The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[audikers]

Perhaps a Wetmorella - a possum wrasse? They stay pretty small and tend to move carefully between the rocks, rather than dashing boldly through open water. A 33 could run out of room fairly quickly with a decent-sized clam in it . . .

~Bruce

Thanks! We don't have a clam yet but I will be getting the smallest one I can find for sure. Even the puffer will remain small. We will be eventually upgrading so if I do get a clam and it begins to get too big it will go to the bigger tank of course.

 

[Paul87]

I should think that a lot of it will have to do with the individual personality of your P. cyaneus. I'd give the social acclimation box a shot if it were up to me, and perhaps place a mirror at one end of the tank on the day you open the box.

~Bruce

I will give the mirror a try when I do. He's been in social acclimation since yesterday. My cyaneus is showing a little interest, but not flashing. However the mccosker did flash at him when he got real close. Gonna let this play out in social acclimation a while longer. Here is some shots from yesterday. (Don't mind the detritus I managed to dump in with the fish...)

 

[eatbreakfast]

I will give the mirror a try when I do. He's been in social acclimation since yesterday. My cyaneus is showing a little interest, but not flashing. However the mccosker did flash at him when he got real close. Gonna let this play out in social acclimation a while longer. Here is some shots from yesterday. (Don't mind the detritus I managed to dump in with the fish...)

That's a flavianalis, not a mckoskeri.

 

[saltyhog]

We moved to our new house 3 months ago and I had to rehome all but two of my 11 beloved wrasse. Then I lost my flame during the move when I didn't catch it when he jumped in the dry overflow while we were emptying the tank. This week end I'm back in the wrasse game!

These 3 are going through TTM. C. labouti, C. jordani and P. flavianalis

 

[Maritimer]

Those are all beauties ... but Cirrhilabrus laboutei just drops my jaw every time I see one!

~Bruce

 

[Armydogracing]

Can you show a fts? Love to see it

 

[Paul87]

That's a flavianalis, not a mckoskeri.

Wow, thanks! I had no idea, I really thought it was a mccoskers. The guy who I got it from got it at petco as a $20 "fairy". Lol.

 

[Maritimer]

I was at my local PetCo a few days ago, and also found a tank full of "Assorted Fairy Wrasses", including a young female ... something (red fish, blue pinstripes, tiny ocellus at the base of her tail), one who looked like he was headed in a C. cyanopleura direction, and one who looked a bit C. temmincki-ish. Oh, and a spectacular male Carpenter's flasher, who now swims in my QT. $20 is pretty inexpensive for any of those 'round here . . .

~Bruce

 

[evolved]

Soooo... how well would a P. mccoskeri mix with a P. cyaneus? As most of you know already my tank is a 40 breeder. I can imagine possible issues. The only reason I ask is because the fish was given to me (I had no plans of adding anymore fish) by I guy I know who already went through quarantining the fish and socially acclimating him, which seemed to appear well until released. He had a couple large fairies as well as an adult carpenters wrasse who was really bullying this guy immediately. I went over and netted him for him and he let me have the fish in return for doing so. Luckily it was easy because he was cowardly lurking in the top corner of the tank. I wouldn't mind adding it to my tank, it's a beauty for sure. Same size as my cyaneus. I have him in a plastic tub with heat and flow ATM. I can always take him to the LFS, but could it work?

Cowardly lurking in the top corner may have resolved after a few days, but regardless I wouldn't expect much issue for you; Tanaka used to keep a bunch of different flashers in a tank around 40g.

Ok guys suggestions! I have a 33 gal (it's a long tank and more shallow lots of room to swim) tank that has 2 smaller clowns, 1 valentini puffer, 1 coral banded shrimp, a yellow watchman goby/pistol shrimp pair, and corals. I will eventually be getting a clam as well. Wrasse suggestions and GO.

It seems to me that you may be fully stocked in a 33. JMHO
Maybe a Blue star leopard wrasse?? something small for sure.

A Macropharyngodon would not be suitable for the tank.

A 33L is a 48" tank. Pretty much all the flashers(maybe not octotaenia), small fairies, small Halichoeres, Wetmorella, and Pseudocheilinops would work.

Agree!

 

[jenreefer]

A Macropharyngodon would not be suitable for the tank.

Good to know, thanks for keeping me straight.

 

[mfinn]

I decided to give the Blue Star Wrasses a try again. My first attempt at getting them from liveaquaria didn't turn out so well.

Saturday I received the package with 3 of them in it.
It was the normal great packing job, but first thing I noticed was how cold the bags felt. So having a infrared thermometer handy, I used it and it told me the bags were 65-66 degrees.
I floated and acclimated the fish.
2 looked almost lifeless and the 3rd not much better.
So I covered the quarantine tank with a towel and left them alone for 8-9 hrs.
Left the lights off in the room I looked in on the fish and they were all laying on their sides but breathing.
I did notice the next morning they were all laying together in a corner. They didn't find the sand box.
I let the room light into the tank and two of them started moving around. The third just laid there.
First thing I added some Tigger pods.
Over the course of the day I fed 4 more times, each very light meals. Tigger pods, cyclop-ese, ROE, and mysis.
Saw a small feeding response from the 2, until the last feeding when all 3 joined in for a few bites of mysis.
This morning all 3 were laying together again next to some cover.
I turned on the lights and as soon as I saw movement I added a small amount of Tigger pods.
2 seemed to take a few bites. A couple hours later I did the same with some ROE with the same results.

I'll try later with some hikari mysis.

 

[evolved]

the bags were 65-66 degrees

A bit cool is MUUUUUCH better than a bit warm.

 

[DT Prime]

Hey everyone, wondering if you think a 55gallon would be big enough for a male flasher and one of the smaller male fairy species to coexist in?
If so, what would your recommendations be?

Would love to have one of the more spectacular or exotic species of each as a dual-centerpiece of the tank and to add some movement and their brilliant colors. They'd be my final and largest additions so no rush on adding them, also willing to wait for those that are rarely available. Tank is high light/high flow mixed LPS/SPS reef though there is a large cave/tunnel taking up most of one side and several smaller shaded areas throughout; it currently houses a royal gramma, a golden assessor basslet, a purple firefish, a green mandarin, and a tailspot blenny which all get along well with each other minus some occasional gaping from the gramma.

Thanks!

 

[eatbreakfast]

Hey everyone, wondering if you think a 55gallon would be big enough for a male flasher and one of the smaller male fairy species to coexist in?
If so, what would your recommendations be?

Would love to have one of the more spectacular or exotic species of each as a dual-centerpiece of the tank and to add some movement and their brilliant colors. They'd be my final and largest additions so no rush on adding them, also willing to wait for those that are rarely available. Tank is high light/high flow mixed LPS/SPS reef though there is a large cave/tunnel taking up most of one side and several smaller shaded areas throughout; it currently houses a royal gramma, a golden assessor basslet, a purple firefish, a green mandarin, and a tailspot blenny which all get along well with each other minus some occasional gaping from the gramma.

Thanks!

A 55g would work.

 

[el aguila]

I was wondering if I could get Hunter or one of the resident wrasse guys to give a little input on my wrasse stocking plans. I have a 190 reef (400G total water volume) that has plenty of cover, caves, and aquascaped to give about 3 different areas to diffuse aggression.

Present tank fish stocking is pretty mellow - 3 carberryi anthias (will be adding a few other anthias in near future), 3 H. Chrysus, Occ. clown pair, YLN butterfly, heniochus butterfly, purple firefish, etc.

Just want to check on order to add them in and which ones need to have females in order to keep up their coloration. I'll probably be adding two-three fish at a time. My goal is to have several fairies of different coloration that will frequently flash each other.

C. Exquisitus (Probably pair or trio because of color loss in male)(Vanuatu)
C. Isosceles or Lunatus male only
C. Bathyphillus male only (Vanuatu)

C. Brunneus male only
C. Jordani male only

C. Lineatus male only
C. Rubrimarginatus male only

Beyond questions about the above, I am open to suggestions on other wrasses that would fit in with the temperaments of the above fish.

 

[evolved]

Just want to check on order to add them in

Use an acclimation box when adding them, and it won't make much difference.

which ones need to have females in order to keep up their coloration.

I wouldn't do that for any species: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/pairing-wrasses-thats-not-how-any-of-this-works.3/

My goal is to have several fairies of different coloration that will frequently flash each other.

Just having different species together will achieve that.

C. Exquisitus (Probably pair or trio because of color loss in male)(Vanuatu)
C. Isosceles or Lunatus male only
C. Bathyphillus male only (Vanuatu)

C. Brunneus male only
C. Jordani male only

C. Lineatus male only
C. Rubrimarginatus male only

Brunneus and lunatus will fight. isosceles can be compatible with either (but isn't always).
Lineatus and rubrimarginatus may also scuffle.
https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/all-about-reef-safe-wrasses-in-aquaria.28/

 

[mfinn]

A bit cool is MUUUUUCH better than a bit warm.

That is true.
But it did make my heart skip a beat seeing it in the 60's.

 

[Howieumd]

Here's a few of mine.

 

[DT Prime]

A 55g would work.

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated. I know it's dependent on individual temperament to a large degree but do you think an eight line flasher and either a katoi or rhomboid fairy would be a feasible combination? Or potentially a katoi/rhomboid combo if added concurrently?

 

[el aguila]

I wouldn't do that for any species: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/pairing-wrasses-thats-not-how-any-of-this-works.3/

Thanks for the reply. I've always heard that exquisite wrasse males will not hold their coloration without the presence of some females. I guess what you are saying in the article is that a group of males has the same effect has having females in the tank as far as the exquisitely holding their color.