All About Reef Safe Wrasses in Aquaria

[evolved]

Hi,

I added a young female Wrasse, probably from the lubbocki group.
Its been 4 days and is not showing much interest in flakes. Showed mild interest with fish eggs (frozen eggs that I bougth fresh on the fish Shop).
The wrasse is pretty small compares with the other fishes of my tank.
No aggression so far.

Should I worry?

Regards

You'd probably have better results with a meaty, frozen food.

 

[dsinsocal]

Hi,

I added a young female Wrasse, probably from the lubbocki group.
Its been 4 days and is not showing much interest in flakes. Showed mild interest with fish eggs (frozen eggs that I bougth fresh on the fish Shop).
The wrasse is pretty small compares with the other fishes of my tank.
No aggression so far.

Should I worry?

Regards

I've always had the best luck with live brine in getting nervous nellies to start eating. There's something about live food that compels the primal instinct of the fish to feed. There isn't a ton of nutritional value there, but at least it can break the ice and get them eating. As Evolved mentioned, frozen meaty foods would be the next-most enticing selection.

For picky eaters, I've had good luck with mixing flake and frozen mysis together. Once they eat a couple pieces of flake - even by mistake - they'll usually start accepting it as a food source.

 

[dsinsocal]

Will a female Attenuatus absolutely turn male in an aquarium eventually? Would it be worth picking up a female for $150, given that the males go for upward of $500?

Almost certainly, and therefore yes.

Will the presence of a large McCosker create any compatibility issues or inhibit the transition of a female Attenuatus in any way?

 

[Jcarvallo]

I managed to get her to eat.
Finely chopped clam and frozen fish eggs...

First time I see a picky eater Wrasse.
Anyway, it is eating and tuesday I'll get some live bribe shrimp.

Hope ir start eating like the rest of my fishes soon.

Thanks for your help

 

[bigdrew]

Just found this article and discussion. Incredible. This article really helps with selection, care...errrr, everything?! Thanks. Great stuff!

 

[evolved]

Will the presence of a large McCosker create any compatibility issues or inhibit the transition of a female Attenuatus in any way?

Compatibility should be okay. It shouldn't completely inhibit a transition, but it will effect the speed. Could make it faster or slower - no way of predicting.

 

[TheHarold]

@evolved I think my wrasse identifies as a tang..... eating algae!

(From 00:06 on)

 

[evolved]

@evolved I think my wrasse identifies as a tang..... eating algae!

(From 00:06 on)

It's actually not that uncommon. It's either monkey see, monkey do, or just the smell of whatever they put on it.

 

[dsinsocal]

It's actually not that uncommon. It's either monkey see, monkey do, or just the smell of whatever they put on it.

I used to rubber band a piece to a rock for my hermits once a week, but as soon as I got my Yellow Streak I had to resort to only doing so at night. If the Yellow Streak is awake when I do it he'll eat the entire thing, and choke himself while doing it. He loves the stuff.

I'll occasionally drop a couple of small pieces in just for him. I figure the varied diet can't hurt him. I can't get the kids to eat their vegetables, so it makes me feel good that I at least have a fish that will. lol

 

[Jcarvallo]

I have a question,
Having a yellowfin flasher.
Which other flasher would you add? I would like to have something that has a different color patterns from the one I have.
Any suggestions?

 

[eatbreakfast]

I have a question,
Having a yellowfin flasher.
Which other flasher would you add? I would like to have something that has a different color patterns from the one I have.
Any suggestions?

Cyaneus, filamentosus, and angulatus have darker finnage and a different shaped tail.

 

[PocketClam]

I'm guessing the reason the OP specifies "motile inverts" is that even the most reef-safe wrasses, like possums, will eat sessile inverts given enough time and the opportunity?

 

[dsinsocal]

The wife and I were in Petco today and she forced me to rescue a fish... they had a Filamented Flasher that appeared to be in pretty bad shape -- very faded color, droopy finnage, and super skinny. The guy working that section said the fish had been there about 3 1/2 weeks and it supposedly arrived looking that way. He assured me that it has been eating well since they received it but they couldn't get it to gain weight. I doubted that it was eating at all, but he put food in the tank and he did indeed eat like a perfectly healthy wrasse would. He even flashed at one of the other fish in the tank while eating.

Petco hadn't treated him with any medications at all, so whatever has afflicted him, he's been dealing with it for quite a while. Much longer than any animal should, for sure. I told the guy that the fish looked like hell and that nobody was going to buy the poor little guy in that condition -- if he had a heart he'd let me take him and try to save his life, since they weren't doing anything to medicate him there. He largely agreed and discounted him to almost nothing -- which is good because I don't think the wife was going to let me leave there without him.

I'm thinking internal parasites. I started a round of Prazipro and mixed up a batch of Metroplex food to cover the next two weeks. Anything else I should be doing?

 

[evolved]

I'm guessing the reason the OP specifies "motile inverts" is that even the most reef-safe wrasses, like possums, will eat sessile inverts given enough time and the opportunity?

For the most part, yes. Some genera, like Paracheilinus and Cirrhilabrus, only eat zooplankton, but all of the reef safe genera are going to eat pods free in the water column. So, "motile inverts" here really means the "pretty" inverts you buy/add for CUC or ornamental purposes.

I'm thinking internal parasites. I started a round of Prazipro and mixed up a batch of Metroplex food to cover the next two weeks. Anything else I should be doing?

Yeah, it's definitely internal parasites - and that plan sounds like a good one. You could also use "focus" with the metro/food mix to help it bind a bit better.

 

[PocketClam]

Well there goes the plan to keep a possum with the maximas lol, appreciate the information, really cool thread ^_^

 

[dsinsocal]

Yeah, it's definitely internal parasites - and that plan sounds like a good one. You could also use "focus" with the metro/food mix to help it bind a bit better.

Yep, focus is in the mix. Thanks for the quick input!

Just to verify timing... 1 week on the Prazipro (then water change plus charcoal), and 2 weeks on the Metro-food is sufficient?

 

[evolved]

Well there goes the plan to keep a possum with the maximas lol, appreciate the information, really cool thread ^_^

I think you may have misread something. Possum wrasses won't touch a clam.

Yep, focus is in the mix. Thanks for the quick input!

Just to verify timing... 1 week on the Prazipro (then water change plus charcoal), and 2 weeks on the Metro-food is sufficient?

Sounds fine! You could start a thread in the disease forum - they are definitely better experts than me on this sort of thing over there.

 

[PocketClam]

Ah, I must have misunderstood you, my mistake. Rather confusing looking around the net as there are countless stories of everything from sixline to gobies, tangs to flasher and fairy wrasse suddenly going after clam tank-mates years down the road. Thanks for the reply, I may give it a shot after-all.

 

[dsinsocal]

There's always something new... My McCosker has a fat lip. What's the deal?

 

[DrOfWelshMagic]

Seeing this is the thread and evolved (Hunter) is the main reason I signed up here, it's only right I make this my first post.
Thank you @evolved for your time and effort in sharing this information. I have relied on it several times in the past and coupled with Jake Adam's series on Cirilhabrus Wrasses has been a wealth of information and a wonderful go to (for me personally as well as many others no doubt) so for that I thank you. ❤