How fast do Melanurus Wrasses grow? Thinking about getting a small one

[Subnautica]

So on LA they have the small one for $30 and medium for $60 (double price!). The small size is around 1 - 2.5". Medium is 2.5 - 3.5".

I prefer Small because it's cheaper, but I'm afraid they might grow too slow. And 2.5" is too small, though I could be wrong since I suck at visualization. But the medium is double the price :\

Hoeven's Wrasse: Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums

 

[Old Fritz]

There is very little size difference. You will rarely ever get the maximum size fish that they sell. I believe if it says 2.5 inches that is the largest size they have sold for that fish however you will more than likely not get a 2.5 inch fish. Local fish stores can get a melanurus wrasse for the same price and a good size. My store has one right now that is probably 3 and a half inches and it is going for 29.99.

So if you order off of live aquaria you will probably for a small get like a 2 inch fish and for a medium you'll probably get 2.5 inch fish. That's what has happened to me in my experience with them.

either way when you see a fish everyday you don't really notice it grow. You'll feel like you don't see it growing, but for example my girlfriend got a angelfish (freshwater don't hate her) about a year ago and at the time I only saw her every 3-4 weeks and everytime that thing looked like it doubled in size and she never noticed

 

[Gareth elliott]

Second waiting on a local one if have an lfs. Wrasses are not always the best shippers.

Also females and sub males are easier to acclimate to fish already in your tank, along with the fact that wrasses are not the longest living fish we keep that with a juvenile have an idea how long the fish will be with you

 

[mattzang]

fwiw, never kept a melanarus, but i bought both h. chrysus and h. biocellatus as tiny females and within a year they're both basically adult size. the biocellatus is full male and chrysus is probably close. like others said get the smaller female and you get to see the transition to male and it's likely younger

 

[csb123]

Mine grew twice it’s size in about 2 years.

 

[OrionN]

My Melanurus growth from 1.5 to 3.5 inches in about 14 months. Male are much more colorful, but I am very patient.
About 1.75 inches 14 months ago

3.5 inches, not even full grown

 

[Jeff Jarry reef]

So on LA they have the small one for $30 and medium for $60 (double price!). The small size is around 1 - 2.5". Medium is 2.5 - 3.5".

I prefer Small because it's cheaper, but I'm afraid they might grow too slow. And 2.5" is too small, though I could be wrong since I suck at visualization. But the medium is double the price :\

Hoeven's Wrasse: Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums

I bought 2 melenarus from LivaAquaria and they are out every day the first day in tank. They didn't hide at all. And they were around 2.5 inches and really great shape I don't regret getting them.

 

[Oldreefer44]

Mine doubled in size (2 inch to 3 inch) in about 6 months. One of my favorite fish.

 

[foxt]

Mine grew from about 2 inches to about 4 in just over a year, and it has slowed down since then. Transitioned to male, and is beautiful. Now it is a terror to anything remotely related when first introduced. I also have a male bipartitus and a male christmas wrasse, but the three have been together since they were all females two years ago and they get along.

I have to remove the melanurus when I am adding other fish. I tried adding the new fish through acclimation boxes, but even though they lived in the box for several days without as much as a close inspection from the melanurus, the minute I release them into the tank, he is all over them. Mine is also a very wary fish, so he is difficult to catch. I now have to leave a fish trap in the tank for several days, feed the fish from the fish trap, and eventually, if I am lucky, I can get the door to close before he gets out. I leave him in a QT for about a week, and then reintroduce him to the DT, and he's fine.

 

[rkpetersen]

Mine grew from about 2 inches to about 4 in just over a year, and it has slowed down since then. Transitioned to male, and is beautiful. Now it is a terror to anything remotely related when first introduced. I also have a male bipartitus and a male christmas wrasse, but the three have been together since they were all females two years ago and they get along.

I have to remove the melanurus when I am adding other fish. I tried adding the new fish through acclimation boxes, but even though they lived in the box for several days without as much as a close inspection from the melanurus, the minute I release them into the tank, he is all over them. Mine is also a very wary fish, so he is difficult to catch. I now have to leave a fish trap in the tank for several days, feed the fish from the fish trap, and eventually, if I am lucky, I can get the door to close before he gets out. I leave him in a QT for about a week, and then reintroduce him to the DT, and he's fine.

What was the reaction of your melanurus to non-wrasse new additions?
Mine is well-established and about 4" in size.
Thinking of adding a Pyramid butterfly and a Magnificent foxface.
Hoping the melanurus will ignore them both.

 

[Subnautica]

My Melanurus growth from 1.5 to 3.5 inches in about 14 months. Male are much more colorful, but I am very patient.
About 1.75 inches 14 months ago

3.5 inches, not even full grown

That's a super beautiful Melanurus.

And thanks everyone for the replies!

 

[Subnautica]

Does yours bother CUC or inverts?

 

[Jeff Jarry reef]

Does yours bother CUC or inverts?

Mine don't

 

[foxt]

What was the reaction of your melanurus to non-wrasse new additions?
Mine is well-established and about 4" in size.
Thinking of adding a Pyramid butterfly and a Magnificent foxface.
Hoping the melanurus will ignore them both.

Hit or miss. I did add a relatively large pyramid, 3" or so, and the melanurus left it alone. That pyramid is fairly aggressive though, eats like a pig. I added a CBB, much more timid fish, and the melanurus kept it pinned in a corner. Then after a week in jail, it was fine when back in the DT. By then, the CBB was eating very aggressively also. No experience with anything remotely close to a foxface. In my experience with those, theycan be skittish to begin with, and it could be an easy target. Adding both at the same time might help.

 

[Jesterrace]

Mine was about that size when I got it 2 years ago. The cool thing is you get to watch it change from it's dull and drab color scheme to a brightly colored scheme.

Here is mine when I first got it 2 years ago:


Here it is today: