Help Choosing A Wrasse

[Msmith2813]

So ive been doing some research and Im still not sure which one is the best for me and my tank, so im getting the experts opinion. I currently have a 150g dt and will upgrade to 300+after I purchase a home. My current fish list includes two ocellaris, strawberry psuedochromis, three blue green chromis, three lyretail anthias (2f1m), blue hippo tang, juv emperor angel, and a mandarin dragonet. I do have inverts in my system: fire shrimp, cleaner shrimp, and numerous types of snails.
Im looking at either a yellow coris wrasse, vroliks, melanarus, or leopard...or any combination. I understand cuc damage will happen I would just like to keep it at a minimum if possible. I used to have aefw and I guess a part of me is still nervous about getting them again (eventhough I dip and do everything accordingly). So I would like a wrasse that has somewhat of a taste for aefw and other flatworms (heck even red bugs for that matter).
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much!

 

[saltyhog]

Vrolik's are beautiful and mine has not bothered any of my shrimp. Haven't caught him eating snails but it wouldn't surprise me if I did. Only down side is he is a pod eating machine. Probably not a problem with the bigger tank when mature but could be in your present with the mandarin. My fuge is full of pods but not my DT. 'Course the other two Halichoeres I keep probably have a lot to do with that also. Yellow coris is also beautiful though common. Mine is very well behaved and never looks at the CUC.

Wouldn't try Vrolik's and melanarus together till in the big tank, too similar and maybe not then. Some say they are the same species.

 

[Msmith2813]

the two (vroliks and melanarus) look very similar to me also. I have tons of pods in the fuge and wasn't sure about my dt. But when I clean the tank I have tons in my filter sock, so I must have a lot in my dt also. Plus my mandarin doesn't look hungry. I would love a leopard and melanarus, but im not sure how well those will do with each other and towards the flat worms.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Any of the wrasses in the Genus Halichoeres will pick at AEFW, and most will coexist with a leopard wrasse as well. Both Genera of wrasses do put a lot of preessure on the pod population too.

 

[Msmith2813]

im lucky that my mandarin does often eat Mysis, spirulina loaded brine shrim, and nutrimar ova. I just want there to be enough pods if it decides to stop eating prepared foods. Is the melanarus also hit or miss when it comes to the cuc and inverts?

 

[Msmith2813]

Also, some sites sell leopard wrasses and some have ornate leopard wrasses...its hard for me to tell the difference. is there any?

 

[miyags]

I like the yellow corsi, cheap but they really show up in your tank. I am going to get a radiant wrasse next. I'm liking the wrasse fish more and more. I also have a small harlequin tusk that doesn't bother my cleaner shrimp. YET!!!

 

[Msmith2813]

radiant wrasse are pretty nice also. For the most part, all wrasse are pretty nice

 

[evolved]

Any of the wrasses in the Genus Halichoeres will pick at AEFW, and most will coexist with a leopard wrasse as well. Both Genera of wrasses do put a lot of preessure on the pod population too.

My thoughts exactly, and for that latter reason, I would be hesitant to put either in a tank with a Mandarin.

im lucky that my mandarin does often eat Mysis, spirulina loaded brine shrim, and nutrimar ova. I just want there to be enough pods if it decides to stop eating prepared foods. Is the melanarus also hit or miss when it comes to the cuc and inverts?

The Mandarin is only supplemented by eating those prepared foods; it's primary diet is still the small copepods present in your system. And any Macropharyngodon or Halichoeres wrasse will consume those pods faster than the Mandarin can.

Also, some sites sell leopard wrasses and some have ornate leopard wrasses...its hard for me to tell the difference. is there any?

Pay attention to Latin names; those common names apply to different species.

 

[Msmith2813]

I can tell by your title that you are the one to ask when it comes to wrasses! I have a ton of the larger amphipods also, will the wrasse maybe focus on those and leave some of the copepods for the mandarin? Im also not opposed to purchasing pods to keep all the fish happy. ****, I took Spanish in school not latin haha Guess ill have to study up. With everything being said, compatibility wise would a melanarus and leopard wrasse get along with my tank mates (the pod issue removed from the equation)?

 

[evolved]

I can tell by your title that you are the one to ask when it comes to wrasses! I have a ton of the larger amphipods also, will the wrasse maybe focus on those and leave some of the copepods for the mandarin? Im also not opposed to purchasing pods to keep all the fish happy. ****, I took Spanish in school not latin haha Guess ill have to study up. With everything being said, compatibility wise would a melanarus and leopard wrasse get along with my tank mates (the pod issue removed from the equation)?

There are other here who are also very knowledgeable; don't let a self labeled title be too blinding.
A melanurus and a leopard are generally compatible, pod issue aside.

 

[TrialandError]

I have a green coris, melanarus, chissletooth, sixline, and some sort of fairy all together.

The green coris is my favorite color wise. Crazy green. I think they are quite similar to yellow coris but I could be wrong.

 

[Sense of nature]

I have a Yellow coris, several flashers( carpenters & Mccoskers) A lubbocks( he's a bossy little thing) & 2 leopards( ornate & meleagris) all coexist in my 210
The only ones that do any chasing are the flashers & Lubbocks Just my .02

 

[eatbreakfast]

I have a green coris, melanarus, chissletooth, sixline, and some sort of fairy all together.

The green coris is my favorite color wise. Crazy green. I think they are quite similar to yellow coris but I could be wrong.

The green coris and yellow coris are similar in that they currently are placed in the Genus Halichoeres, but this Genus should be broken down more and is really just a catch all. Once it is broken down they will no longer be in the same Genus.

Differences between them are:

Size, an adult H. chloropterus gets nearly 2x the size of H. chrysus. As H. chloropterus grows, the color usually fades to a pale green/grey, whereas H. chrysus colors remain vibrantly yellow.

H. chloropterus body height grows significantly giving a "bulky" vlook, H. chrysus stays pretty slended. H. chrysus develops beautiful striations in the face, H. chloropterus remains striatian free.

Perhaps the largest differences between the 2 is attitude. H. chloropterus can get pretty aggressive as it ages, H. chrysus is one of the most peaceful members of the Genus.

 

[evolved]

^ Well stated. And yet another reason I hate common names! (although, as you've outlined, the Latin is even a bit misleading here) But at the surface, it's easy to assume a "green coris" would be very similar to a "yellow coris". Gah!