibly adding an additional Fairy Wrasse before the ones I have are to set in pecking order. I currently have in order of introduction, all males: Solar, Exquisite, Splendid Pintail and a Tonozukai. Lost a female Solar and Naoko during a big reaquascaping project in February. Both flushed out of the tank and behind where unnoticed and unreachable. I'd like to replace the Naoko if possible and have thought of trying a Lubbocki. Other Wrasses in the 187g are dominant Melanurus, Yellow Coris, Cleaner and newly introduced small Ornate Leopard.

Thoughts and or suggestions ???

 

[ca1ore]

Are those bicolor anthias? How do they actually look in person (my anthias always look more colorful in pictures/video than they actually are)?

 

[TJ's Reef]

Are those bicolor anthias? How do they actually look in person (my anthias always look more colorful in pictures/video than they actually are)?

Yes, Hawaiian Bicolor that I brought home from a collection trip to Oahu in 2011. Very colorful, especially the dominant male and he's actually fairly passive in comparison to the original dominant male who carpet surfed 4 or 5 years ago, but not before killing a couple of Dispar Anthias and a Exquisite Wrasse first. I couldn't find a good image of him so just took this one, clear image but a bit subdued on color as my eyes see him.

 

[TJ's Reef]

Colors are way off on my laptop screen and much better on my Galaxy S8, real colors are very sherbet like with bright tangerine orange above the bright almost cerise pink below.

 

[ca1ore]

Thanks. I asked only because the bicolors I have seen locally are really washed out. I've mostly avoided them in favor of bimacs for that reason.

 

[ca1ore]

So what's the prevailing wisdom on the exquisite ..... apart from it being, well, exquisite LOL? I have read that it is on the less aggressive end? Perhaps not the best choice as my 'last' wrasse?

Also, what do you chaps think the chances are of a successful introduction of a small meleagris into my 450 with a resident large bluestar and lapillus (not sure if the lapillus is male or female)?

Thx in advance.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Exquisitus is in the middle of the scale, leaning to the more peaceful end of the spectrum. In a tank your size, with other wrasses, it should be fine if you introduce via a social acclimation box.

 

[evolved]

So what's the prevailing wisdom on the exquisite ..... apart from it being, well, exquisite LOL? I have read that it is on the less aggressive end? Perhaps not the best choice as my 'last' wrasse?

Probably okay; I am bit concerned about it getting pushed around by the rosefascia or the sailfin, however.

Also, what do you chaps think the chances are of a successful introduction of a small meleagris into my 450 with a resident large bluestar and lapillus (not sure if the lapillus is male or female)?

Male or female blue star? Should be okay if it's a female. Pretty likely lapillus won't even give it a second look.

 

[ca1ore]

Bipartitus is a female.

 

[ca1ore]

Added an orange back this past week, and have an exquisite newly in QT. I think that will be it for me for wrasses.