the title says it all... I’m looking to add the final fish to my 29 gallon mixed reef. Can’t decide between these two. I add pods weekly, and will be hatching brine shrimp starting this weekend. There is a healthy population of bristleworms and pyramid snails and I’m hoping this wrasse will help a bit. So far here are my pros vs cons, but I want input from those who have actually owned these fish as this will be my first wrasse.
Pink streak - more peaceful. Better chance for my happy community staying that way
Four line - possibly better at pest control?
tank mates would be :
Pair Ocellaris
Pair Mandarins
Orange Spot Goby
Foxface (he’s 2” and going in a 70 gallon when he hits 5”)
Tiger snapping shrimp
Assorted reef hermit crabs
Assorted snails
Thanks in advance. Definitely not set on a wrasse considering I have a pair mandarins. I wouldn’t add one until my brine hatching was going full swing. My biggest concern is competition on the pods. but both mandarins are trained on frozen and fattening up nicely after 8 weeks.
I personally wouldn't even consider the four line. They are an aggressive species that might be fine for a year or so but will likely turn into a demon pretty quickly. It is also normally a very bad idea mixing pseudocheilinus with dragonets, not just because they out compete them but because they can physically attack them (less of a problem in very large tank but not something I'd personally try).
Your bristle worm population will be controlled by the amount of available food so if you make sure there isn't much excess it shouldn't become a problem. The pyramids are another problem but it depends if you are planning clams or lots of snails, whether you need to worry about them.
So out of your two choices the pink streak is by far the best.
Agreed, the pink streaked is the way to go. Not to throw a wrench in your plans, but have you considered a possum/pygmy wrasse? Wetmorella sp. Shy at first, but fun to watch them cruise in and out of your rock work hunting all day long.
No contest that the Pink Streaked would be a much better tank mate. The lined wrasses as they are known are misnamed remove the WRE from their name and you have the correct name for them.
No contest that the Pink Streaked would be a much better tank mate. The lined wrasses as they are known are misnamed remove the WRE from their name and you have the correct name for them.
+1 on the removing WR and E from any lined wrasse...
I'd go with the pink streak as long as you can keep up the pods. The wrasse is a much faster swimmer, and therefore a more efficient pod predator. Just read your mandarins are eating frozen. Green light, I'd get the pink streak.
Pink streaked are very entertaining fish once they are comfortable in the tank. One of my favorite fishes, they seem to color up in a tank much better than photos capture and I never saw any aggressive behavior. Lots of picking at rock and darting around, check out videos of them on YouTube
I appreciate very much the detailed replies. I did my first big harvest on my 15 gallon Tsibe pod culture today (sieved 5 gallons w stackable plankton screens from Mercer of Montana, replaced w/ water change water from DT) It's safe to say I'm not worried about pods anymore. Have got the maxi kit and brine kit on the way from FloridAquaFarms to start culturing phyto/rotifers/brine shrimp on a small scale in our garge. My eventual goal is to feed all my tanks as much pods/rotifers/phyto loaded baby brine as possible with small weekly treats of benereef/LFS frozen. I'm aware the bristleworms have come from over feeding. It's something I'm working hard on. My first fish I chose a pair of 1/2" Oscellaris clowns ( I thought the smaller fish would bond with me more because I'm a fool ) and trying to get those little boogers to eat R.O.E and clops was what started this. When we we're training the mandarins on frozen I was over feeding again and noticed that some of the bristles were 6-8" ;Jawdrop which brings us here.
I had read a few reviews stating the four line was the one exception to the typical lined wrasse temperament. Really hoped to hear that was true. Good motivation for me to get the 90 cube set up. I will listen to you all and get a pink streaked if a wrasse is the route I go for the nano. Going to throw together a bottle trap tomorrow in the meantime.
@minus9 my brother and reefing buddies told me to go with a possum as well but I'm not a fan of their long snoots.
Pink streaked is the best, my fav all time nano fish. But do not under estimate their pod consumption ability. I would likely not add one until my mandarins were eating dead foods.
Thankfully the mandarins started eating frozen after day 3. Cleared out 10 small brostle worms with a bottle trap last night. Caught the big momma I’ve been after tonight by hand
I always think of these bristle worms as good thing to have in our tank. Free live food for fish and great scavenger. The population will grow to the level of food you give them.
I always think of these bristle worms as good thing to have in our tank. Free live food for fish and great scavenger. The population will grow to the level of food you give them.
Not looking to decimate them, I don’t think that’s possible. I’d just enjoy having something in the tank that would munch them occasionally. I am a worrier and sometimes I worry about the extra large worms bothering my pistol shrimp and goby or rockflower nems ; they’re always in the gobies cave/crawling around the nems and I can see the nems retract when they get brushed by the bristles.
I ended up getting the pink streaked. His name is Milton and he's amazing. My female mandarin formed a bond with my baby foxface on day one... oddly enough the male mandarin really enjoy hunting with the wrasse. Both groups patrol the tank separately all day... the mandarins find each other once the T5s go off and it's blues only to shack up for the evening. My pod culture is doing better than ever. If I had to estimate I'd say I'm adding 50k pods weekly on water change day. Was Justin looking in my tank tonight and realized I can't find a single vermatid snail. Used to be 10-20 visible no matter where you looked. Checked some problem spots that have always had them, sure enough they're all gone. Thanks Milton. Still pull the occasional large bristleworm out of the tank at night but I haven't seen any small ones since introducing the wrasse. I appreciate the opinions on helping me decide what to get! Will update with more pictures.
