The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[i cant think]

Hi all...I hope this is the right place to ask this question. I would really love to have a wrasse....I just don't know which would be the best for my tank. I have a 65 gallon reefer...it's only a few months old but coming along nicely. You can see a video here of my current setup and livestock. I won't be adding anything new for at least a month but looking for something that is a nice addition to the gang.

Jens Reef

I have:
2 gladiator wide bar clowns
1 diamond sand sifting goby
1 flame angel
1 dottyback
1 midas blenny

Would love to hear your thoughts on what (if any) wrasse would work in my tank. I love color and personality.

Thanks!

What are the dimensions and how deep is the sand bed?

 

[JoJosReef]

What are the dimensions and how deep is the sand bed?

I believe it's a 3ft long tank at 65 gal, so a bit deeper and a bit taller, too. I couldn't tell how deep the sand bed was from the video.

 

[PeterEde]

You’ll probably find this fish will eat Frozen and not go for flakes for a while (if ever). I personally don’t have fish that only eat flake as long term it’s not a good diet.

I feed mysis which it went for.
Roe and brine. But am a bit miserly with frozen due to no3.

 

[i cant think]

Here’s the absolute race that is the algae clip. You can see some of the wrasses that hate being photoed that love the algae!

And you can also see the reason that Jade needs gone.

 

[Ross]

Question all:

My display (48x24) is ready for my wrasse/ wrasses which I want to get in pretty early, definitely before any tangs.

I currently am talking with a trusted place about a radiant coming out of quarantine soon. I also may have an opportunity for a red-lined or checkerboard coming out of quarantine about the same time. I could also get a China wrasse at the same time as the radiant.

My preference would be the radiant. My question, would the checkerboard get along with the radiant or bully him? If I add a radiant now, can I keep searching for an earmuff and add him in later without any issues? Should I get the radiant and China and add them at the same time, hopefully avoiding any aggression issues.

 

[blecki]

So my wrasses have settled into alternating schedules....

Fairy, Canary, Xmas are out during the morning and afternoon. Vrolik and Flasher come out in the evening and overnight. I have not seen the canary and vrolik out at the same time in over a month. So - I guess they worked out their issues and just decided to avoid each other forever?

 

[JoJosReef]

Question all:

My display (48x24) is ready for my wrasse/ wrasses which I want to get in pretty early, definitely before any tangs.

I currently am talking with a trusted place about a radiant coming out of quarantine soon. I also may have an opportunity for a red-lined or checkerboard coming out of quarantine about the same time. I could also get a China wrasse at the same time as the radiant.

My preference would be the radiant. My question, would the checkerboard get along with the radiant or bully him? If I add a radiant now, can I keep searching for an earmuff and add him in later without any issues? Should I get the radiant and China and add them at the same time, hopefully avoiding any aggression issues.

For me, I'd get the radiant and the china. Was informed recently that the checkerboard can be a bit of a jerk.

 

[Slocke]

Yeah checkerboards are the worst and really too big

 

[TehBrainz]

I'd like to get some more wrasse in my 200g, but it's pretty stocked so I'm thinking some smaller species and sand dwellers. I also have peppermint shrimp so something not predatory against inverts.

I've tried yellow coris wrasse in the past, but it just disappeared one day.

Currently I have a blue sided wrasse (I think) but it seems more red. Don't have many pics of just the wrasse, but these are the best I could find.

 

[Ross]

Ok, that confirms what I was thinking about the checkerboards.

How difficult are the the china wrasses? I’ve been reef keeping for a long time, but never kept one of these expert level wrasses. Makes me slightly nervous buying some expensive fish, even though they are quarantined and “should” be good to go.

 

[i cant think]

Ok, that confirms what I was thinking about the checkerboards.

How difficult are the the china wrasses? I’ve been reef keeping for a long time, but never kept one of these expert level wrasses. Makes me slightly nervous buying some expensive fish, even though they are quarantined and “should” be good to go.

Most wrasses labelled as “Expert” is for the most part due to shipping issues and being finicky with that.
Anampses species can be hard to feed but most of the time that issue is dealt with by the fish shops which you buy from.

The China Wrasse once established is incredibly easy and a great addition. Establishing is the harder part due to the above 2 issues.

 

[i cant think]

I'd like to get some more wrasse in my 200g, but it's pretty stocked so I'm thinking some smaller species and sand dwellers. I also have peppermint shrimp so something not predatory against inverts.

I've tried yellow coris wrasse in the past, but it just disappeared one day.

Currently I have a blue sided wrasse (I think) but it seems more red. Don't have many pics of just the wrasse, but these are the best I could find.

Anything in particular you may be thinking of - especially genus wise?

 

[i cant think]

Question all:

My display (48x24) is ready for my wrasse/ wrasses which I want to get in pretty early, definitely before any tangs.

I currently am talking with a trusted place about a radiant coming out of quarantine soon. I also may have an opportunity for a red-lined or checkerboard coming out of quarantine about the same time. I could also get a China wrasse at the same time as the radiant.

My preference would be the radiant. My question, would the checkerboard get along with the radiant or bully him? If I add a radiant now, can I keep searching for an earmuff and add him in later without any issues? Should I get the radiant and China and add them at the same time, hopefully avoiding any aggression issues.

A radiant is a perfect choice IMHO. I love mine and she’s got so much colour for such a small fish (she’s only about 2-3 inches currently). My male radiant was an absolute show stopper though and I’m planning to get another female to have a pair again in my 5’ tank (I’m probably going to be testing more pairs and harems out with the sand sleeping species in my new tank).

Unfortunately the only photos I got that truly showed both the size and colours of my male were the ones I took after he passed

 

[TehBrainz]

T

Anything in particular you may be thinking of - especially genus wise?

Tbh, no. I'm at the beginning of the journey into wrasse research.

Current fish stock:
2 ocellaris
2 lyretail anthia
1 hippo tang
1 tomini tang
1 foxface
3 pajama cardinal
4 firefish goby
1 filefish
1 bluesided wrasse

 

[OrionN]

My Radiant. Radiant wrasse, IMO, is easily be the best wrasse in this genus, at least most unusual show stopper of the Genus.

 

[i cant think]

T
Tbh, no. I'm at the beginning of the journey into wrasse research.

Current fish stock:
2 ocellaris
2 lyretail anthia
1 hippo tang
1 tomini tang
1 foxface
3 pajama cardinal
4 firefish goby
1 filefish
1 bluesided wrasse

Is probably go mostly sand sleeping species so Halichoeres, Anampses, Macropharyngodon, and Xenojulis.

As a starting list to look through I would say;
Macropharyngodon meleagris
Macropharyndodon bipartitus
Macropharyngodon meleagris
Halichoeres iridis
Halichoeres leucoxanthus
Halichoeres melanurus
Halichoeres cosmetus
Halichoeres lapillus
Halichoeres melasmapomus
Halichoeres trispilus
Anampses meleagris
Anampses neoguinaicus
Anampses melanurus
Xenojulis margaritaceus

Fairies and Flashers may not cope too well in an established tank with high activity tangs. I’m not too sure why but wrasses seem to be fine in high active wrasse tanks but not so much when there’s 2-3 tangs in there that are established. It may just be from competition of food.
But fairies to consider would be the larger species like;
Cirrhilabrus lineatus
Cirrhilabrus laboutei
Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa
Cirrhilabrus cyanogularis

They’re all fairly more boisterous species and will be able to hold their own with your current fairy (which appears to be a Cirrhilabrus chalasai).

 

[AZReef13]

Some Sad news to report my McCoskers some how Jumped out of my tank, I have Clear View lid with a couple doors, found him on top of lid. Not sure if he hit door just right or not.

 

[TehBrainz]

Is probably go mostly sand sleeping species so Halichoeres, Anampses, Macropharyngodon, and Xenojulis.

As a starting list to look through I would say;
Macropharyngodon meleagris
Macropharyndodon bipartitus
Macropharyngodon meleagris
Halichoeres iridis
Halichoeres leucoxanthus
Halichoeres melanurus
Halichoeres cosmetus
Halichoeres lapillus
Halichoeres melasmapomus
Halichoeres trispilus
Anampses meleagris
Anampses neoguinaicus
Anampses melanurus
Xenojulis margaritaceus

Fairies and Flashers may not cope too well in an established tank with high activity tangs. I’m not too sure why but wrasses seem to be fine in high active wrasse tanks but not so much when there’s 2-3 tangs in there that are established. It may just be from competition of food.
But fairies to consider would be the larger species like;
Cirrhilabrus lineatus
Cirrhilabrus laboutei
Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa
Cirrhilabrus cyanogularis

They’re all fairly more boisterous species and will be able to hold their own with your current fairy (which appears to be a Cirrhilabrus chalasai).

Cirrhilabrus lineatus is GORGEOUS

Appreciate the list of wrasse to look into. Hadn't heard about issues with tang heavy tanks.

Time to start reading

 

[i cant think]

Cirrhilabrus lineatus is GORGEOUS

Appreciate the list of wrasse to look into. Hadn't heard about issues with tang heavy tanks.

Time to start reading

It’s weird as there’s some species that are fine and others that just wither away and hate it.

Many of the more sensitive fairies/flashers don’t cope well after being added to established tangs or other highly active fish. Species like Cirrhilabrus isosceles or Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis come to mind when talking about them not doing well with highly active non-wrasse tanks.

 

[Slocke]

Some Sad news to report my McCoskers some how Jumped out of my tank, I have Clear View lid with a couple doors, found him on top of lid. Not sure if he hit door just right or not.

Oof sorry.
I’m losing fish to jumping now too. My flasher went down to the sump again (is fine) but I lost my lunatus last week. Forgot to close the lid and must have jumped and then eaten by another pet.