All About Reef Safe Wrasses in Aquaria

[Beau_B]

Do you find the Linespot flasher to be the most peaceful? Liveaquaria mentioned "most peaceful members of all the Flasher Wrasse."

I don't have a lot to compare too, he was the first wrasse in; was a juvi, transitioned, and was/is the largest in the tank. The McCoskers came a couple months after, but the Linespot has been generally ok with the addition. He flashes and chases a bit; nothing serious, some minor tail nips.

He had a crush on the Lubbock's fairy I put in before the McCosker's ... That was more persistent and bothersome but also primarily in the evening and has subsided. Everyone has their sleeping spots now and gets along.

 

[OrionN]

Do you find the Linespot flasher to be the most peaceful? Liveaquaria mentioned "most peaceful members of all the Flasher Wrasse."

Of the common Flashers, Eightline need to be treat like a Fairy. They are bigger. Possible Diamond Tail also need to be treat different. They seem to be more aggressive. These two are not really common and cost about 3-5+ times the "common Flashers"
The rest of the flashers are similar temperamentally IME. Depends on size of the tank, but in my 320 any combination will work, even two of the same species. Keep more than one Flashers will result in much flashing but no real battle or damage.
Of the Flashers, I have keep Carpenter, McCosker, Blue, Line-spot, Yellow fin, Eightline and Diamond tail.

Normally, if you ask one person specifically, I and most of us, tend to not answer it if we are not the one the question was asked and evolved maybe too busy to answer every question addressed to him.

 

[CoralNerd]

I heard that the Eightline flashers are more aggressive but I didn't know that about Diamond flashers. I think I'll pivot and look into getting a Blue flasher, or Linespot flasher instead. Thanks for the tips everyone.
P.S. Do you think a Carpenter flasher is too similar to my Blackfin Mckosters and would be an issue and perhaps I'm better off with the other two I mentioned? My tanks is 48" 100g

 

[MickeyCT]

I have a 225 gal tank, 72"x30"x 24" that has been up for many years. No wrasses yet but a hippo tang and fox face are the big daddies of the tank plus a school of 7 anthias, coral beauty, soldier goby, 4 bluegreen chromis, 2 pajama cardinals and two clownfish. I'd like to add a Leopard wrasse and a Melanarus wrasse. Other wrasses I've considered are the Orange-backed fairy wrasse (C.aurantidorsalis), Red-lined wrasse (H.biocellatus), Radiant wrasse (H.iridis) or Pink streaked wrasse (P.ataenia).

Would these two work okay? Could I add any of the others as well? Could I add multiple Leopard wrasses as long as different species?

I do keep a sand bed and mesh tops on the tank. I also some peppermint shrimp in the tank for aptasia control.

 

[CoralNerd]

I have a Linespot flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus lineopunctatus) in an acclimation/social box. Tomorrow it will be 3.75 days. The existing Mckosters flasher is smaller than the Linespot. Anyways I was thinking about releasing the Linespot just before the lights go off. Do you guys find any certain time a better time for releasing?

 

[OrionN]

Get a mirror. You can release him anytime

 

[jake_francis]

I have a Linespot flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus lineopunctatus) in an acclimation/social box. Tomorrow it will be 3.75 days. The existing Mckosters flasher is smaller than the Linespot. Anyways I was thinking about releasing the Linespot just before the lights go off. Do you guys find any certain time a better time for releasing?

I always release mine after the lights are off and when after all the fishes had gone into their hiding places. It helps lessen the stress on everyone in the tank.

 

[OrionN]

I have Carpets in the tank, so I do not want to have the fish blundering around at night. I always release my fish at least 2 hrs prior to the light turn out. Often in the morning.

 

[Beau_B]

In my extensive experience (err... uh.. twice), I released just before evening feeding. Figuring the others would be distracted by the food and give the new guy a chance to cruise around "with the sun up."

 

[CoralNerd]

I'm going to wait till there's basically no lighting left on the schedule tonight. My fish are pretty laid back but I know fish get a little frisky when it comes to other fish coming near their sleeping dens. I'm also going to add a new rock to alter the scape a little. Fingers crossed the two flashers work out tomorrow.

 

[SCReef'n]

issues adding a diamond tail flasher to my current tanks with a leopard and a rhomboid?

 

[OrionN]

Should not be an issue. How big is your tank??

 

[SCReef'n]

Should not be an issue. How big is your tank??

It’s only a 60 cube. Think that’s pushing it? Is there such thing as wrasse police? Lol. I really love my current wrasse and would like to add another that species seems to stay smaller and seemed like it would fit.

 

[OrionN]

Wrasse are really quick moving fish and a 2 foot tank may not be the best for them. Certainly too small for the Rhomboid, IMO.

 

[CoralNerd]

So far what I have noticed is the Linespot Flasher Wrasse is nice and peaceful. Perhaps what Liveaquaria said "It's the most peaceful flasher wrasse" is true. @evolved
Adding the additional flasher wrasse has distracted the Mckosters from chasing my Ventralis Anthias. He only chases them a little now. The Anthias seem happy and actually with the addition of the two flashers they seem to be out in the water colum around the same as before but perhaps a little bit more.

 

[DishFishA36]

I have a question? I have a six-line wrasse and it ate two peppermint shrimp that I got it with. I am worried about getting a cleaner shrimp incase it will eat it. So should it be alright because the cleaner shrimp is bigger or will it not matter?

 

[OrionN]

I would get the Six-Line and trade it for a cleaner shrimp. This species is aggressive and very nasty.

 

[evolved]

If I add another Paracheilinus, which would go best with the Mckosters? Paracheilinus attenuatus because it has a diamond tail that's different from the Mckosters? Would a female be good or male?

As some others said in response to this, pretty much all the Paracheilinus species can mix just fine together. The Eightline flasher is the only one to be careful with.

I know a lot of wrasses aren't safe with mobile invertebrates and I know this is a thread on Reef Safe Wrasses, but I know there's hazy a zone between reef safe and not reef safe. My question is: are Sixline Wrasses safe with mobile invertebrates (shrimps, crabs, and snails) and to what extent are they reef safe? This might be difficult to answer because each individual fish is different but I would like a small clean up crew and I'm wondering if it would be worth it to have a crew because I would rather have the fish over the crew if they're not very compatible. If at all possible I would like a single blood red cleaner shrimp in my tank if any single individual invertebrate would be possiible.

This article does touch on the very topic of reef safe/not reef safe...
Pseudocheilinus may pick on shrimp - pretty safe with other motile inverts.

Recently lost my McCoskers after almost 2 years. Kinda bummed he was the king of the tank, but the last month or so he had been spending more and more time hiding in his burrow and really only coming out to grab a couple of bites of food, but for a week he didn't even come out for food. Found what the cleanup crew left behind in the morning.

Sounds exactly like what happens as they get old and wind down.

Normally, if you ask one person specifically, I and most of us, tend to not answer it if we are not the one the question was asked and evolved maybe too busy to answer every question addressed to him.

I've been pretty MIA on here for the past ~3 weeks. Nothing in life seems typical right now...

I heard that the Eightline flashers are more aggressive but I didn't know that about Diamond flashers. I think I'll pivot and look into getting a Blue flasher, or Linespot flasher instead. Thanks for the tips everyone.
P.S. Do you think a Carpenter flasher is too similar to my Blackfin Mckosters and would be an issue and perhaps I'm better off with the other two I mentioned? My tanks is 48" 100g

FWIW, the ranges of mccoskeri and attenuatus do overlap.

I have a 225 gal tank, 72"x30"x 24" that has been up for many years. No wrasses yet but a hippo tang and fox face are the big daddies of the tank plus a school of 7 anthias, coral beauty, soldier goby, 4 bluegreen chromis, 2 pajama cardinals and two clownfish. I'd like to add a Leopard wrasse and a Melanarus wrasse. Other wrasses I've considered are the Orange-backed fairy wrasse (C.aurantidorsalis), Red-lined wrasse (H.biocellatus), Radiant wrasse (H.iridis) or Pink streaked wrasse (P.ataenia).

Would these two work okay? Could I add any of the others as well? Could I add multiple Leopard wrasses as long as different species?

I do keep a sand bed and mesh tops on the tank. I also some peppermint shrimp in the tank for aptasia control.

The answers to really all your questions is "yes". Any combinations of two mentioned are okay.
Some Halichoeres specimens might eat the peppermints, though.

I have a Linespot flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus lineopunctatus) in an acclimation/social box. Tomorrow it will be 3.75 days. The existing Mckosters flasher is smaller than the Linespot. Anyways I was thinking about releasing the Linespot just before the lights go off. Do you guys find any certain time a better time for releasing?

I typically do it after the last feeding in the evening, but I do not think this timing is all that critical.

issues adding a diamond tail flasher to my current tanks with a leopard and a rhomboid?

No issues from a species compatibility, but:

It’s only a 60 cube. Think that’s pushing it? Is there such thing as wrasse police? Lol. I really love my current wrasse and would like to add another that species seems to stay smaller and seemed like it would fit.

I do agree that a 60 cube does not lend well dimensionally for wrasses. I do not recommend Paracheilinus for tanks less than 3 feet in length. The leopard will probably fare okay long term, but it does cramp a rhomboid as well.

I have a question? I have a six-line wrasse and it ate two peppermint shrimp that I got it with. I am worried about getting a cleaner shrimp incase it will eat it. So should it be alright because the cleaner shrimp is bigger or will it not matter?

If it ate shrimp of one variety, I have little faith it won't eat shrimp of another variety...

 

[NDIrish]

Wanting to add a Paracheilinus carpenteri. It's noted they are jumpers. Was wondering if the canopy over the tank suffice for as a cover?

 

[sfairtx]

Wanting to add a Paracheilinus carpenteri. It's noted they are jumpers. Was wondering if the canopy over the tank suffice for as a cover?

They can jump through some very small holes/crevice. Personal experience unfortunately.