All About Reef Safe Wrasses in Aquaria

[Greenstreet.1]

They are pretty well behaved.

Thank you thinking of adding one to the tank.

 

[Cherie cook]

I want a yellow striped possum wrasse SO badly...but can't find one anywhere! Are they out of season or something?

 

[saltyhog]

Would the Magma mix with a Flame as closely related as they are?

 

[Jaag]

I want a yellow striped possum wrasse SO badly...but can't find one anywhere! Are they out of season or something?

That is my very favorite wrasse also. If you can get a bold one that is not always so elusive they are awesome.

 

[eatbreakfast]

I want a yellow striped possum wrasse SO badly...but can't find one anywhere! Are they out of season or something?

They should be available year round. They aren't a migratory species.

Would the Magma mix with a Flame as closely related as they are?

In a 6'+ tank they should be fine. The complex isn't super aggressive.

 

[Cherie cook]

They should be available year round. They aren't a migratory species.

In a 6'+ tank they should be fine. The complex isn't super aggressive.

Believe it or not I just found one! From somewhere in Texas.

 

[Dugless]

Should I expect flasher wrasses to be more aggressive than fairies? I thought it was the other way around, although my grouping of Cirrhilabrus is pretty docile (bathyphilus, isoceles, rhomboidalis).

 

[eatbreakfast]

Should I expect flasher wrasses to be more aggressive than fairies? I thought it was the other way around, although my grouping of Cirrhilabrus is pretty docile (bathyphilus, isoceles, rhomboidalis).

Fairies are usually more aggressive. But the fairies you mentioned are quite peaceful.

 

[jorahx]

should make one for the not reef safe wrasses

 

[OrionN]

Who care about non-reef safe, just kidding.
This guy is reefsafe in my tank. Great for FOWLR also.

 

[jorahx]

Who care about non-reef safe, just kidding.
This guy is reefsafe in my tank. Great for FOWLR also.

Haha. I’m in the process of building a tank with not reef safe wrasses. Because idc about snails or crabs.

 

[Dugless]

I have a Pintail in QT that has managed to have what I believe to be a spinal injury. It is still eating, but can't control it's swimming. For brief moments it is upside down and struggles to correct itself, but mostly is nose up. It can open its caudal fin and I've seen it curl itself a bit when trying to turn or situate itself.

Any experience or opinions with something like this?

 

[eatbreakfast]

I have a Pintail in QT that has managed to have what I believe to be a spinal injury. It is still eating, but can't control it's swimming. For brief moments it is upside down and struggles to correct itself, but mostly is nose up. It can open its caudal fin and I've seen it curl itself a bit when trying to turn or situate itself.

Any experience or opinions with something like this?

Not much you can do with a spinal injury, and this sounds like a pretty severe case.

 

[OrionN]

This must be what happened to my Carpenter Wrasse a while back.
He was doing great in my DT, fat and growing. I caught him with a clear plastic container. In the acclimation box he just lay on the side, breathing but unable to swim. He died there the next day. There was no visible sign of injury.
I think wrasses are such fast swimmer that when the spook, they just swim full speed into invisible wall and likely fracture or dislocate their spine. I think I will only use net to catch them now. Maybe it is a little harder but net will not dislocate or fracture their spine like what happened to mine.

I am sorry to hear about your wrasse.

 

[Dugless]

I'm now leaning towards a swim bladder issue. The fish is still interested in food but is however completely upside down almost all the time near the surface. Is there another solution outside of needling the bladder to degas?

 

[eatbreakfast]

Venting the bladder is the quickest solution. Antibiotics would also work.

 

[Dugless]

Which antibiotics? Erythromycin?

 

[eatbreakfast]

Which antibiotics? Erythromycin?

I would recommend posting in the disease forum about which to use.

 

[Initialr]

thanks for the extensive and helpful write up

 

[Va_Reef]

Thinking about mixing a Cirrhilabrus isosceles, C. shutmani, and C. brunneus.

May add a C. laboutei and/or C. lunatus later on. There are no other wrasses and the tank is a 4’ 80g. Thoughts?