The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[dpfish]

This guy might be the coolest fish in my tank

 

[i cant think]

How long you do observation for prior to moving fish to other display? 30 days, 76 days?

I did mine for around 10 days as I know they’d been QTed prior to me getting them.

 

[i cant think]

So i've always wanted a Thalassoma, despite being aware of how they behave with other fish. Do you guys think this combo would work? I'm planning on adding a T.jansenii and a T.amblycephalum to my 6x2x2 tank at the same time along with the following wrasse:
New additions: (Will be added almost simultaneously(
Barred thicklip 'medium'
red coris 10cmish
Coris pictoides
new guinea wrasse
dragon wrasse
H.biocellatus
Naoko fairy wrasse

existing wrasse:
15cm harlequin tuskfish (meanie, but just got put back in from sump timeout + rock rearrangement)
12cm floral maori wrasse
11cm spanish hogfish
7cm anampses lennardi (haven't seen it in 2 days).
Also wanting to add an earmuff wrasse whenever those become available here.
My hope is that the dragon, red coris and the 2 thalassoma will sort eachother out and leave the more peaceful wrasse to themselves. I know it's risky, but if anyone has any suggestions or feedback i'd be happy to hear it!

I wouldn’t do the new guinea wrasse at this stage, the last two you want are also going in too late IMHO. They’ll be given a hard time.

Realistically, at this stage you want boisterous but not peaceful. The Dragon may be a bit too boisterous but they do have a tendency to be quite lazy.

 

[Cael Gallery]

I wouldn’t do the new guinea wrasse at this stage, the last two you want are also going in too late IMHO. They’ll be given a hard time.

Realistically, at this stage you want boisterous but not peaceful. The Dragon may be a bit too boisterous but they do have a tendency to be quite lazy.

So you reckon i should just add the Pseudolabrus at the same time as the thalassoma and the rest? Unfortunately i'm pretty dead set on an earmuff - but i see your point about the late introduction. But there's only like 3 collectors of marine fish in Australia so earmuffs are only available every couple months.

 

[OrchidMiss]

This guy might be the coolest fish in my tank

Same!

 

[Tcook]

Same!

Is he eyeballing that snail?

 

[OrchidMiss]

Is he eyeballing that snail?

Oh no, that shell has been empty for a while. If there's a shell on the sand, Red surely put it there because he's bored with it.

 

[OrchidMiss]

 

[i cant think]

Uhh, I have a reason I swear!

 

[i cant think]

Well, he went in and into the rocks. Here he was in acclimation

 

[Tcook]

Well, he went in and into the rocks. Here he was in acclimation

Another scared mottled orange wrasse. What is she?

 

[tbrown]

Uhh, I have a reason I swear!

Another scared mottled orange wrasse. What is she?

Ummm... Exquisite maybe?

 

[Tcook]

Ummm... Exquisite maybe?

I think he is throwing us off with that.

 

[tbrown]

I think he is throwing us off with that.

I wouldn't doubt it.

 

[Tcook]

I wouldn't doubt it.

He’s probably asleep right now dreaming of wrasses after a cold Newcastle. We’ll have to wait till tomorrow.

 

[i cant think]

Another scared mottled orange wrasse. What is she?

An exquisitus, looks so far to be the Maldives variation. One of the common wrasses I’ve never really owned which is surprising.
So will likely colour up to this.

 

[i cant think]

Some alright photos but nothing special.

 

[Cael Gallery]

What are the chances of a masudai hogfish working with my 11cm spanish hog? The hogfish has never bothered another fish, but i don't know if cohabiting Bodianus works.

 

[Slocke]

What are the chances of a masudai hogfish working with my 11cm spanish hog? The hogfish has never bothered another fish, but i don't know if cohabiting Bodianus works.

You are experimenting where few have gone before. Maybe @Fishfreak2009 has tried it?

 

[Fishfreak2009]

You are experimenting where few have gone before. Maybe @Fishfreak2009 has tried it?

I've kept Bodianus axillaris with Bodianus rufus before. No issues. Also kept Bodianus bimaculatus with Bodianus sepicaudus without issue.

IMO any larger species of wrasse will be more likely to fight, but if they're juveniles, it should be much easier to do so. I recently added a Cheilinus chlorourus to my 240 with an existing Cheilinus fasciatus, and after a bit of posturing for 48 hrs, the 2 completely ignore one another. If you're going to do it, do it in a large tank, feed heavily before introduction, and try to add multiple other fish at once to help as distractions. Have a game plan ready to separate if needed. Dividing the tank in half with eggcrate to help them get used to one another also helps if they initially don't get along.

I'd still like to add a Bodianus or 2 (B. rufus and B. axillaris or B. mesothorax) in my 240, along with a couple other big boy wrasses. I currently have Thalassoma hardwicke, Cheilinus fasciatus, and Cheilinus chlorourus in there. I'd also love to add Cheilinus lunulatus (miss my old one and haven't found one within my budget), Coris gaimardi, Halichoeres bivittatus (to replace my old one), Gomphosus varius, and possibly another Thalassoma (perhaps amblycephalum, lutescens, or bifasciatum? Definitely avoiding the lunare after my last couple experiences with them). Also tempted to try a larger male Halichoeres melanurus in here, since I'm pretty sure the Halichoeres cosmetus and Halichoeres marginatus in my 100 gallon would kill one if I added it.