Wrasse compatibility

[want2bsleepy]

Anyone keep a wrasse with their ponies? I know it is recommended not to, but I'm really having trouble finding another fish as beneficial as a wrasse when it comes to parasites. I'd like to know who has kept them with success in a seahorse tank.

Or perhaps a royal grama?

 

[CodyRVA]

Anyone keep a wrasse with their ponies? I know it is recommended not to

Why is this?

 

[want2bsleepy]

Why is this?

They can sometimes be aggressive, and can out-eat the seahorses.

 

[Hans Solo]

I kept a ruby head fairy wrasse (Cirrhilabrus cf cyanopleura) until he jumped out... :/ He seemed fine with my two seahorses, I would sometimes squirt food in his direction though during feeding time. Not aggressive though.

check out here: http://www.seahorse.org/library/articles/tankmates/wrasse.shtml


It seems that the Cirrhilabrus genus are the only genus that aren't bad.

 

[want2bsleepy]

I kept a ruby head fairy wrasse (Cirrhilabrus cf cyanopleura) until he jumped out... :/ He seemed fine with my two seahorses, I would sometimes squirt food in his direction though during feeding time. Not aggressive though.

check out here: http://www.seahorse.org/library/articles/tankmates/wrasse.shtml


It seems that the Cirrhilabrus genus are the only genus that aren't bad.

thanks!

 

[shrimped]

Pygmy wrasses and pink streak wrasses do just fine in smaller tanks. Seahorses will probably eat faster than them lol

 

[vlangel]

I had a royal gramma in with my pair for about a year (with no incidents) but then I caught him snapping at Eve. That was it, he lives in my son's tank now.

Because of that incident I would never put a fish that is not recommended with seahorses in with them. Also any wild caught fish can transfer pathogens to captive bred seahorses. In fact even captive bred fish from a different source can carry pathogens that your ponies do not have an immunity to.

 

[Hans Solo]

According to seahorse.org and fusedjaw.com a royal gramma isn't much of a threat, which is the only reason I have one in there. http://www.seahorse.org/library/articles/tankmates/basslets.shtml

He seems to be perfectly fine, usually eats in the water column while the seahorses eat off the bottom for the most part. My two red blood fire shrimp are much more "aggressive" in getting to the food real fast. Thinking about taking those out or putting them in my fuge, but nothing I'm too worried about.

 

[want2bsleepy]

I'm seriously considering a small royal gramma. With the 65 being a larger tank I think that might help to prevent him from becoming aggressive. We'll see...

 

[Hans Solo]

While vlangel says she had a problem, I've seen absolutely no aggressive behavior from him towards the seahorses. Really the only thing I'm talking about is him swooping in like hawk for food, so just drop some in his direction first.

 

[vlangel]

I would have said the same thing about KB, my royal gramma until the day he snapped (literally, ha ha!). Perhaps they are like people and each one has its own personality but for me, I am not risking it.