Possible wrasse addition help

[Bryon]

I'm looking for help/advice on adding a few (as many as possible) wrasse to my tank. It's a 180 gallon with two clowns, sailfin tang, chromis, gold spot rabbitfish, clean up crew, and a few corals. I would appreciate advice, comments, or concerns.
Here's a list from which I will be selecting from. Also feel free to recommend a beautiful wrasse.
African Exquisite
Diamond tail flasher
Flame
Labouts
Lineatus
Melanurus
Rhomboid
Scott's fairy

 

[AlexG]

Do you have a open top tank or is there a cover or some kind of canopy in place to prevent jumpers from ending up on the floor? Flashers and fairy wrasses are great fish and generally peaceful. I would suggest that the melanurus is added latter as they can be a bit more aggressive towards other wrasses that are introduced after they are established.

 

[evolved]

Avoid scottorum.

You'll find these helpful:
http://www.3reef.com/threads/all-about-reef-safe-wrasses.122261/
https://www.reef2reef.com/blog/cirrhilabrus-complexes-inferiority-need-not-apply/

Do you have a open top tank or is there a cover or some kind of canopy in place to prevent jumpers from ending up on the floor?

Absolutely essential!

I would suggest that the melanurus is added latter as they can be a bit more aggressive towards other wrasses that are introduced after they are established.

And agree

 

[Bryon]

Do you have a open top tank or is there a cover or some kind of canopy in place to prevent jumpers from ending up on the floor? Flashers and fairy wrasses are great fish and generally peaceful. I would suggest that the melanurus is added latter as they can be a bit more aggressive towards other wrasses that are introduced after they are established.

I do have a cover on my tank.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I would recommend the scotts toward the end as well as they are pretty aggressive for a fairy wrasse.

 

[Bryon]

After reading the info provided by evolved, I changed my list a little.

Rhomboid
Lineatus
Various flashers
Flame
Melanurus (last)

How many do you think I could add safely before overcrowding?

 

[evolved]

8-10

 

[Bryon]

8-10

Including what I already have in the tank or an additional 8-10 wrasse

 

[4FordFamily]

Including what I already have in the tank or an additional 8-10 wrasse

Yeah I have 21 wrasse in my 125... It's overcrowded but they seem to get along great and they are healthy. Wrasse are generally a low bio load fish. Add as many as you want as long as they can swim around and you don't start skyrocketing nitrates. Your nutrient exportation methods and effectiveness is critical

 

[evolved]

Including what I already have in the tank or an additional 8-10 wrasse

Yes, taking such into consideration.

 

[Bryon]

I ordered some flashers from divers den. Nothing too pricey yet. Saving that for the diamond tail, rhomboid, and lineatus.

 

[JakeK]

I think it would be cool to get a harem of flasher wrasses. One male with 3 females. McCosker or Carpenter are good choices. Lots of action and color. They can be timid when put into an existing tank, so spot feeding with a turkey baster for the first week worked for me (when I introduced a Helfrichi firefish to a tank with a very active male McCosker).

 

[eatbreakfast]

I think it would be cool to get a harem of flasher wrasses. One male with 3 females. McCosker or Carpenter are good choices. Lots of action and color. They can be timid when put into an existing tank, so spot feeding with a turkey baster for the first week worked for me (when I introduced a Helfrichi firefish to a tank with a very active male McCosker).

A harem of flashers can be tricky, getting true females and correctly identifying them is difficult, and females frequently transition into males in aquaria, even if males are present.

 

[evolved]

A harem of flashers can be tricky, getting true females and correctly identifying them is difficult, and females frequently transition into males in aquaria, even if males are present.

Agree; it's a neat concept I've often read as a suggestion in literature but have never seen it pulled off successfully. The above roadblocks are pretty limiting.

A group of single males of various Paracheilinus species is a good alternative.

 

[Bryon]

I picked up a royal flasher, yellowfin, carpenter, and mccoskers from divers den the other day. They all look good and are eating. I need to get something with different colors. The flashers I got are almost all identical.

 

[JakeK]

Agree; it's a neat concept I've often read as a suggestion in literature but have never seen it pulled off successfully. The above roadblocks are pretty limiting.

A group of single males of various Paracheilinus species is a good alternative.

Very good to know! I was going to try and get a few females for my McCosker when I upgrade to the 93 gallon.

 

[evolved]

I picked up a royal flasher, yellowfin, carpenter, and mccoskers from divers den the other day. They all look good and are eating. I need to get something with different colors. The flashers I got are almost all identical.

Most flashers are pretty similar, unfortunately.

Those not in the hobby see the same little red fish.

 

[Bryon]

Most flashers are pretty similar, unfortunately.

Those not in the hobby see the same little red fish.

Don't get me wrong, they're all beautiful and you can pick out the slight differences in all of them. I just wanted to add something for the non fish people in the family to really notice while checking out the tank.
Divers den should have an exquisite listed today. Would it be a good addition?

 

[evolved]

It's not a flasher of course, but would mix fine.

 

[Bryon]

I'm not looking for just flashers. Pretty much any wrasse that's purty and friendly.