Melanurus/Hoeven's Wrasse safe with corals?

cracker · Aug 27, 2018

Never had a problem with the 2 I have had.

OrionN · Aug 27, 2018

doughboy said:
my experience with melanurus is not that good. It's a nice looking fish, but what good is it if it is under the sand most of the time. Mine only comes out maybe 5 hours a day, only to eat. And if it is out, it quickly buries itself as soon as I am within 10 ft of the tank. I can only see it via webcam. So it has little to no value in my tank. In other reefers' tank that has melanurus, they were always nowhere to be found when the owner wanted to show it.
6 line, I had better experience and never bothered other fish and always out and about. That's the kind of fish I like. Those fish that comes up to you when you get to the tank, not those that runs away to hide. And yes, I've had the melanurus for 8 months now, so it is not a new fish in the tank.
and regarding wrasse being pest eaters, I don't see how melanurus wrasse can be effective if it is under the sand at night when all the pests are out. as far as 6 line, when I lost one (due to jumping out) and did not replace it, the pod population exploded and it did not end well for my tank. now I make sure I have a 6 line to keep pod population in check.

Why would you want to keep the "pod" population in check. IME, pods are not pest. They cause no problem, they are just food for the fish.
The behavior of your Melanurus is highly unusual and not even close to the norm. Mine practically jump out of the water to get to the food in my hand when ever I come to feed the tank. Veracious eater as evidence by his stomach in the picture below. First one up and last one to bed. He have to have his fill of Flame angel eggs every time the Flame angels spawn just as the light dimmed out.

maroun.c · Aug 27, 2018

doughboy said:
my experience with melanurus is not that good. It's a nice looking fish, but what good is it if it is under the sand most of the time. Mine only comes out maybe 5 hours a day, only to eat. And if it is out, it quickly buries itself as soon as I am within 10 ft of the tank. I can only see it via webcam. So it has little to no value in my tank. In other reefers' tank that has melanurus, they were always nowhere to be found when the owner wanted to show it.
6 line, I had better experience and never bothered other fish and always out and about. That's the kind of fish I like. Those fish that comes up to you when you get to the tank, not those that runs away to hide. And yes, I've had the melanurus for 8 months now, so it is not a new fish in the tank.
and regarding wrasse being pest eaters, I don't see how melanurus wrasse can be effective if it is under the sand at night when all the pests are out. as far as 6 line, when I lost one (due to jumping out) and did not replace it, the pod population exploded and it did not end well for my tank. now I make sure I have a 6 line to keep pod population in check.

Thats not normal for melanurus. some wrasses can get very skittish if thres no movementin front of the tank for extended times and then someone walks in. I have a small tank in a home im only in for few days a month and find most of fish there very skittish compared to fish in my tank at home. I had a lineatus jump out of the tank 5 times when I reached into the tank to add or remove a coral or do any change....
Not getting what you mean by pod population exploded and it didn't end well for your tank?

doughboy · Aug 27, 2018

yes, that's why I did not generalize. the one I got was a complete waste of money.

doughboy · Aug 27, 2018

OrionN said:
Why would you want to keep the "pod" population in check. IME, pods are not pest. They cause no problem, they are just food for the fish.
The behavior of your Melanurus is highly unusual and not even close to the norm. Mine practically jump out of the water to get to the food in my hand when ever I come to feed the tank. Veracious eater as evidence by his stomach in the picture below. First one up and last one to bed. He have to have his fill of Flame angel eggs every time the Flame angels spawn just as the light dimmed out.

if you google pods eating corals, you will get a lot of hits.
I can speak for my melanurus wrasse, I don't speak for yours so I don't think you can speak for mine.

Oshengems · Aug 27, 2018

doughboy said:
if you google pods eating corals, you will get a lot of hits.
I can speak for my melanurus wrasse, I don't speak for yours so I don't think you can speak for mine.

Yup some pods when big enough can go after zoas skirts I had this issue in the pass got rid of a coral beauty thinking he was the one but it continued I camped in front of my tank for like an hour with a night light and my pods were having a feast, I was attempting to keep nutrients in check so I was borderline starving my tank my small critters were not eating started letting pellets fall instead of spot feeding and it helped but months late i upgrade and have a heavier feeding regimen just because of that experience

Yeah I agree all fish have their own personality I hear purple dottybacks are nasty as well but mine is one in a million I guess he’s chilled most of the time model citizen even to new fishes he’s been in my current tank 8-9 months

vetteguy53081 · Aug 27, 2018

Both are beautiful. The Hoeven's Wrasse unfortunately comes with a Reef safe caution. melanurus although reef safe can and may flip coral or a frag piece in search of food/worms. Naturally always keep fish fed (without overfeeding) to keep their minds off the coral and provide hiding places for them

eatbreakfast · Aug 28, 2018

vetteguy53081 said:
Both are beautiful. The Hoeven's Wrasse unfortunately comes with a Reef safe caution. melanurus although reef safe can and may flip coral or a frag piece in search of food/worms. Naturally always keep fish fed (without overfeeding) to keep their minds off the coral and provide hiding places for them

Melanurus and hoevan's wrasse are the same species....

OrionN · Aug 28, 2018

doughboy said:
if you google pods eating corals, you will get a lot of hits.
I can speak for my melanurus wrasse, I don't speak for yours so I don't think you can speak for mine.

I never did speak for you or your wrasse. I was just pointing out that your wrasses, both the Sixline and the Melanurus behavior are fairly far out of the norm for the species.

You on the other hand do speak for other reefers as quote here:

doughboy said:
.......In other reefers' tank that has melanurus, they were always nowhere to be found when the owner wanted to show it........

Regarding "pods" eating corals, the term "pods" using aquarium generally mean free living microcrustaceans in general, and copepods in particular, that are part of the food web. There are parasitic animals that prey on corals and fishes. These species are not common or the norm in comparison to the numbers of free living species. We, most reefers, often have specific name for these, anything from red bugs (several species), Acro eating spider, pyramidellidae snails and the likes. Most of us do not consider these parasitic animals "pods". BTW, Sixline sleep at night too like the Melanurus wrasse. They are not night hunters.

The above is the general usage. There is no rule or regulation written down anywhere regarding these mater so please do not ask me to provide them. What and how some people use this term is up to them, but sticking to the general convention help keep conversation clear and convey of information accurate and without misinterpretation. I am not forcing you to do anything what so ever, just that I find your need to control the 'Pods" population odd, but realized now that you you use "Pods" as in parasitic animals. I hope I got this right.

I think I need to chill out, or take a chill pill