Reef safe wrasses?

[lba4590]

Hey guys, I’m trying to figure out how to stock my tank. I love wrasses, I want corals, and my local LFS are giving me all kinds of mixed info. I have a newly set up cycled 120g.

Saw a beautiful melanarus at one store, LFS owner said his killed 5 other wrasses he tried to introduce. Tried to steer me towards the yellow coris. Wasn’t a big fan. Other LFS had a less colorful melanarus and said they weren’t reef safe but were peaceful? I want something colorful, bigger than a 6 line, hopefully peaceful and won’t eat corals/inverts. Also eventually would like a leopard wrasse once my tank is more established so I don’t want something mean. Told him I was thinking about flasher wrasses but they just weren’t very pretty in person, at least what he had.

Any recommendations would be much appreciated!

 

[CindyKz]

I've had a melanarus in my mixed reef for several years. He's a model citizen and doesn't bother corals. The only thing I can't keep with him is feather dusters. He's also a great pest control.

 

[Sinister]

Same with my melanurus, peaceful model citizen. Only issue with mine is, snail or hermit falls upside down, snails for sure won't make it, hermits, they keep in their shells till he passes past them, if not, snack!

 

[KaryTse]

Mystery Wrasse is nice too, been in my LPS tank for about 2 years, no problem with the corals and other fishes at all.

 

[JohnGP]

I like some of the Fairy Wrasses'. Have you considered them? Love my Solon and Ruby Head, I'm considering dropping in an Exquisite Fairy Wrasse as well but don't want to push my luck.

 

[Ghrommi]

Cannot tell much based on my own experience, but I do have McCosker's Wrasse and Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse on my fish-to-get-after-I-upgrade-to-a-bigger-tank list.

 

[saltyhog]

Any Halichoeres wrasse can become a consumer of clean up crew but I've kept H. melanurus, H. chysus, H. chysotaenia and H. melasmapomas . Only the Earmuff has eaten snails and only when he got to about 6 inches. I still have him and his predation is not very significant. I wouldn't hesitate to keep any of those. Don't sell the yellow short from looking at a juvie. Look for pictures of a mature one and you might change your mind on him....brilliant yellow with beautiful multicolored stripes on the face/head.

Any wrasse in the Cirrhilabrus, Paracheilinus or Macropharyngodon genera should be perfectly reef safe. It just depends on what appeals to your eye. I'll post some pictures of some of my wrasses to at least let you see a few of these.

This is a yellow fin flasher...I bet you were looking at juvies at your LFS, when they flash they are very colorful.