Wrasse option for 55 gallon reef tank

CLYRIC · Jan 14, 2023

Hi,

I'm looking to get a wrasse for my 55 gallon (soon to be reef tank), but I'm having a bit of trouble deciding so I wanted some opinions on what people would recommend. I've seen people recommend fairy wrasse or flasher's wrasse, I'm interested in fairy wrasse, but I'm having a bit of trouble.

When I look at liveaquaria, it says that the minimum tank size for some fairy wrasse is 75-90 gallons, but when I look at bluezooaquatics, it says that the minimum for some is 50 gallons. For example : Clown Fairy Wrasse on liveaquaria says that the minimum tank size is 90 gallons, but bluezooaquatics says 50 gallons. Which one do I trust??

I'm also looking for any recommendations for any wrasse that you think would be good for a 55 gallon tank, thanks!

SchrutesReefs · Jan 14, 2023

I can’t speak on the tank size issue, but I have a sixline, pink streak, and smaller McCoskers flasher in my Reefer 250.

dabroli · Jan 14, 2023

melanurus wrasse would be my choice for sure, but my six line is my favorite! Both zip around the rocks all day hunting pests, and the melanurus wrasse sleeps in the sand at night which is pretty cool. Can’t go wrong with either.

CLYRIC · Jan 14, 2023

dabroli said:
melanurus wrasse would be my choice for sure, but my six line is my favorite! Both zip around the rocks all day hunting pests, and the melanurus wrasse sleeps in the sand at night which is pretty cool. Can’t go wrong with either.

I heard that the melanurus wrasse can nip at corals or other small inverts like snails. I am planning to keep corals and have a cuc containing of snails/hermit. From your experience, do they really nip at corals or hunt small inverts?

dstockwell · Jan 14, 2023

I have not had any issues with Melanurus in my 55 with coral.

Reef Psychology · Jan 15, 2023

CLYRIC said:
I heard that the melanurus wrasse can nip at corals or other small inverts like snails. I am planning to keep corals and have a cuc containing of snails/hermit. From your experience, do they really nip at corals or hunt small inverts?

Only time I've seen mine nip at a coral is when it had a pod or flatworm on it. If you keep them well fed they are typically model citizens.

I'd skip the fairy wrasses as they can be very delicate and tough to QT. Mine never leaves a 1' area and is easily bullied. Flashers are better imo, but if I had to do it all over again I'd go with a yellow wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus), pink streaked or pygmy wrasse.

CLYRIC · Jan 15, 2023

dstockwell said:
I have not had any issues with Melanurus in my 55 with coral.

I also heard that they might attack shrimps as well, I am planning to have a cleaner shrimp, do you think this will be a problem?

CLYRIC · Jan 15, 2023

Reef Psychology said:
Only time I've seen mine nip at a coral is when it had a pod or flatworm on it. If you keep them well fed they are typically model citizens.

I'd skip the fairy wrasses as they can be very delicate and tough to QT. Mine never leaves a 1' area and is easily bullied. Flashers are better imo, but if I had to do it all over again I'd go with a yellow wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus), pink streaked or pygmy wrasse.

Do you think a melanurus wrasse might attack a cleaner shrimp? (I'm planning on getting one)

Reef Psychology · Jan 15, 2023

I haven’t tempted fate, but I have an emerald crab and a dozen hermits and he hasn’t bothered any of them. Also had snails spawning so there are hundreds of baby snails and he doesn’t care about them either. I feed him 3 or more times a day. I wouldn’t put a small one in, but I will probably get an adult one soon as I can find one. LFS is only getting little ones.

dabroli · Jan 15, 2023

CLYRIC said:
I heard that the melanurus wrasse can nip at corals or other small inverts like snails. I am planning to keep corals and have a cuc containing of snails/hermit. From your experience, do they really nip at corals or hunt small inverts?

From my experience they are coral and invert safe, I’ve had peppermint shrimp he’s never touched, no crabs, snails, and never a coral unless like as mentioned by reef psychology, he was going after a pod on the coral. They’re pretty awesome fish!

CLYRIC · Jan 15, 2023

Reef Psychology said:
I haven’t tempted fate, but I have an emerald crab and a dozen hermits and he hasn’t bothered any of them. Also had snails spawning so there are hundreds of baby snails and he doesn’t care about them either. I feed him 3 or more times a day. I wouldn’t put a small one in, but I will probably get an adult one soon as I can find one. LFS is only getting little ones.

Ahh I see, thank you! I also wanted to ask if it's possible to keep 2 wrasses together? I was thinking about a melanurus wrasse and a flasher's wrasse, but I'm not sure if it's compatible or not. I've heard from people saying that it's fine as long as you add them together and some people say that it depends on the fish itself, what are your thoughts on this?

CLYRIC · Jan 15, 2023

dabroli said:
From my experience they are coral and invert safe, I’ve had peppermint shrimp he’s never touched, no crabs, snails, and never a coral unless like as mentioned by reef psychology, he was going after a pod on the coral. They’re pretty awesome fish!

Got it, thanks! Also do you know if it's possible to keep 2 wrasse in the same tank (55 gallon). I like both the melanurus wrasse and the flasher's wrasse, but I'm not sure if they are compatible or not. I've seen people say that it's fine if you introduce both wrasse at the same time, but I've also heard some people say it depends on the fish itself. Any thoughts on this?

bnord · Jan 15, 2023

I have a melanurus and have never seen t hit corals, but will pick a pests (nice)

am 50:50 on success with 6-lines, first was a terrorist - second is a pest cruising angel from above - please don't gamble and the 6-line first

(yellow) Coris wrasses are gently and great pest control too -

dstockwell · Jan 15, 2023

CLYRIC said:
I also heard that they might attack shrimps as well, I am planning to have a cleaner shrimp, do you think this will be a problem?

That’s a chance I don’t want to try, could be an expensive meal.

CLYRIC · Jan 15, 2023

dstockwell said:
That’s a chance I don’t want to try, could be an expensive meal.

Will a blue flasher's wrasse and a carpenter's wrasse work better then? Or what any other wrasse could work in a 55 gallon that won't attack a cleaner shrimp?

Reef Psychology · Jan 15, 2023

CLYRIC said:
Ahh I see, thank you! I also wanted to ask if it's possible to keep 2 wrasses together? I was thinking about a melanurus wrasse and a flasher's wrasse, but I'm not sure if it's compatible or not. I've heard from people saying that it's fine as long as you add them together and some people say that it depends on the fish itself, what are your thoughts on this?

Depends on combination, but generally as long as they aren’t the same type and the tank is large enough it’s ok. There are some that get territorial like the six-line that I would never put a fairy wrasse with. A fairy or flasher with a melanurus can work if the fairy was first and has plenty of places to hide (which it will do anyway).

dstockwell · Jan 15, 2023

Fairy and flasher should be safe, but others have had no issues with Melanarus.

Joekovar · Jan 15, 2023

I've had a melanaris in a 55G for a couple of years now, and it eats well, which I'm assuming why it doesn't pick at corals, crabs, snails, a skunk cleaner, banded coral, or a blood shrimp.

Every morning I feed either frozen mysis or frozen fish eggs. I randomly alternate between the two. 1-3 times a week I toss in a bit of small dry pellets at different random times.

I've got all sorts of worms in the sand bed. I usually see bristle worm spawn clouds at night on full moons. A couple times a week I stir the sand up with a turkey baster, and the wrasse follows me around picking off the creatures I stir up.

When it's not eating, or sleeping in the sand, it races in a loop around the tank.