Wrasse(s) for 125 gallon reef?

[Ryan15236]

I am looking into fish stocking suggestions. I pretty much have the other stock list determined but I want to incorporate some wrasses into the tank. It is a 6ft 125 gallon SPS/LPS mixed reef. I was looking at adding a yellow coris wrasse and a melanurus wrasse. I am just not sure I want to chance my inverts and CUC to these wrasses. What I am wondering here guys is what are some good wrasses whether is be the fairy wrasses or the larger wrasses that are iffy with inverts? Also how many wrasses would you do? Good wrasse suggestions that won't break the bank like some of those $100+ fairy wrasses. Here is my stock list.
2 black ice clowns
firefish
4 dispar anthias
Royal gramma
tailspot blenny
Purple Tang
CUC of scarlet red hermits, Cerith, nassarius snails
Blood shrimp
Pom Pom crab

 

[dbl]

Assuming you have an appropriate sandbed, I have a Melanurus in a 120g and love it. He did have an appetite for snails, so I switched to buying Trochus snails because they can right themselves, thusly giving them a fighting chance. If I'm not mistaken, they get along well with other wrasse species, but double check that. Hasn't bothered anything else...that I'm aware of anyway!

 

[Ryan15236]

I love the melanurus wrasse but I am struggling with the thought if losing my inverts, CUC, pods, just overall biodiversity of the tank. Losing my huge pod population scares me. They are the best members of the CUC I believe. I have plenty of pods to have a fish that may snack if some pods but I am not sure I want something that will devour the pods...how is your melanurus With inverts like shrimp and do you still have a decent pod population.

 

[dbl]

It's never bothered anything other than the aforementioned snails. But since switching to the Trochus, they maintain themselves pretty well. The only shrimp I have is a fairly large cleaner and they've been together for well over a year. Honestly, I've never been able to maintain a decent pod population so I really can't offer much advice there. I will add, to some degree, I almost consider the Melanurus part of my clean up crew. Great algae eater and as part of the entertainment value, he will follow along the magnet glass cleaner as I'm cleaning along the sand bed. He considers it snack time!

Please realize...these are only my personal experiences. Hopefully others will chime in.

 

[Ryan15236]

Thank you for sharing. I am very interested in the melanurus wrasse and initially was set on it but now having second thoughts. It is nice hearing personal experiences with the melanurus wrasse. I don't mind stocking snails from time to time but I would hate to see my fire shrimp to become a snack.

Come on guys I know there are some wrasse lovers out there and know a thing or two about these fish

 

[dbl]

I think @evolved is the resident wrasse expert...or at least one of them.

 

[Duke4Life]

It kinda depends on what you want. Color, active, and CUC safe fairies and flashers. I've been bitten by that bug and have a group of 3 fairies (pink margin, cf Cyanopleura, cf pylei (on the outs))and 1 carpenters flasher so far with more to come for sure as they are able to be mixed if added correctly. Currently in a 125 with a red and purple firefish, hermits, snails, a few peppermint shrimp, skunk cleaner shrimp, and a chainlink eel.

 

[Duke4Life]

I think @evolved is the resident wrasse expert...or at least one of them.

And @eatbreakfast

 

[eatbreakfast]

Any wrasse that eats pests may also eat cuc. Fairy and flasher wrasses are a safe bet.

Ones that can be usually be found under $100:
Paracheilinus angulatus
P. mckoskeri
P. carpenteri
P. flavianalis
P. cyaneus
P. filamentosus
Cirrhilabrus solorensis
C. lubbocki
C. cyanopleura
C. cf. cyanopleura
C. ryukyuensis
C. cf. pylei
C. aurantidorsalis
There are plenty of others as well.

 

[Triggreef]

You won't be sorry with melanurus. Or yellow. Yellow purple is another I really like. No matter what anyone says wrasse will never eliminate a healthy pod population. I have 5 leopards, and 5 halechoerus in my 200g. Still have healthy pod population. Anytime I pick up a rock or frag, there are pods under it. And they come out at night. Having a good fuge probably helps.

Also, if well fed, they we don't attack very much. I have trochus snails, turbos, neriths, nassaris snails, emerald crabs, some hermits, yellow banded coral shrimp, harlequin, skunk cleaners, peppermints. Trick is add shrimp at night.

A side note, my biggest wrasse in this tank is a large green coris, approaching 7 inches. The rest are in the 4 and 5 inch range.

 

[Ryan15236]

Shew I am torn. I really want the melanurus and yellow. These seem like great fish. I like the yellow because I like having one of those almost fluorescent yellow fish in my tank and would be a good substitute instead of a yellow tang. The Melanurus is just a great looking fish with what everyone says a good personality.

On the other hand fairy wrasses are a lot safer with the CUC and look good as well. My tank will also be on the more docile side and I am afraid a couple of bigger wrasses like the yellow and melanurus might intimidate and stress my group of dispar anthias.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Shew I am torn. I really want the melanurus and yellow. These seem like great fish. I like the yellow because I like having one of those almost fluorescent yellow fish in my tank and would be a good substitute instead of a yellow tang. The Melanurus is just a great looking fish with what everyone says a good personality.

On the other hand fairy wrasses are a lot safer with the CUC and look good as well. My tank will also be on the more docile side and I am afraid a couple of bigger wrasses like the yellow and melanurus might intimidate and stress my group of dispar anthias.

The anthias will be fine. And Halichoeres wrasses can be kept with fairy and flasher wrasses too. A social acclimation box does wonders.

 

[evolved]

The anthias will be fine. And Halichoeres wrasses can be kept with fairy and flasher wrasses too. A social acclimation box does wonders.

Agree with all that, but any Halichoeres wrasse also has a fairly high likelihood of finding some of your hermits tasty; I wouldn't worry about the shrimp. Stick with the fairys and flashers if that's a deal breaker.

 

[Triggreef]

Agreed, I have anthias as well. Actually my anthias we added last. Never an issue.

 

[Duke4Life]

Fairies and flashers all day long.

 

[Ryan15236]

I am glad to hear all these things. You guys have me leaning back to my original thoughts which were the yellow coris and the melanurus wrasse. It isn't the hermits and snails that have me worried. I just would like to keep shrimp and not to fond of the idea of a $35 snack lol. Also good to hear that the anthias should be fine as well.