Favorite Reef Safe Wrasse UNDER $50????

[saltyhog]

What are y’alls thoughts on the red coris? How destructive are they? If every sps is well encrusted and glued down. And the rock work is cemented?

I don't think they are as desctructive or as large as say a dragon wrasse but they get well over a foot in the wild. They are certainly beautiful as adult, especially dominant males. I think the clean up crew would be on the menu.

This one was off the Kona coast.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I don't think they are as desctructive or as large as say a dragon wrasse but they get well over a foot in the wild. They are certainly beautiful as adult, especially dominant males. I think the clean up crew would be on the menu.

This one was off the Kona coast.

They are definitely tough on any inveets and anything not glued down is liable to be flipped.

 

[Kyl]

I ran into this same thing as well, after deciding I love the look of fairy wrasses, then seeing the price on a lot of them is north of $100 CAD which I can't get behind at this stage of my hobby career..

So far I've picked up:
1x Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse - Cirrhilabrus lubbocki (Orange / pink / purple / yellow colouring)
1x Blue-Sided Wrasse - Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura
1x Social Wrasse - Cirrhilabrus rubriventralis

Love the look of all of them for different reasons, though the blue-sided does get a bit rambunctious.

 

[fightingfish]

Quick question, don’t mean to hijack!

Would a flasher wrasse do work 9n bristleworms the same as a sixline? I’d like a wrasse, but I’ve heard sixlines can grow to be tank bullies. Is there any other reef safe wrasse that will eat pests, but be less of a jerk? Thanks!

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Quick question, don’t mean to hijack!

Would a flasher wrasse do work 9n bristleworms the same as a sixline? I’d like a wrasse, but I’ve heard sixlines can grow to be tank bullies. Is there any other reef safe wrasse that will eat pests, but be less of a jerk? Thanks!

Six lines often get aggressive. Look at halicheores for pest control with less attitude. Flashers and fairies wont do much hunting. My tanakas possum also goes to town on bugs.

 

[Scott Campbell]

Would also vote for the melanurus wrasse. Eats flat worms & bristle worms, gets along with everyone, is beautiful, always active - just a wonderful fish.

 

[Bpb]

Yet another vote for melanarus wrasse. Easy to come by. Hearty. Attractive. Tough enough to not get picked on but not overly aggressive. Get to a pretty decent size in terminal phase. And yes they’ll go to town on bugs and worms all day and night.

It’s true, they will go after some CUC. Mine took out all my hermits, nassarius, snails, most the stomatella snails, and most the amphipods. This has just kind of opened my eyes to how little those critters actually do though. They mostly just eat biofilm. I don’t worry about left over food. Between my tangs and foxface any food that hits the sand is quickly found and eaten. You want something for algae control, get an urchin. Snails are fairly useless for that. I have a dozen peppermint shrimp on order though....I will however be furious if my melanarus and sixline decide to dine on them all

 

[ChaosAquaculture]

Carpenters and Solorensis have always been two of my favorites. Great bang for the buck.

 

[Maggie321]

I know its been said, and I should have listened. Don't make the same mistake I did. PUT A LID ON THE TANK if you are going to have a wrasse. Mine jumped out recently. Blue streaked cleaner wrasse. Super friendly little guy. Cheap and hardy. Never had a bit of trouble with him. Please make sure you have a lid!

 

[mfinn]

Leopard Wrasses are my favorites.

 

[ca1ore]

I know its been said, and I should have listened. Don't make the same mistake I did. PUT A LID ON THE TANK if you are going to have a wrasse. Mine jumped out recently. Blue streaked cleaner wrasse. Super friendly little guy. Cheap and hardy. Never had a bit of trouble with him. Please make sure you have a lid!

Indeed, blue streak cleaner and most flashers are HIGHLY motivated jumpers. My blue streak found its way out of a 1x1 inch hole I cut in the screen top for feeding.

 

[BigJohnny]

My favorite by far is the blue star leopard wrasse. I wouldn't do more than 2 of those though.

 

[125gSW]

tossing in my Q in here too lol,

If i want to add 2 reef safe ( coral and CUC/invert friendly) wrasses which would you recommend? (125 gal tank 6ft long)

Preferably a wrasse to pair with an exquisite wrasse

 

[Neighhoma]

McCosker and yellow

 

[Peanut]

Question for the people with 3, 4+, did you add all of them at the same time? any issues adding 1 to an established tank?

I personally haven't really tried any other than the 6 line which I love

 

[Fr0stguard]

Question for the people with 3, 4+, did you add all of them at the same time? any issues adding 1 to an established tank?

I personally haven't really tried any other than the 6 line which I love

If they are all community wrasse like mine I added them at random times. Only ones I added together was a ruby head fairy and a yellow coris and I have 10 now. They do a little bickering at first to establish hierarchy between them then they all become peaceful typically. A six line will most likely be aggressive when adding new ones unless your extremely lucky fyi.

 

[bigroost]

All my wrasses seem to be model citizens. I can only quarantine one fish at a time, so it’s usually a couple of months between each addition, never had a bullying issue with them.

 

[Cully]

4 line

Done!

 

[John ob]

I have a wrasse that is a carnivore of silver sides snails crabs shrimp and any Coral that waves in the breeze. Just keep him well fed

 

[liveround69]

i have a six line and melanurus wrasse in my 37 column reef with 2 breeding goldstripe maroon clownfish. The female maroon runs the tank. As if you didnt know that already. haha But i really love my melanurus wrasse. He is so cool and always runs to hide behind the rock work if he is being harassed. Very pretty color scheme and funny personality. Eats well and hides in the sandbed at night. Doesnt disturb my corals. Does tend to check out the weak older hermits to see if they are ready to cash in their chips yet. If not leaves em alone.

The six line also is a nice fish to have . Both the six line and melanurus wrasses control flatworms, copepod populations pretty well. [I had a major outbreak due to overfeeding the tank while breeding the maroons]

Good luck