Melanarus wrasse
- Thread starter calvertc425
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Yes, they will attempt it Depending on the Melanarus size they can rip shrimp to pieces. Also once they establish a hierarchy you most likely wont be able to add any other wrasses or fish with similar body shapes.
cancun
Valuable Member
I agree they will eat shrimp, especially as they grow.....but IMO depending on your tank size Melanarus Wrasses and Halichoeres Wrasses in general are not as agressive as other kinds of Wrasses, like the lined Wrasses or Thalasoma Wrasses. I have 14 Wrasses in a 200 gallon with a male Melanarus. He doesn't bother my other Wrasses, including my six Leopards. Keep in mind that is a general statement though. Every fish is different and has their own personality. [emoji16]
FiveGallonSea
Community Member
I had a Melanarus I truly enjoyed... for about a month. He ate my clean up crew like it was his job. I have 3 cleaner shrimp and 1 blood that he never approached though.
I bet that your existing shrimp will be fine, especially if the melanurus is a juvenile.
It is normal for the new wrasse to hide a bit, until it gets used to things. They do hide and sleep in the sand.
It is normal for the new wrasse to hide a bit, until it gets used to things. They do hide and sleep in the sand.
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IMHO it depends on the size of the Shrimp. Larger ones (ie big fire shrimp) will probably be left alone but smaller ones are fair game. I had an established cleaner shrimp in my reef that my wrasse never bothered (actually hated being tickled by it's antennae) but after it passed on, I added another smaller cleaner shrimp. The next morning I came in to find pieces of the shrimp and both my Melanurus Wrasse and my Coral Beauty Dwarf Angel were tearing it apart. Not sure if it died in the night (didn't look like it acclimated well) and they were just feasting on the fresh corpse or if the wrasse directly killed it. Either way I have avoided shrimp since. Only the small red legged hermits in my tank now (since they can hide well in the rockwork and are dirt cheap to buy).
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cracker
5000 Club Member
Mostly agree with Op's above . Depends on fish/shrimp size, tank size etc. Iv'e had a few & find these wrasses are pretty mellow . All I had was a large cleaner shrimp though . So no experience with small shrimp. Also I'd think a shrimp /goby would be safe .
eatbreakfast
Fish Nerd
Melanurus temperaments can vary greatly between individuals. Most are a good community fish, that is fine with other wrasses, but will be at the top of the hierarchy. And some few will behave aggressively toward other wrasses. Some will leave motile inverts alone, while others are ravenous hunters.
jd371
Valuable Member
Mine has been a model citizen in the 4 years I've had him. Never touched any of the CUC including a cleaner and fire shrimp, with the only exception of peppermint that I added to help with aptasia but I chalk that up to their very small size. No issues with other fish besides a short chase of the flasher wrasse to remind him whos boss.
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Mine is weird, it doesn't actively target my Blue Star Leopard (other than when it was first introduced) but it does get pretty territorial during feeding time. My Blue Star Leopard is surprisingly resilient and resourceful though so it still sneaks in and gets plenty of food. They circle and flair fins but I have never seen an actual bite or chasing from one end of the tank to the other. Occasionally the Blue Star Leopard gets bold and will charge the Melanurus when it's back is turned (I think it's way of getting some of it's own back). Once again though no biting or injuries. They have been like this for months and they all get a chance to eat and swim around well so I don't worry about it too much.
