Keeping fairy wrasse together

[lilfish717]

So I just bought a Lubbock's fairy wrasse. I just seen my lfs has a crescent tail fairy wrasse for 80$. I'm in love with wrasses and from what I see online 80$ is a steal and it's beautiful could I keep them together in my 55 gallon reef tank?

 

[eatbreakfast]

Yup. They should be fine together. Just use a social acclimation box when introducing a new wrasse to an existing one.

 

[lilfish717]

Yup. They should be fine together. Just use a social acclimation box when introducing a new wrasse to an existing one.

So put them together, so that they can like "meet" each other before living with each other first?

 

[sfairtx]

So put them together, so that they can like "meet" each other before living with each other first?

Not quite. Acclimation box is for the new wrasse only. Put in for at least a day or so. Allows the Lubbock to “meet” his new friend and take any existing aggression out on the box and not the fish. Should be ok after a day or so. Also, Lubbock’s are not that aggressive so you should be fine. Love to see pictures of your fish!

 

[sfairtx]

If you don’t have an acclimation box (good purchase for the future) wait until almost lights outs, spot feed one side of the tank to distract and put new wrasse in on the other side. That should provide him with enough time and space to go into hiding and slowly make itself available for introductions. A bit more risky this way but can be done.

 

[evolved]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/c...feriority-need-not-apply-1st-revision.322326/

 

[Jesterrace]

Not quite. Acclimation box is for the new wrasse only. Put in for at least a day or so. Allows the Lubbock to “meet” his new friend and take any existing aggression out on the box and not the fish. Should be ok after a day or so. Also, Lubbock’s are not that aggressive so you should be fine. Love to see pictures of your fish!

Yup, new fish only. They would kill each other if they were put in the same cramped space for a few days. The deal is that the new fish can be introduced and seen by the existing tank mates but if the established wrasse turns aggressive it can't harm the new fish since it can't get past the plastic box. You can also use a fish trap as an acclimation box (i have used mine before that way). I've used dollar store drain baskets before although a Wrasse is likely to be able to slip out. I attempted to use these on a Blue Star Leopard and that impatient little bugger found a way to wriggle through.

Here are the baskets I have used:

 

[Kyl]

I'll add, a solid colour bottom is best for these boxes, else the fish tends to spend the whole time trying to dive down and out of the box. If you have a fully clear one, get a local scrap of white acrylic, etc, and block the bottom out.