Experiences with Naoko's Wrasse - Cirrhilabrus naokoae

[OrionN]

My LFS had the Naoko's Fairy Wrasse a while ago. Searching on the temperament of this wrasse, there were not a lot of information out there. Certainly not a lot of first hand experience, but many people seem to think that this is a fairly aggressive, but small fairy wrasse. I have a large tank and most of my fishes are not on the timid side so I decided to give it a go.
He is a very beautiful wrasse, very fast and difficult to take pictures of. I have to empty my bag of tricks before I got a good picture of him.
So far, after 4 weeks, I have not find him to be as aggressive as indicated by my research. I have him in my temp QT reef, a 40 gal breeder, with a pair of WC A. percula, an Eightline Flasher juvenile (1.5 inches) and a China (A. neoguinaicus) wrasse (2 inches). The five fish get along great, there is no problem. The Eightline was in the system for about 6 weeks and the China Wrasse for the last 10 days.
My plan is to fatten up all the three wrasses and release them to the DT sometime in the near future.
I am not certain I will release the Eightline to my DT since I already have a terminal Eightline flasher in there. My DT is a 320 gal tank, about 100 gal (75 gal in the sump) sump. My plan is to fatten them up before release. All five fishes are eating frozen Mysis, flakes and Otohime pellets well. No problem They getting feed 5-6 times a day. Frozen and flakes in AM, 4 autofeed and sometime frozen and flakes in evening. All are getting fatter. The China Wrasse still have some weight gain to go but I think I will release them in 2 weeks.

This is such a beautiful fish, hopefully he will live long in my DT. Update regularly just to let everybody know how aggressive, or timid he is in my tank.

Now for the pictures:
All 5 fishes in QT

And here is the beautiful Naoko Fairy Wrasse

 

[Hemmdog]

My LFS had the Naoko's Fairy Wrasse a while ago. Searching on the temperament of this wrasse, there were not a lot of information out there. Certainly not a lot of first hand experience, but many people seem to think that this is a fairly aggressive, but small fairy wrasse. I have a large tank and most of my fishes are not on the timid side so I decided to give it a go.
He is a very beautiful wrasse, very fast and difficult to take pictures of. I have to empty my bag of tricks before I got a good picture of him.
So far, after 4 weeks, I have not find him to be as aggressive as indicated by my research. I have him in my temp QT reef, a 40 gal breeder, with a pair of WC A. percula, an Eightline Flasher juvenile (1.5 inches) and a China (A. neoguinaicus) wrasse (2 inches). The five fish get along great, there is no problem. The Eightline was in the system for about 6 weeks and the China Wrasse for the last 10 days.
My plan is to fatten up all the three wrasses and release them to the DT sometime in the near future.
I am not certain I will release the Eightline to my DT since I already have a terminal Eightline flasher in there. My DT is a 320 gal tank, about 100 gal (75 gal in the sump) sump. My plan is to fatten them up before release. All five fishes are eating frozen Mysis, flakes and Otohime pellets well. No problem They getting feed 5-6 times a day. Frozen and flakes in AM, 4 autofeed and sometime frozen and flakes in evening. All are getting fatter. The China Wrasse still have some weight gain to go but I think I will release them in 2 weeks.

This is such a beautiful fish, hopefully he will live long in my DT. Update regularly just to let everybody know how aggressive, or timid he is in my tank.

Now for the pictures:
All 5 fishes in QT

And here is the beautiful Naoko Fairy Wrasse

Gorgeous fish, love the china wrasse too

 

[OrionN]

I had a pair of the China Wrasse but one had mouth injury that did not heal well. He cannot eat well and slowly starved to death. I am getting this one so I have two in my tank. I love to have male and female pair of this species. They are so unique AND beautiful.
My China wrasse established in my DT.

 

[reef lover]

@evolved says ...just say no to the naokos....very bad temperment.

 

[Joel B.]

Mine is extremely timid, but it was also a late addition. He's the smallest wrasse in the tank and I don't see any active bullying but he tends to hang out in the rockwork most of the day.

 

[Phycodurus]

my LFS also received in some naoko’s a while ago and he raved about them.

they are on my list of tank candidates (180G), but it’s the leopard wrasses that have really captured my heart. ;Shamefullyembarrased

that china wrasse is beautiful ... are they one of the easier Anampses wrasses?? (apologies, a bit off-topic)

 

[OrionN]

@evolved says ...just say no to the naokos....very bad temperment.

My experience so far show that they are fine even in smaller tank. No problem with another Flasher and other wrasse. Maybe it is because the Eightline is a female.
Yesterday late PM, a great friend of mine gave me a Paintail Fairy wrasse. He MO some fishes and was send 2 Pintails. I put the Pintail, a terminal male, in this QT system with the five fishes. Will see if there is a problem. He was still in hiding this AM when I leave for work. I put a mirror on the tank, just to get the Naoko occupied. I am not sure if this is needed. Will continue to update this thread. If the Naoko attacking the Pintail then I just put the Naoko straight into my DT.

The Naoko is so beautiful. It is a shame that it is not a popular wrasse.

@Phycodurus
The China Wrasse is fairly easy, problem free wrasse for me. Only bat 50% because one of the two I bought died due to mouth injury. This third one is still in my QT system.

 

[OrionN]

Sad news.
My Naoko was very healthy, fat and eating well. I put him in my acclimation box and after 24 hrs released to DT. No one was bothering him. He was out all the time and was eating. 48 hrs after released to DT, he disappeared. My tank is escaped proof, to the floor or to the overflow and sump.
Somehow he met his demise. Either the Harlequin Tusk got him which is highly unlikely. My HT never ate a fish this in all the time that I had him. The only other possibility is my carpets. Likely he became an expensive meal for one of my carpets. No trace of the crime, not even bones.

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

I had one for a while. Loved the fish. Never was aggressive towards anything in fact it got picked on by a couple of my other fish. I had to move them into the sump.

It ended up dying on me due to an internal flagellate that attacks the spinal cord. Mimics a spine injury. Was told the only way to treat was with metro. By the time i got some it was too late. I was also told its a problem seen in fairy wrasses.

Now i know at least and i will spread the info. Beautiful fish i wish you the best of luck with it!

 

[ScottR]

I can’t keep up with how many wrasse you keep. I’ve seen your other threads. I can’t even come across this many wrasse in my LFSs.

 

[tqpolo]

Sad news.
My Naoko was very healthy, fat and eating well. I put him in my acclimation box and after 24 hrs released to DT. No one was bothering him. He was out all the time and was eating. 48 hrs after released to DT, he disappeared. My tank is escaped proof, to the floor or to the overflow and sump.
Somehow he met his demise. Either the Harlequin Tusk got him which is highly unlikely. My HT never ate a fish this in all the time that I had him. The only other possibility is my carpets. Likely he became an expensive meal for one of my carpets. No trace of the crime, not even bones.

I read that they will hide for a few days when adding to a new tank. My brand new Naoko hasn't shown up in 2 days since I bought him so that's what I'm telling myself.

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

I read that they will hide for a few days when adding to a new tank. My brand new Naoko hasn't shown up in 2 days since I bought him so that's what I'm telling myself.

Mine did this as well. Once a couple days went by it was always out swimming around.

 

[OrionN]

Mine was eating, out all the time. He is the smallest of the wrasses, other than my female Eightline Flasher. Then he just disappeared. My tank is escape proof. It's my carpets.

 

[Pbh-reef]

Mine was eating, out all the time. He is the smallest of the wrasses, other than my female Eightline Flasher. Then he just disappeared. My tank is escape proof. It's my carpets.

That’s a shame - it was beautiful fish

 

[OrionN]

Well, I was sad about loosing my Naoko Fairy. Petco brought in another one about 1 month ago, but he was priced at 79.99. I have my Black Leopards, China, Pintail and Onyx Percula to worry about in my QT so I did not buy him.
Fast Forward to a month later, I went to Petco yesterday and the Naoko is still there. I asked the manager, since he have been there for the last month, if she can sell him to me for 50% off and she agree. I have a 5 dollrs reward coupon and a 10.00 coupon for 30.00+ purchase, I I got him for 25.00.
Since her have been at Petco for 1 month, eating well and not sick, I put him straight into my acclimation box last night and into the tank at about 11 AM today. None of the fish bother him. I also release the Pintail into my DT at the same time. Both are doing well.
Livign at Petco for 1+ month, I think he have a charmed life and hope that it will be the same in my tank.

Here he is at Petco

In Acclimation box

Here he is in DT today. Eat well when I feed the tank.

 

[OrionN]

Finally got some good picture of my Naoko Fairy in my DT. I love him. Not an agressive wrasse in my tank.

 

[reef lover]

Glad hes not aggressive for you. Hope he keeps that disposition.

 

[OrionN]

Glad hes not aggressive for you. Hope he keeps that disposition.

I hope so too. They are listed to max out at 4 inches but mine is only shy of 2 inches. When he was s larger I hope he will not get aggressive. I will keep this thread update.

 

[OrionN]

Got a better picture I just got to post:

 

[reef lover]

Beautiful shot!!