What is the most helpful wrasse?

eatbreakfast · May 6, 2018

BertieBones said:
I removed my six line after he made my clown fish jump out the tank, thankfully the clown survived, I now have a Christmas wrasse banana wrasse and peacock wrasse, would like more....any suggestions

What size tank?

There are a few species called Christmas wrasse, which species is it?

There are a couple species that go by banana wrasse, which species is that?

Captain Quint · May 6, 2018

AnakinReefWalker said:
+1 to a yellow coris wrasse, they are great at pest control. I wanna say Six Lines are probably better (based on anectodal evidence) but they are known to be jerks.

Sounds good. All my 6 lines have been jerks though. I like the 4 line a bit better, but they can still be a jerk.

Sashaka · May 6, 2018

As Bigjohnny says, my personal preferences:
Any leopard
Melanarus/vroliks
Yellow coris
Six line

mort · May 7, 2018

My personal preference is for more than one, assuming you have space. I'm a big fan of halichoeres wrasse and would pick 2-3 of them if possible as a little bit of healthy competition makes them work the best. If I was choosing I'd go cosmetus, leucoxanthus and iridis.
I do love my sixline though but only in a frag tank or species only tank like I keep mine.

Billdogg · May 7, 2018

BigJohnny said:
My leopards pick at absolutely everything. They are at the top of my list because they are prettier than the rest imo.

This.

Sure, they can be challenging to acclimate but my pair are by far my favorite fish ever in 30 years of marine aquarium keeping.

Absolutely destroyed a flatworm infestation and now cruise the reef all day looking for morsels to munch. They also happily take every prepared food I use

Webslinger · May 7, 2018

Stay away from 6 line or you'll be sorry. I don't know how anyone on here could recommend one, they must be noob's.

BigJohnny · May 7, 2018

Webslinger said:
Stay away from 6 line or you'll be sorry. I don't know how anyone on here could recommend one, they must be noob's.

They are wonderful pest eaters and if there are no other wrasse or its a frag tank they are great.

Webslinger · May 7, 2018

They are little bullies, alone in a tank is the only way i would go with a 6 line.

acesfull44 · May 8, 2018

Coris, Xmas, and Melanurus

NemNation · May 8, 2018

Bare bottom tanks...the six line and four line were mentioned... what else works well in a sandless tank?

doughboy · May 8, 2018

not melanurus wrasse for sure.

they go to sleep at night (quite early in my case, around 3pm) in the sand. night time is when the creepy crawlies you want eaten come out.
also, melanurus wrasse (at least I can speak for the one I got), is not a show fish. It hides in rocks or in sand when I come to the tank, unlike the other fishes that follows me around. it is a nice looking fish for sure, but not quite as useful as I expected.

Emerson · May 8, 2018

+1 Yellow Coris Wrasse
I had a 6-line a few years ago, and he did fine in my tank. I watched it hunt and peck all over the tank. It once attacked a bristle worm, pulling it from the hole it was in, and are it...very cool to watch. That said, I have read a lot on these forums about how they turn to bullies, so in my new build I looked for something else.
I settled on a yellow coris, and have been very happy. Definitely hunts for copepods all day, and I don't doubt would go after any bristle or flat worms if I had them (knock on wood). Doesn't bother a pair of clowns, sailfin blenny, firefish or juvi McCosker's wrasse. He does "stalk" and hover over my mandarin once in a while, but never touches it.

Bmezz · May 8, 2018

really would love one to eat my vermetids!

Crashjack · May 8, 2018

doughboy said:
not melanurus wrasse for sure.

they go to sleep at night (quite early in my case, around 3pm) in the sand. night time is when the creepy crawlies you want eaten come out.
also, melanurus wrasse (at least I can speak for the one I got), is not a show fish. It hides in rocks or in sand when I come to the tank, unlike the other fishes that follows me around. it is a nice looking fish for sure, but not quite as useful as I expected.

Nothing like my melanurus. My lights ramp up/down, and my melanurus goes to bed at night when the tank is pretty dark and wakes up in the morning when the tank is pretty dark. It is also always out and about and not very afraid of me when my arm is in the tank. It picks at rocks and sand all day and swims through the rockwork looking for prey... very cool fish.