Wrasse plan critique

Ocelaris · Jan 25, 2017

I'm planning my purchase of my first wrasses, and wanted to see if this list is ok, or if there are some that I should strike from the list. Basically I have a store looking to get them for me and I have to give them a list and pick from that list of what's available.

I have a 110 gallon 60x24x18 tank that is about a year old, sps and lps are doing great, and the current inhabitants include a yellow tang, a pair of genicanthus watanabe, a pair of ocellaris clownfish, and a few hermit crabs, a fighting conch and a few nassarius snails.

I have a 40 breeder standing by for quarantine, and I'll have sand available for the Lepoard and Halichoeres wrasse. I do a month quarantine with api general cure (prazi + metronidazole) and tank transfer method. I have a aquaclear 110 on the back of the 40 breeder, but for the alternate tank for the TTM I have an air powered sponge filter. Is that going to be enough filtration for that many fish?

I'm looking at 9 fish, is that going to be a problem with the number of fish in that sized tank for a month? Is filtration too small? Are there any issues with the choices? I basically picked from Hunter's chart the least aggressive, and generally less expensive fish.

I've also included a picture of my tank.

Thanks, Bill

Cirrhilabrus
Up to 5

C. Jordani (Flame)
C. Bathyphyllus (hooded) or C. nahackyi
C. pylei or C. rubrimarginatus (Pink Margin)
C. Exquisitus (Exquisite)
C. rhomboidalis (Rhomboid)
C. adornatus (Adorned) or C. Lubbocki (Lubbock's)
C. aurantidorsalis (Orange Back) or C. cyanopleura (Blueside)
C. Rubriventralis
C. balteatus

Paracheilinus Flasher
Any 2

Macropharyngodon - Leopard Wrasse
1 of any kind

Halichoeres - melanurus or chrysus
1 of either

eatbreakfast · Jan 25, 2017

Scratch the pylei and adornatus, they get aggressive.

The bioload of all of them will be too much for the filtration. Rather get the fish in waves.

Leopards and flashers first. The order after doesn't matter too much.

Ocelaris · Jan 25, 2017

Great thank you

evolved · Jan 26, 2017

Ocelaris said:
I'm looking at 9 fish, is that going to be a problem with the number of fish in that sized tank for a month? Is filtration too small?

We're talking about while in the 40 for QT, right? If so, I tend to agree that 9 is pushing it quite a bit. If you're willing to do large (like 50-75% large) weekly water changes on it, you might be okay, but it's probably best if you split it and do them in 2 separate batches.

eatbreakfast said:
Scratch the pylei and adornatus, they get aggressive.

Yup; that was about to be my comment there too. Looks fine besides those 2.

Ocelaris · Jan 26, 2017

I appreciate the feedback, I've been reading kuiter's wrasse book, reading through the wrasse lover's thread, and have been talking to local members for getting prepared for the wrasses.

I do a month quarantine usually. A week of getting established and then start a prazipro/api general cure round and begin the tank transfer method. That usually implies no more than 3 days in one system, after the initial week of observation, and then a week at the end. The number of fish at a time is a function of money and time. It's a decent amount for medication, salt, and disposable filters (filters get thrown out after each ttm step). It's also a lot of work doing 5 transfers, so I try to do as many as is workable with aggression and bioload as factors.

I'll scratch those two off the list! Thanks!