The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

mikellini · Feb 8, 2015

Question: can the following wrasses be mixed?

C. Solorensis
H. Chrysus
M. Ornatus

The solorensis and ornatus are in the tank now, seem to get along OK with the occasional peck by the fairy wrasse. Can I add the chrysus?

ronnie · Feb 8, 2015

Chrysus should be fine.

KoleTang · Feb 8, 2015

mikellini said:
Question: can the following wrasses be mixed?

C. Solorensis
H. Chrysus
M. Ornatus

The solorensis and ornatus are in the tank now, seem to get along OK with the occasional peck by the fairy wrasse. Can I add the chrysus?

Just use an acclimation box and it should work out.

eatbreakfast · Feb 8, 2015

That mix will work nicely, as stated above, an acclimation box will help.

mikellini · Feb 8, 2015

****** acclimation box. The one piece of equipment I'm determined to avoid purchasing. If I drill a bunch of holes in one of those acrylic LPS bag holders, will that work? Haha

mikellini · Feb 8, 2015

What if I just keep the lights out for a couple days?

ZoanthidAddict · Feb 8, 2015

you can buy a critter carrier / cricket holder and drill holes in that make sure to smooth them out and just use a mag float to hold it on the glass

ZoanthidAddict · Feb 8, 2015

total cost is like $7 if you already have a spare mag float kicking around

KoleTang · Feb 10, 2015

mikellini said:
What if I just keep the lights out for a couple days?

Would you introduce two dogs by putting them in a dark room?

The point is for the fish to be able to look at each other without them being able to go at each other.

mikellini · Feb 10, 2015

Fair point, I've just heard that lights out can reduce aggression

KoleTang · Feb 10, 2015

mikellini said:
Fair point, I've just heard that lights out can reduce aggression

Most likely because all of the fish are hiding. The goal is not to have hiding fish, it's to have fish that get along.

eatbreakfast · Feb 10, 2015

KoleTang said:
Would you introduce two dogs by putting them in a dark room?

The point is for the fish to be able to look at each other without them being able to go at each other.

mikellini said:
Fair point, I've just heard that lights out can reduce aggression

KoleTang said:
Most likely because all of the fish are hiding. The goal is not to have hiding fish, it's to have fish that get along.

While the analogy of dogs is effective it is not entirely applicable to wrasses. A social acclimation box is the best way to acclimate a new wrasse to establishes ones, if that is not an option, however, then the lights out approach is effective. The primary reason is that the newly introduced fish is sending off visual and hormonal cues that it does not belong, and instead of letting it calm down the established fish key in on those cues and try to chase and dominatethe newcomer. If the lights are off then the established fish will not venture from the safety of their hideaways inthe dark to pick up on the cues of the new fish. The next day when the lights have come on the new fish has had a chance to calm down and rather than giving cues that it doesnt belong is just another fish in the community.

Where a social acclimation box is superior to the lights off method is that closely related fish are able to size each other up without chasing and damage, and if the aggression continues at too high of a level one fish can be much more easily removed.

Mike&Terry · Feb 10, 2015

Aquaph8 said:
Your Earls are so young and beautiful, mine looks like an old man.

We got them as an initial phase male and juvi/female pair. The male was small and the female was so tiny that we had to keep them in QT for a few months before moving them to the big tank. Even then, she was so small that she actually slipped between the tines on the covered overflow box and ended up taking a wild ride down to the 2nd sump (150g stock vat) in the garage. What a fright that was for me, LOL! :faint: I thought she was a goner before we found the little stinker leisurely swimming around the stock vat the next day. :tongue:

-Terry

Mike&Terry · Feb 10, 2015

3Twinklets said:
I'm going to take your camera away from you Terry

LOL Wendy!

TUSI said:
Great pics Terry all my favourite wrasses. Is that a pin tail in pic below the female Johnson ?

Thank You so much!

evolved said:
It certainly is; juvi.

TUSI said:
That pic drives me more crazy

The C. cf lanceolatus and C. johnsoni were brought into the "wrasse pack" within a couple of weeks of each other as juvi females. They are the two smallest wrasses in the tank and tend to hang out together with the cf lanceolatus being the more dominant (as the larger) of the two.

Aquaph8 · Feb 10, 2015

Mike&Terry said:
We got them as an initial phase male and juvi/female pair. The male was small and the female was so tiny that we had to keep them in QT for a few months before moving them to the big tank. Even then, she was so small that she actually slipped between the tines on the covered overflow box and ended up taking a wild ride down to the 2nd sump (150g stock vat) in the garage. What a fright that was for me, LOL! :faint: I thought she was a goner before we found the little stinker leisurely swimming around the stock vat the next day. :tongue:

-Terry

I would've had a heart attack!

Djbrandriff150 · Feb 11, 2015

Got these two in the isolation box so the others get good with them, No fighting yet...

ImageUploadedByREEF2REEF1423632937.700336.jpg

8 line flasher and a
Golden rhomboidalis

Mike&Terry · Feb 11, 2015

Djbrandriff150 said:
Got these two in the isolation box so the others get good with them, No fighting yet...

8 line flasher and a
Golden rhomboidalis

Congrats on the new additions and good to see the acclimation box. :bigsmile:

Ben jammin · Feb 12, 2015

Here's my new addition - a smalltail pencil wrasse (P. cerasinus) that arrived today from Diver's Den. Green fish are few and far between, which makes the colors on this species that much more beautiful.

He's going into my 260 FOWLR once he shows me he is eating well. Got him in an acclimation box for now, more to ensure he can start feeding in peace (and i can get him out if he doesnt) than to settle any aggression issues. I am not expecting any aggression from my other wrasses - an Aussie tusk, juvi dragon, red velvet fairy, bluesided fairy, juvi red coris, and melanarus. So far some of my angels and butterflies have taken an interest but most other fish are ignoring him. But the pencil is active in box, which I take ad a good sign.