Best Wrasse Duo or Trio for Pests

[reefinginBD]

All of those inverts should be fine with a melanurus. My mels went after blue leg hermits, astraea snails and any other smaller snail that couldn't flip itself over.

I see thank you so much!

 

[tritonpower]

I plan to keep trochus and nassarius snails as well as fire and cleaner shrimp. Do you think that the Melanurus will bother these cuc? Is there any way to prevent that? Or is it hit or miss? With some they leave the cuc alone and the others bother them?

I call my melanurus "Jaws". for obvious reasons. He will kill ALL shrimp (except for the pistol that the yellow watchman protects). He will try to kill any nassarius that flips over. He leaves trochus alone.

 

[reefinginBD]

I call my melanurus "Jaws". for obvious reasons. He will kill ALL shrimp (except for the pistol that the yellow watchman protects). He will try to kill any nassarius that flips over. He leaves trochus alone.

I see. How often do you have to get new nassarius snails? Please let me know, thank tou!

 

[jkcoral]

I see. How often do you have to get new nassarius snails? Please let me know, thank tou!

They should be fine with the inverts you listed. The mal can and will pick off any weak snails, and I’ve heard stories of some messing with shrimp (I’ve never experienced this personally). And as someone mentioned above, mine loved to murder hermit crabs.

I treat clean up crew as something that needs to be replenished about once a year. Just keep an eye on your nassarius snails, you might need to add another one every couple months instead of once a year or so, but nothing crazy. Trochus snails are great, by the way, they can flip themselves over and also reproduce pretty often

Also, there are some other wrasses that you can look at. Pretty much any Halichoeres wrasse are great at munching pests. I think the Vrolik’s is beautiful and underrated out of the “easy” to keep varieties.

Male Vrolik's Wrasse (Halichoeres chrysotaenia) | Saltwater Aquarium for Fish Marine Aquariums

 

[tritonpower]

I see. How often do you have to get new nassarius snails? Please let me know, thank tou!

I had 3 initially. They all died (I think only 1 was from Jaws). Since my trochus make babies like rabbits I depend on them mostly (started with 3 now have over 20). I now use fighting conches to clean the sand bend. Jaws leaves them alone.

I also have a yellow coris wrasse. It is growing rapidly and is a model citizen. I have a Christmas wrasse in my other tank and thinking about adding it in a couple months. Hopefully the melanurus and the Christmas will get along.

 

[jkcoral]

I had 3 initially. They all died (I think only 1 was from Jaws). Since my trochus make babies like rabbits I depend on them mostly (started with 3 now have over 20). I now use fighting conches to clean the sand bend. Jaws leaves them alone.

I also have a yellow coris wrasse. It is growing rapidly and is a model citizen. I have a Christmas wrasse in my other tank and thinking about adding it in a couple months. Hopefully the melanurus and the Christmas will get along.

Same here, trochus snails are pretty much all I use now.

An interesting coincidence, I was feeding my tank earlier this afternoon and snapped a photo of one trochus releasing the love juice haha.

 

[kevgib67]

Any of those 3 are good but the melanarus might go after inverts. The other 2 don't. My six line was like the 7th fish in my tank. Just dropped him in and he has been a model citizen. Key is lots of rock caves so he can explore and hunt all day then they don't focus on any fish. Yellow coris are striking beautiful and very peaceful but require sandbed to sleep in. @icantthink is best source for wrasse info on here.

Wow, beautiful trachys!

 

[Tim'sReef]

I have a mccosker wrasse together with my yellow corris wrasse. The adult males are stunning if you get the right one. Don't know what it does for pest control the yellow takes care of that he is just there for the looks.

 

[kevgib67]

I don’t think I ever had a tank with out a sixline wrass, almost 2 decades of reefing and never had a problem. Never had flat worms either. Like any fish they can have their own personalities. I don’t know how many times on these forums I’ve read where someone had a fish that had a reputation for being passive and the turned out to be a terror and also the other way around. Sixlines colors are beautiful?

 

[reefinginBD]

They should be fine with the inverts you listed. The mal can and will pick off any weak snails, and I’ve heard stories of some messing with shrimp (I’ve never experienced this personally). And as someone mentioned above, mine loved to murder hermit crabs.

I treat clean up crew as something that needs to be replenished about once a year. Just keep an eye on your nassarius snails, you might need to add another one every couple months instead of once a year or so, but nothing crazy. Trochus snails are great, by the way, they can flip themselves over and also reproduce pretty often

Also, there are some other wrasses that you can look at. Pretty much any Halichoeres wrasse are great at munching pests. I think the Vrolik’s is beautiful and underrated out of the “easy” to keep varieties.

Male Vrolik's Wrasse (Halichoeres chrysotaenia) | Saltwater Aquarium for Fish Marine Aquariums

I see thank you so much! That’s the reason I chose the trochus snails they can flip themselves over and they breed! The Vrolik’s wrasse seems to pretty nice, I might try that out

 

[reefinginBD]

I don’t think I ever had a tank with out a sixline wrass, almost 2 decades of reefing and never had a problem. Never had flat worms either. Like any fish they can have their own personalities. I don’t know how many times on these forums I’ve read where someone had a fish that had a reputation for being passive and the turned out to be a terror and also the other way around. Sixlines colors are beautiful?

I see thank you so much! Is there anything you did to make sure that they aren’t so aggressive?

 

[adittam]

My skunk cleaner shrimp lasted all of 3 minutes in my tank before he became a very expensive snack for Skittle, my melanarus. That said, I love Skittle, and am fine not having a cleaner shrimp as long as I have him.

 

[reefinginBD]

My skunk cleaner shrimp lasted all of 3 minutes in my tank before he became a very expensive snack for Skittle, my melanarus. That said, I love Skittle, and am fine not having a cleaner shrimp as long as I have him.

I see. Thank you for the reply!

 

[kevgib67]

I see thank you so much! Is there anything you did to make sure that they aren’t so aggressive?

I really didn’t do anything but I think it’s important to have a lot of rock work. It keeps them busy as mine spends their time hunting in the rockscape.

 

[reefinginBD]

I really didn’t do anything but I think it’s important to have a lot of rock work. It keeps them busy as mine spends their time hunting in the rockscape.

I see thank you!

 

[Nemo&Friends]

Hey, how did you get your six line to behave? Also what wrasses would you suggest to keep with a coris wrasse other than a six line.

I am not familiar with the other wrasses.
I never had problem with six line, the first one was in a 50G with clown fish, damsels and bangai cardinal. I killed it by error when I took a rock covered in bubble algae and scrubbed it under tap water to take the algae out. six line was hidden in the rock and found it dead in my sink...I was pretty upset at myself.
The second one is in a 120G with 2 clown, 7 green chromis, 1 damsel, 1 dwarf angel, 1 hyppo tang and 1 rabbit fish, It was added last with the hyppo. Never saw any aggression. My 4 stripped damsel on the other hand was much more aggressive.
I am guessing that I have tons of hiding place, and other fish who can stand on their own. The six line just does its own thing, and pretty much ignore everyone else. She/he weaves in and out of the rock constantly.

 

[reefinginBD]

I am not familiar with the other wrasses.
I never had problem with six line, the first one was in a 50G with clown fish, damsels and bangai cardinal. I killed it by error when I took a rock covered in bubble algae and scrubbed it under tap water to take the algae out. six line was hidden in the rock and found it dead in my sink...I was pretty upset at myself.
The second one is in a 120G with 2 clown, 7 green chromis, 1 damsel, 1 dwarf angel, 1 hyppo tang and 1 rabbit fish, It was added last with the hyppo. Never saw any aggression. My 4 stripped damsel on the other hand was much more aggressive.
I am guessing that I have tons of hiding place, and other fish who can stand on their own. The six line just does its own thing, and pretty much ignore everyone else. She/he weaves in and out of the rock constantly.

I see thank you!

 

[Trinh Fish & Corals]

yellow coris