All About Reef Safe Wrasses in Aquaria

[evolved]

I have a 180 gallon tank with a mccoskers wrasse, cleaner wrasse, yellow coris wrasse.

Would I be fine adding a lubbocks wrasse, carpenters wrasse, yellowfin flasher wrasse and a red head solon fairy wrasse? I would QT all 4 of those together before adding them to the DT.

Should be okay - the possible troublemaker would be the solorensis.

Thanks. I was already checking last night on getting one. The one that was recommended by Evolved (Elite Aquatics) is tough to find. I contacted the company through their Facebook page and they said they make them all clear now. The bottom panel isn't solid white anymore. Given that fact, is it still the recommended brand or do other brands have better features now that all of the panels are clear?

Yeah... a shame that the good ones of the past are not really on the market anymore (there used to be another company before EA that made a good one, but they're long out of business). I don't know of anyone making an alternative with a non-clear bottom, but you could always cut a piece of starboard to fit in the bottom of any.

 

[CoralWealth]

Should be okay - the possible troublemaker would be the solorensis.

Yeah... a shame that the good ones of the past are not really on the market anymore (there used to be another company before EA that made a good one, but they're long out of business). I don't know of anyone making an alternative with a non-clear bottom, but you could always cut a piece of starboard to fit in the bottom of any.

would a ruby head be better? Also why dont you want a clear bottom for an acclimation box?

 

[dsinsocal]

Upon further discussion, they will make then with the white bottom for the same price, if requested.

Evolved: do you still recommend the solid bottom to keep fish from trying to dive down and injuring themselves?

I also imagine that it would be really hard to relax on a clear bottom floor. Solid floor seems less stressful. Seems logical that fish would have a persistent feeling of vulnerability constantly seeing movement below them like that.

 

[evolved]

would a ruby head be better?

Same complex, same warning.

Also why dont you want a clear bottom for an acclimation box?

For the reason below

Evolved: do you still recommend the solid bottom to keep fish from trying to dive down and injuring themselves?

For sure; makes a big difference with some genera.

 

[Engloid]

Im looking for a colorful, reef safe wrasse that will get about 6" or larger. Trying to stay in a moderate price range, not near the $200 range, and would rather stay under $75 if possible.

 

[dsinsocal]

Im looking for a colorful, reef safe wrasse that will get about 6" or larger. Trying to stay in a moderate price range, not near the $200 range, and would rather stay under $75 if possible.

I think most of the "reef safe" wrasses top out at about 5 inches. The ones that get larger than that tend to be an imminent threat to inverts. The Scott's Fairy Wrasse might be what you're looking for. I think they're among the larger fairies available, and they're available for under a 100 bucks. They're on the more aggressive side for fairy wrasses though.

I'm just a wrasse noobie though. One of the resident experts my have better info.

 

[Maacc]

I think most of the "reef safe" wrasses top out at about 5 inches. The ones that get larger than that tend to be an imminent threat to inverts. The Scott's Fairy Wrasse might be what you're looking for. I think they're among the larger fairies available, and they're available for under a 100 bucks. They're on the more aggressive side for fairy wrasses though.

I'm just a wrasse noobie though. One of the resident experts my have better info.

If you do a Scott's plan on it being your only wrasse They are mean as snakes. Unfortunately their colors also tend to fade with extended captivity.
You could go with a melanurus. Great pest control and pretty stunning as a super male.

 

[White Monkey]

If you do a Scott's plan on it being your only wrasse They are mean as snakes. Unfortunately their colors also tend to fade with extended captivity.
You could go with a melanurus. Great pest control and pretty stunning as a super male.

Melanurus is one of my favorites. They're relatively cheap too.

 

[evolved]

The Scott's Fairy Wrasse might be what you're looking for. I think they're among the larger fairies available, and they're available for under a 100 bucks. They're on the more aggressive side for fairy wrasses though.

scottorum is unfortunately pretty mean, and more disappointingly it never keeps those bright colors - tends to dull out quite a bit in captivity.

 

[saltyhog]

Im looking for a colorful, reef safe wrasse that will get about 6" or larger. Trying to stay in a moderate price range, not near the $200 range, and would rather stay under $75 if possible.

H. leucurus and H. annularis both get to 6". While coral safe they may be a threat to motile inverts (shrimp, snails, crab).

 

[ascheff]

H. leucurus and H. annularis both get to 6". While coral safe they may be a threat to motile inverts (shrimp, snails, crab).

I thought H. leucurus is one of the smaller Halichoeres, which was why I've been looking for one for months, with no luck yet. Well, that and the fact that they are stunning.

This was my thinking after unfortunately having to rehome my H. marginatus that got too big and intimidating for the other much smaller wrasses. Might have to look for a different Halichoeres instead. Or perhaps a different genera like Pseudojuliodes, which I have not attempted before.

 

[eatbreakfast]

H. leucurus usually stays under 6' and would be considered a "small" Halichoeres species. Marginatus gets bigger than that and definitely has a biflgger attitude.

 

[ascheff]

H. leucurus usually stays under 6' and would be considered a "small" Halichoeres species. Marginatus gets bigger than that and definitely has a biflgger attitude.

What I'm looking for, and hoping leucurus would be, is a Halichoeres similar in both size and temperament to my mature male leucoxanthus. I really like the blueish chain-patterned look, although I have admittedly never seen one in person, as they seem to be pretty scarce, at least here in South Africa. I've had some LFS's keeping an eye on supplier lists for the past couple of months without any luck.

 

[dsinsocal]

Yeah... a shame that the good ones of the past are not really on the market anymore (there used to be another company before EA that made a good one, but they're long out of business). I don't know of anyone making an alternative with a non-clear bottom, but you could always cut a piece of starboard to fit in the bottom of any.

Question. I have a standard, rimmed 75 gallon Aqueon. I notice that the EA box has a full size top lid. Will that lid clear the frame when it's attached to the glass??

I've already run into some problems with my fish trap, and the screw-down bracket not fitting over the frame. It was designed for much smaller rims.

 

[evolved]

Question. I have a standard, rimmed 75 gallon Aqueon. I notice that the EA box has a full size top lid. Will that lid clear the frame when it's attached to the glass??

Not sure I understand; maybe the latest version of their box does not match mine? The older white bottom/top box has suction cups on it, so you can always make it clear a frame if you position it lower.

 

[dsinsocal]

Not sure I understand; maybe the latest version of their box does not match mine? The older white bottom/top box has suction cups on it, so you can always make it clear a frame if you position it lower.

Looking at a picture from their facebook page, it looks like the lid opens from the suction cup side. If the box mounts too close to the glass, the lid will hit the overhanging lip of the tank frame, no? Does the box mount far enough from the glass to clear that frame when you open the lid?

 

[dsinsocal]

My overflow box allows for a high waterline (about 5/8" from the frame), and the frame overhangs away from the class by nearly an inch. Obviously, I don't want to mount this box below the water line or the fish will just swim out when I open the lid to feed him. But with the water line being so high, I'm concerned that the lid is going to be right up against the frame and it won't clear.

 

[evolved]

Looking at a picture from their facebook page, it looks like the lid opens from the suction cup side. If the box mounts too close to the glass, the lid will hit the overhanging lip of the tank frame, no? Does the box mount far enough from the glass to clear that frame when you open the lid?

Yes, it will if it's right up against the top. But you can mount it lower and weight down the top of the box.
Or I'll put the fish in, close the lid, and then stick it to the side of the tank. Only need to crack the lid a bit for feeding. When it's time to let them out, I'll pop it off the display panel first.

 

[dsinsocal]

Yes, it will if it's right up against the top. But you can mount it lower and weight down the top of the box.
Or I'll put the fish in, close the lid, and then stick it to the side of the tank. Only need to crack the lid a bit for feeding. When it's time to let them out, I'll pop it off the display panel first.

The world caters to the elites and their fancy rimless tanks, while the rest of us peasants are forced to eat leftover cake.

 

[evolved]

The world caters to the elites and their fancy rimless tanks, while the rest of us peasants are forced to eat leftover cake.

Not a rimless fan here. My tank is acrylic with braces on top. I handle it exactly the way I outlined above.