All About Reef Safe Wrasses in Aquaria

[evolved]

can I mix pink stripe wrasse/cryptic wrasse with Tanaka wrasse?

Yes, no problem there.

 

[rhuynh]

How often is a new wrasse the aggressor? I bought a Pintail wrasse on Saturday morning and put him into an acclimation box. I did not notice any aggression from the Carpenter and Exquisite wrasse so I let him out on Monday evening. I think I misread the behavior of the Pintail as wanting to get out of the box, but he chases the Carpenter wrasse into a cave occasionally.

What would have been a good way to read that behavior and will it get better? I've read that the Pintail is one of the more peaceful ones so I didn't interpret it as aggression.

 

[saltyhog]

If the Carpenter is out and about most of the time and eating ok I would not be too concerned. My Pintail chases my only female wrasse (an eight line flasher)....probably because it's only fish in the tank he can chase. It's never a problem and the eight line is always out and eats well. I would be willing to bet this behavior will extinguish soon.

 

[ahiggins]

I love this guide it’s put together so well and I always check it out when I’m on the hunt for another wrasse

 

[SoAg Reefer]

I have a Carpenters Flasher Wrasse. Love him. had him about 6 weeks now. When I got him in the mail I swore he was dead. Lying motionless, but to my surprise he most certainly was not and came to life during acclimation. Over the past 2 days he is doing the same thing as when I got him. Lying still on the bottom of the tank or below a rock. His buddy, a blacklined blenny comes over to console him and lays with him. I left last night thinking he would be dead by morning. He wasn't and was happy as ever during feeding time. Now he is out in the open again. Is this normal for that species? Playing possum it seems

 

[canadianeh]

@evolved Can I have longfin fairy wrasse supermale, Tanaka Pygmy wrasse, and pink streaked wrasse in 54 gallons 3 ft tank total (65 gallons include sump)? Can they be added separately in not particular order? Reef safe?

Currently I have two clownfish. I am planning to have banggai cardinal, royal gramma, yellow watchman, cleaner shrimp, Molly Miller blenny/tailspot blenny?

And maybe this is maybe a dwarf angelfish as the last addition in the far future

 

[sfairtx]

Anyone have any experience with the Gold Stripe Wrasse (Halichoerces Zeylonicus)?

 

[nereefpat]

Anyone have any experience with the Gold Stripe Wrasse (Halichoerces Zeylonicus)?

Halichoeres zeylonicus summary page

www.fishbase.de

No personal experience here. I actually hadn't heard of it. From the size, I would expect keeping it to be similar to a medium sized Halichoeres, like a dusky. Larger than melanurus, chrysus, biocellatus, etc , but not as big as a checkerboard.

We'll see if the wrasse folks know more.

 

[sfairtx]

Halichoeres zeylonicus summary page

www.fishbase.de

No personal experience here. I actually hadn't heard of it. From the size, I would expect keeping it to be similar to a medium sized Halichoeres, like a dusky. Larger than melanurus, chrysus, biocellatus, etc , but not as big as a checkerboard.

We'll see if the wrasse folks know more.

Thanks! There wasn’t much for me to research on before I got it but I had similar thoughts to your own. I appreciate it.

 

[evolved]

How often is a new wrasse the aggressor? I bought a Pintail wrasse on Saturday morning and put him into an acclimation box. I did not notice any aggression from the Carpenter and Exquisite wrasse so I let him out on Monday evening. I think I misread the behavior of the Pintail as wanting to get out of the box, but he chases the Carpenter wrasse into a cave occasionally.

What would have been a good way to read that behavior and will it get better? I've read that the Pintail is one of the more peaceful ones so I didn't interpret it as aggression.

New additions can certainly be their own problem.
If a fish is "freaking out" in the acclimation box, then they'll be searching towards the bottom of the box, frantically trying to dive down to get out. If there's aggression directed at the sides, and especially when other fish are around, then that's likely to be a problem.

If the Carpenter is out and about most of the time and eating ok I would not be too concerned. My Pintail chases my only female wrasse (an eight line flasher)....probably because it's only fish in the tank he can chase. It's never a problem and the eight line is always out and eats well. I would be willing to bet this behavior will extinguish soon.

But agree here - mild chasing is okay, so long as none are being forced into constant hiding.

I have a Carpenters Flasher Wrasse. Love him. had him about 6 weeks now. When I got him in the mail I swore he was dead. Lying motionless, but to my surprise he most certainly was not and came to life during acclimation.

That's pretty common upon arrival from a shipment with Paracheilinus. They stress easy.

Over the past 2 days he is doing the same thing as when I got him. Lying still on the bottom of the tank or below a rock. His buddy, a blacklined blenny comes over to console him and lays with him.

But that's also a sign of a problem, with an established Paracheilinus. Typically, someone is bullying. Are you sure the behavior of that blenny is as you think?

@evolved Can I have longfin fairy wrasse supermale, Tanaka Pygmy wrasse, and pink streaked wrasse in 54 gallons 3 ft tank total (65 gallons include sump)? Can they be added separately in not particular order? Reef safe?

Yes, that mix should be fine, in a tank of that size. Order isn't super important.

Anyone have any experience with the Gold Stripe Wrasse (Halichoerces Zeylonicus)?

A pretty big species; nearly 8". It will be an invert muncher.

From the size, I would expect keeping it to be similar to a medium sized Halichoeres, like a dusky. Larger than melanurus, chrysus, biocellatus, etc , but not as big as a checkerboard.

While not quite as big as hortulanus, I'd expect the behavior to more along those lines. Meaning quite a bit more aggressive than a dusky.

 

[foxxkb]

In my 6ft 72x25x24, i have a yellow fin fairy flavidorsalis. Im adding a filamented flasher and a rubiventralis fairy, Carpenter flasher. Will this rubiventralis give me problem adding more peaceful fairy down the road? Such as isoceles or romboidalis?

 

[evolved]

In my 6ft 72x25x24, i have a yellow fin fairy flavidorsalis. Im adding a filamented flasher and a rubiventralis fairy, Carpenter flasher. Will this rubiventralis give me problem adding more peaceful fairy down the road? Such as isoceles or romboidalis?

Should be okay - just use an acclimation box.

 

[t5Nitro]

Will lubbock wrasse eat nori? I thought I maybe saw mine grabbing some but I cant get too close to the tank if hes up front to tell if he was just checking the clip out or actually eating it.

 

[Fish Biscuit]

8 foot 240
Current Fish:
Possum
Diamondtail flasher
Carpenter’s flasher
Rhomboid female
Flame female
2 Banghai cardinals
Divinci clown pair
Tailspot blenny
Gold Midas blenny
Yellow watchman goby
Cherub angel
Potters angel

Looking to add:
Pintail
Johnson’s
Bell’s flasher
Lineatus
Lubbock’s
Earl’s - maybe
Katherine
Hooded
Exquisite-last
Orangeback - last
Labout’s - maybe
Earmuff or Melanurus
Leopard - maybe

Is there anything on the list to avoid based on current wrasses? The Lfs is checking to see if I can get a bells, Johnson or pintail female now. I would like the bells & the pintail to be the next fish in the tank. I always add females over males if I can because no one cares about them other than a minor display.

If I add a leopard does it need to go in before the earmuff or melanurus? Thanks

 

[evolved]

Will lubbock wrasse eat nori? I thought I maybe saw mine grabbing some but I cant get too close to the tank if hes up front to tell if he was just checking the clip out or actually eating it.

They will. It's typically because of the scent, and seeing the other fish eating it too.

 

[evolved]

8 foot 240
Current Fish:
Possum
Diamondtail flasher
Carpenter’s flasher
Rhomboid female
Flame female
2 Banghai cardinals
Divinci clown pair
Tailspot blenny
Gold Midas blenny
Yellow watchman goby
Cherub angel
Potters angel

Looking to add:
Pintail
Johnson’s
Bell’s flasher
Lineatus
Lubbock’s
Earl’s - maybe
Katherine
Hooded
Exquisite-last
Orangeback - last
Labout’s - maybe
Earmuff or Melanurus
Leopard - maybe

Is there anything on the list to avoid based on current wrasses? The Lfs is checking to see if I can get a bells, Johnson or pintail female now. I would like the bells & the pintail to be the next fish in the tank. I always add females over males if I can because no one cares about them other than a minor display.

If I add a leopard does it need to go in before the earmuff or melanurus? Thanks

No glaring issues. The laboutei is a bit risky, but that's all that catches my eye.
There's been no collection in Kwajalein for a while, so bellae and johnsoni are pretty unobtainable right now.
Order on the Halichoeres and Macropharyngodon is not that important here, with the tank size.

 

[Fish Biscuit]

No glaring issues. The laboutei is a bit risky, but that's all that catches my eye.
There's been no collection in Kwajalein for a while, so bellae and johnsoni are pretty unobtainable right now.
Order on the Halichoeres and Macropharyngodon is not that important here, with the tank size.

Thanks, I really appreciate your help. I guess I will have to forget about the Bellae & get a Johnsoni if they become available later. I figured the laboutei might be questionable.

 

[saltyhog]

Will lubbock wrasse eat nori? I thought I maybe saw mine grabbing some but I cant get too close to the tank if hes up front to tell if he was just checking the clip out or actually eating it.

Every wrasse in my tank eats it including a Halichoeres, a Macropharyngodon, 6 fairies, and 2 flashers. Even my zebra barred gobies eat it. I think when the feeding frenzy starts almost any fish will eat it.

 

[canadianeh]

Currently I have 2 clownsfish. My tank is 3 ft 55 gallons DT plus 10 gallons sump

I plan to add the following:
1 Yellow tail damselfish
1 Molly miller blenny
1 Pink stripe wrasse
1 Ruby longfin fairy wrasse supermale wrasse
1 Tanaka Pygmy wrasse
1 yellow coris wrasse
1 Yellow watchmen goby
1 Pygmy angelfish (either flameback, flame, lemon peel, cherub, or potter)

pink streak wrasse is very rare to come by. My LFS never seen on to be honest. Tanaka is a maybe they can get but I won’t hold my breath.

 

[evolved]

Currently I have 2 clownsfish. My tank is 3 ft 55 gallons DT plus 10 gallons sump

I plan to add the following:
1 Yellow tail damselfish
1 Molly miller blenny
1 Pink stripe wrasse
1 Ruby longfin fairy wrasse supermale wrasse
1 Tanaka Pygmy wrasse
1 yellow coris wrasse
1 Yellow watchmen goby
1 Pygmy angelfish (either flameback, flame, lemon peel, cherub, or potter)

pink streak wrasse is very rare to come by. My LFS never seen on to be honest. Tanaka is a maybe they can get but I won’t hold my breath.

The wrasse mix should be fine.
I don't see any glaring issues for the broader list, but it does stretch a bit outside my wheelhouse.