School of Wrasses?

[ahuynh616]

Is it better to get multiple of the same species (aiming for a school of 5-8) or a few of different species? I was thinking something like;

2-3 Royal Flasher Wrasse
2-3 Linespot Flasher Wrasse
2 Carpenter Wrasse
2 McCosker Wrasse

Wanted some more active fish in my water column and in general.

 

[SaltyT]

Wrasses do not school, they form harems. Trying to keep a harem of flasher wrasses in a home aquarium is almost impossible because flasher wrasse females will transition into males in our tanks.

Get only one of each species of flasher wrasse, not multiples, in order to avoid WWIII in your tank. Multiple males of the same species can fight to the death. One of each of the flashers you listed can be kept together provided that your tank is large enough to keep 4 of them.

Flashers are very active and will jump so a mesh lid is highly recommended to keep them in the tank and to prevent them from injuring themselves on a hard lid.

 

[DeniseAndy]

How large is your tank?

 

[i cant think]

Is it better to get multiple of the same species (aiming for a school of 5-8) or a few of different species? I was thinking something like;

2-3 Royal Flasher Wrasse
2-3 Linespot Flasher Wrasse
2 Carpenter Wrasse
2 McCosker Wrasse

Wanted some more active fish in my water column and in general.

For a harem of wrasses, your best bet is to try attempt a harem of leopards (3-4 different species depending on how big your tank is).

 

[damsels are not mean]

I think you'd need them all to be the same species to have a harem but my understanding is they usually do not last because while the dominant male tries to keep the others female eventually some succeed and somebody kill somebody else. It's probably what happens in the ocean too but the ocean has a way of making more fish to replace the dead ones.

 

[i cant think]

I think you'd need them all to be the same species to have a harem but my understanding is they usually do not last because while the dominant male tries to keep the others female eventually some succeed and somebody kill somebody else. It's probably what happens in the ocean too but the ocean has a way of making more fish to replace the dead ones.

Actually, it’s more they all become male in our aquariums, and yes in the wild you usually have one or two “Supermales” but you also have a few submales/transitional phase males. All the rest are females waiting to change or be bred with.
But in captivity, no tank has a large enough group of wrasses to accomplish that so they all become male anyway.

 

[stovenut]

I have kept 6 different species of fairy wrasses in my 135g along with other wrasses (yellow coris, melanurus, scarlet pinstripe, ornate leopard and blue star leopard) They will create a social ladder of 1 supermale along with other males and females.

Like the earlier poster, you cannot keep multiple of the same species in the same tank. They will kill their conspecifics.

 

[i cant think]

Actually, after reading through these previous posts, I’ll change a lot of the “Will kill” to a larger possibility. This is not me saying go and try it but I’ve just remembered what I have in my tank, I have managed to keep the more aggressive species in harmony with more peaceful species in my tank. I still don’t know how, Possibly that the most aggressive grew to that stage but was at the bottom of the pack as a juvenile for a good year and a half before she started to rise in social hierarchy. Another example of fish that shouldn’t get along, my two lubbocki fairy wrasse MALES. One Cebu, one Indonesian, also added as males but possibly were transitional, brought out the nicest colours in them though.

 

[ahuynh616]

Thanks for all the feedback. I have a Red Sea 525xl (109 gal display tank, 5 ft long). Have a pair of clowns, pair of bangg cardinals, a springer damsel and blue hippo tang atm.

Think I’ll go with one species each of the flasher wrasses. Waiting on a lid before placing an order.

Any significant differences before flasher and fairy wrasses? Think I’ve read fairy wrasses are a lot less aggressive.

 

[Lavey29]

I have 5 wrasses in my XL300 tank all different types and no real aggression or problems at all.

 

[i cant think]

Thanks for all the feedback. I have a Red Sea 525xl (109 gal display tank, 5 ft long). Have a pair of clowns, pair of bangg cardinals, a springer damsel and blue hippo tang atm.

Think I’ll go with one species each of the flasher wrasses. Waiting on a lid before placing an order.

Any significant differences before flasher and fairy wrasses? Think I’ve read fairy wrasses are a lot less aggressive.

With a large tang in there already, I personally would use an acclimation box. Also why limit yourself to just flasher wrasses? You can get fairies, Halichoeres, leopards, tamarins and pencils in that tank.

 

[blaxsun]

Anthias are very striking and you can usually have a half dozen compatible types in a tank.

 

[ahuynh616]

The blue hippo is quite small at the moment but I’ll definitely keep the acclimation box in mind.

Yeah, there are so many types I’ll definitely have to mix it up. And Anthias are definitely on the list also eventually.

 

[Cbones1979]

I have kept 6 different species of fairy wrasses in my 135g along with other wrasses (yellow coris, melanurus, scarlet pinstripe, ornate leopard and blue star leopard) They will create a social ladder of 1 supermale along with other males and females.

Like the earlier poster, you cannot keep multiple of the same species in the same tank. They will kill their conspecifics.

How many wrasse would you say would work in a 75? I currently only have a fairy wrasse.

 

[i cant think]

How many wrasse would you say would work in a 75? I currently only have a fairy wrasse.

If it’s a 4’x2’ tank I have 6 in my 4’x2’x2’.
3 fairies, a flasher and two Halichoeres. I plan to try add 2 others in the future (Currently growing out - 1 fairy and a leopard).

 

[Cbones1979]

If it’s a 4’x2’ tank I have 6 in my 4’x2’x2’.
3 fairies, a flasher and two Halichoeres. I plan to try add 2 others in the future (Currently growing out - 1 fairy and a leopard).

It’s 48 x 18. Currently only have a few smaller fish and 1 wrasse.

 

[i cant think]

It’s 48 x 18. Currently only have a few smaller fish and 1 wrasse.

In my 4’x2’ I have 11 fish with 3 large guys and the rest are small-medium.
5 of the small-medium are wrasses with 1 being a larger guy (My chloropterus). I’ll do a more detailed post if you would like in the morning

 

[Cbones1979]

In my 4’x2’ I have 11 fish with 3 large guys and the rest are small-medium.
5 of the small-medium are wrasses with 1 being a larger guy (My chloropterus). I’ll do a more detailed post if you would like in the morning

Yes, if I have a fairy what types would be the best to mix? Was thinking 2 wrasse and a small tang

 

[i cant think]

Here’s the complexes that are slightly more peaceful than the others;
- Rubriventralis
- Lubbocki
- Cyanopleura
- Exquisitus
- Bathyphilus
- Lanceolatus
- Rubromarginatus
- Teminickii
- Filamentosus

Some of these complexes have species on the more aggressive side, those species are;
- C. briangreenei (Rubromarginatus) *
- C. pylei (Rubromarginatus) *
- C. katoi (Rubromarginatus) *

- C. teminickii (Teminickii) *
- C. cf. teminickii (Teminickii) *

- C. blatteus (Lanceolatus) *
- C. sanguineus (Lanceolatus) *
- C. rubriquamis (Lanceuolatus) *

- C. cyanogularis (Filamentosus)
- C. tonozukai (Filamentosus)
- C. filamentosus (Filamentosus)
- C. condei (Filamentosus) *
- C. marinda (Filamentosus) *
- C. walshi (Filamentosus) *
- C. rubripinnis (Filamentosus) *

The ones with the * next to them are slightly less aggressive than the ones without a *. The three without the * are possibly just as aggressive as C. scottorum can be.
Here’s the complexes you’ll want to look into that have the species best suited for the tank (And which species they are);

• Rubriventralis
- C. naokoae
- C. rubriventralis
- C. rubeus
- C. morrisoni
- C. africanus
- C. humanni
- C. hygroxeus
- C. joanallenae

• Exquisitus
- C. exquisitus

• Lubbocki
- C. lubbocki
- C. cenderawasih
- C. marjorie
- C. walindi
- C. flavidorsalis

• Bathyphilus
- C. bathyphilus
- C. efatensis
- C. nahacki

• Lunatus
- C. isosceles
- C. lunatus
- C. johnsoni
- C. cf lunatus
- C. squirei
- C. brunneus

• Rubromarginatus
- C. katoi
- C. pylei
- C. briangreenei
- C. rhomboidalis

Here’s a couple photos of my guys that are from any of these complexes to get you started.

C. naokoae or the Naoko’s Fairy Wrasse

C. Lubbocki or the Indonesian Lubbock’s Fairy Wrasse

C. lubbocki or the Cebu Lubbock’s Fairy Wrasse

 

[maroun.c]

Believe a variety of wrasses is a very enjoyable addition to the tank. They'll behave different in each tank based on specimen individual personalities and will establish a pecking order which will make.new additions more tricky and more rewarding with time. The pecking order is very dynamic as the dominant wrass dies abd is replaced. Unfortunately they are not as long lived as other fish which means constant additions will be necessary if u want to have a constant number of wrasses, as said this is tricky with existing dominant wrasses.
One more interesting part is the variety of wrasses going from common ones to more uncommon ones and up to rare ones so ur selection can keep changing for an ever changing look in the tank .
I manage to keep 10-15 different wrasses In my 400 and with careful planning and introduction the number of wrasses I have lost on Introduction.