The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[JoJosReef]

Plotting my next tank and looking for the advice of the experts.
It will be 130-180 gallon 5-7 ft long reef tank I would like a few wrasses that will do well. Hopefully colorful and active but not jerks. I'm not opposed to going with a single species and getting a group if there is a species that is more interesting that way.
Here comes the challenge I'd like to try bare bottom.
Other fish that I would like to have in the tank
Mandarin pair (biota)
Majestic angel (biota)
Golden lined rabbitfish (biota)
Potters Angel (biota) (probably won't happen but I can dream)
I'll have assorted snails, crabs and shrimp.
All of the fish are negotiable except the majestic angel.

What do you recommend? Thank you

With bare bottom, I would stick to fairy and flasher wrasses. At that size, there are many options for all sorts of budgets. Note that fairies and flashers in groups all tend to transition to males, and males of the same species kill each other in Thunderdome match-ups, or so I've been told. Probably best to stick to one per species.

 

[Tcook]

Plotting my next tank and looking for the advice of the experts.
It will be 130-180 gallon 5-7 ft long reef tank I would like a few wrasses that will do well. Hopefully colorful and active but not jerks. I'm not opposed to going with a single species and getting a group if there is a species that is more interesting that way.
Here comes the challenge I'd like to try bare bottom.
Other fish that I would like to have in the tank
Mandarin pair (biota)
Majestic angel (biota)
Golden lined rabbitfish (biota)
Potters Angel (biota) (probably won't happen but I can dream)
I'll have assorted snails, crabs and shrimp.
All of the fish are negotiable except the majestic angel.

What do you recommend? Thank you

Vivien. My favorite

 

[felda001]

With bare bottom, I would stick to fairy and flasher wrasses. At that size, there are many options for all sorts of budgets. Note that fairies and flashers in groups all tend to transition to males, and males of the same species kill each other in Thunderdome match-ups, or so I've been told. Probably best to stick to one per species.

So what I'm hearing is that if I get a group I'm going to end up with more tanks.......

Thank you. I will probably stick to one per species and go with a selection

 

[felda001]

Vivien. My favorite

Gorgeous. But how will they do without sand? I might be willing to accept the eating of clean up crew in the right conditions

 

[JoJosReef]

Gorgeous. But how will they do without sand? I might be willing to accept the eating of clean up crew in the right conditions

Leopards (like viviens), tamarins, pencils, coris wrasses and others sleep in sand and use the sand as their safe haven, so bare bottom, while possible, might not lead to healthy/happy fish. May lead to injury if they get spooked and dive into the non-existent sand

Cirrhilabrus (fairies), Paracheilinus (flashers), Pseudocheilinus (e.g., six-line, mystery, etc., generally can become territorial), Pseudocheilinops (pink streak wrasses, adorable but shy and need peaceful tank mates), and Wetmorella (possums, similar to pink streaks in tank needs) are all wrasses that sleep in mucus cocoons in the rockwork. Cleaner wrasses too, I think. They would be good for a bare bottom tank, although pinkies and possums might get lost in a large tank like that.

Good guide to picking out fairies:

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Leopards (like viviens), tamarins, pencils, coris wrasses and others sleep in sand and use the sand as their safe haven, so bare bottom, while possible, might not lead to healthy/happy fish. May lead to injury if they get spooked and dive into the non-existent sand

Cirrhilabrus (fairies), Paracheilinus (flashers), Pseudocheilinus (e.g., six-line, mystery, etc., generally can become territorial), Pseudocheilinops (pink streak wrasses, adorable but shy and need peaceful tank mates), and Wetmorella (possums, similar to pink streaks in tank needs) are all wrasses that sleep in mucus cocoons in the rockwork. Cleaner wrasses too, I think. They would be good for a bare bottom tank, although pinkies and possums might get lost in a large tank like that.

Good guide to picking out fairies:

My Possum more than holds his own in a busy 5' 100 gallon with a bunch of fairies, anthias, a dottyback, 4 different Halichoeres, a pencil, a dwarf angel, clowns, cardinals, butterflies, blennies, a tilefish, and a couple different gobies. Out all the time, eats right with the rest of them. Just look for a more outgoing one at the store.

 

[Slocke]

Leopards (like viviens), tamarins, pencils, coris

And Halichoeres. You forget the big one.

wrasses and others sleep in sand and use the sand as their safe haven, so bare bottom, while possible, might not lead to healthy/happy fish. May lead to injury if they get spooked and dive into the non-existent sand

Cirrhilabrus (fairies), Paracheilinus (flashers), Pseudocheilinus (e.g., six-line, mystery, etc., generally can become territorial), Pseudocheilinops (pink streak wrasses, adorable but shy and need peaceful tank mates), and Wetmorella (possums, similar to pink streaks in tank needs) are all wrasses that sleep in mucus cocoons in the rockwork. Cleaner wrasses too, I think. They would be good for a bare bottom tank, although pinkies and possums might get lost in a large tank like that.

Good guide to picking out fairies:

Otherwise

 

[tbrown]

And Halichoeres. You forget the big one.

Otherwise

He said Coris...

 

[felda001]

He said Coris...

@tbrown since you're local. What's your go to lfs for wrasses?

 

[Tcook]

Gorgeous. But how will they do without sand? I might be willing to accept the eating of clean up crew in the right conditions

They need sand. I didn’t see bare botyom in your description. I had a bare bottom for years but will never go without sand now. Excludes so many nice wrasses. I would consider 1-2 inches of fiji pink in your build.

 

[felda001]

They need sand. I didn’t see bare botyom in your description. I had a bare bottom for years but will never go without sand now. Excludes so many nice wrasses. I would consider 1-2 inches of fiji pink in your build.

I've never done a bare bottom. I'm very much in the planning phases right now. I've got a line on a nice 150 on fb marketplace but until my oldest moves out in 7 months (college) I don't have a space for the tank. Plenty of time to change my mind

 

[tbrown]

@tbrown since you're local. What's your go to lfs for wrasses?

Petco... Depends. I like Aquarium Arts and LE Corals. I've got some stuff at Aquaholics. Honestly my Melanurus and Leucoxanthus are both from Petco at 59th. I got a Carpenter's at Aquarium Arts and I got my Leopard at LE Corals. Petco on Northern has had a couple of McCoskers I've almost grabbed and Petco in Avondale and Goodyear have had Chrysus. Aquaholics often has Flashers and Fairies but they're mostly out of my price range.

 

[JoJosReef]

My Possum more than holds his own in a busy 5' 100 gallon with a bunch of fairies, anthias, a dottyback, 4 different Halichoeres, a pencil, a dwarf angel, clowns, cardinals, butterflies, blennies, a tilefish, and a couple different gobies. Out all the time, eats right with the rest of them. Just look for a more outgoing one at the store.

That's true. @jkcoral has a famous possum that takes no scheisse!

 

[Vinaka_vakalevu]

im sure this has been asked a lot of times in the past 1300 pages but I don't have it in me to read them all so ill ask again.....

im getting a new 70 gallon delivered tomorrow that ill be setting up over the next couple of months. main purpose will be an sps tank but id definitely love to have a couple wrasses in the tank if possible. thinking id like to add a Cirrhilabrus Brunneus and Cirrhilabrus Exquisitus

Stock moving over:
ocellarious Pair
gramma
fire fish
yellow line possum wrasse

thanks for any insight

 

[felda001]

Petco... Depends. I like Aquarium Arts and LE Corals. I've got some stuff at Aquaholics. Honestly my Melanurus and Leucoxanthus are both from Petco at 59th. I got a Carpenter's at Aquarium Arts and I got my Leopard at LE Corals. Petco on Northern has had a couple of McCoskers I've almost grabbed and Petco in Avondale and Goodyear have had Chrysus. Aquaholics often has Flashers and Fairies but they're mostly out of my price range.

Thank you. The Petco on Northern is down the street so I'll keep an eye out there. LE is a favorite so I'll have to drop by next time I am over there

 

[tbrown]

im sure this has been asked a lot of times in the past 1300 pages but I don't have it in me to read them all so ill ask again.....

im getting a new 70 gallon delivered tomorrow that ill be setting up over the next couple of months. main purpose will be an sps tank but id definitely love to have a couple wrasses in the tank if possible. thinking id like to add a Cirrhilabrus Brunneus and Cirrhilabrus Exquisitus

Stock moving over:
ocellarious Pair
gramma
fire fish
yellow line possum wrasse

thanks for any insight

I've got a H. Melanurus, an H. Leucoxanthus, and an M. Meleagris in my 70... Probably not a good idea to follow my example though.

 

[tbrown]

Thank you. The Petco on Northern is down the street so I'll keep an eye out there. LE is a favorite so I'll have to drop by next time I am over there

They've got great sales. I got my Macropharyngodon Meleagris for $40 at LE.

 

[JoJosReef]

im sure this has been asked a lot of times in the past 1300 pages but I don't have it in me to read them all so ill ask again.....

im getting a new 70 gallon delivered tomorrow that ill be setting up over the next couple of months. main purpose will be an sps tank but id definitely love to have a couple wrasses in the tank if possible. thinking id like to add a Cirrhilabrus Brunneus and Cirrhilabrus Exquisitus

Stock moving over:
ocellarious Pair
gramma
fire fish
yellow line possum wrasse

thanks for any insight

I see no problem. Have both of those on my list. The brunneus might be a bit on the wimpy side, so make sure everyone is nice.

 

[Crabby48]

It’s expensive but I’ve spent $50 on a filet of salmon from a grocery so 20-25 for 2 filets of moorish idol might be a good deal. And it will be fresh.

I got a male but won’t take a penny less then $350 lol.

 

[Crabby48]

Vivien. My favorite

Shhh don’t tell anyone!! Hard call but potters slightly beats viviens. Mostly because of collection. Personality viviens wins over potters any day.