Experiences with Naoko's Wrasse - Cirrhilabrus naokoae

[Smite]

I have owned two naoko fairy wrasses, my first one jumped into the old lid and it was a stiff mesh lid and gave him a spinal injury, now I have another in my nano (Grow-Out) with a blue star leopard and a cryptic sixline, with the old scape on the tank he did flash at the cryptic sixline but it never affected them. Now he just chills on the top of the tank and round the rocks. My favourite fish by far, he did try make it into the sump (He managed it and I eventually got him out). He’s about 1.5” and probably won’t go into my 4’ DT until he’s Atleast 2.5” depending on if he starts to panick in that tank before he gets 2.5”. The blue star will hopefully go into the DT with him, neither of them are aggressive but the wrasse in my DT are supposed to be aggressive (C. melanomarginatus & H. chloropterus) the jade will be gone before they go in though, I would love an Australian Scott’s but fear it would ruin my lovely “pair” of Lubbock’s (Both male variants).

That's reassuring. Seems hit or miss with them and aggression. They'll be going into a decent sized tank but hopefully manage in the smaller QT. I'm realizing it's pretty close on the chart with the katherine. There are a few other wrasse that'd be in the process so hopefully that breaks it up a bit.

 

[Smite]

Many fairy wrasses are pretty, but they just don’t live long enough for me, are too skittish, and also most are sold when they’re already adults. Which further reduces the amount of time you have with them.

I have to agree with this. My lineatus was gorgeous as all get out, bought as a "super" male. Healthy as could be then just kind slowed down and lost him after the 6 month mark. I'll be buying all females to sub sizes from now on.

 

[i cant think]

That's reassuring. Seems hit or miss with them and aggression. They'll be going into a decent sized tank but hopefully manage in the smaller QT. I'm realizing it's pretty close on the chart with the katherine. There are a few other wrasse that'd be in the process so hopefully that breaks it up a bit.

My stock goes against the chart altogether, I have two male Lubbock fairies, a Black Fin fairy, radiant and a jade. The Jade recently picked up chasing the radiant round rocks and everyone else is scared of her but for the previous 2 years they got on just fine. So that just shows the chart isn’t always correct, I mean C. melanomarginatus is part of the scottorum complex and C. lubbocki is in the same complex as C. cf lubbocki. C. naokoae is supposed to be aggressive with other wrasses and not just fairies, that aggression is nonexistent in my tank.

 

[i cant think]

I have to agree with this. My lineatus was gorgeous as all get out, bought as a "super" male. Healthy as could be then just kind slowed down and lost him after the 6 month mark. I'll be buying all females to sub sizes from now on.

My LFS has a gorgeous I think submale lineatus and I’ve been close to getting it but then backing off because my tank is basically at its capacity.

 

[Smite]

My LFS has a gorgeous I think submale lineatus and I’ve been close to getting it but then backing off because my tank is basically at its capacity.

While picking up these I had to resist a very large lineatus at my LFS, past experience helped me walk away but also cost. He was eating and looking nice and fat and calm though.
That's great to see a sub, I feel like all I ever see are terminal males, probably due to the price tag they carry. Not sure if they've gone up in value but this one was near 2x as much as I paid for my last 2 years ago.

 

[Zionas]

I wonder if they’re also not as easy to feed as many people think they are.

 

[Zionas]

Good luck! And a 7’ tank, bigger is better.

 

[eqbal9947]

Beautiful! May he live a long and healthy life!

loooooool

 

[eqbal9947]

Beautiful! May he live a long and healthy life!

loooooool

 

[i cant think]

My guys fins have washed out slightly and are now more see through than a nice solid black. Fingers crossed when he’s big enough and moved over to my larger tank he colours up and flashes more!

 

[Baldguy]

So my local lfs has a few Naoko's. Great looking fish. I've always tried to keep relatively peaceful fish, never had to rehome anything. I've read mixed reports of this fish often being very aggressive but I'm still tempted. I've got a 120g four foot tank. Multiple fairy, flasher and halichoeres wrasses. What do you think?

 

[i cant think]

So my local lfs has a few Naoko's. Great looking fish. I've always tried to keep relatively peaceful fish, never had to rehome anything. I've read mixed reports of this fish often being very aggressive but I'm still tempted. I've got a 120g four foot tank. Multiple fairy, flasher and halichoeres wrasses. What do you think?

Take what I say with a grain of salt (My luck with Wrasses has been… out of the box luck).
However, I have managed to mix my Naoko with a Paracheilinus hybrid and two C. lubbocki’s. This is in a 4’x2’ tank and territory is spaced out enough so that they don’t become as nasty as people say they can. I also mixed in a C. melanomarginatus for a short period of time but I unfortunately lost him (Most likely due to Old Age).

 

[OrionN]

So my local lfs has a few Naoko's. Great looking fish. I've always tried to keep relatively peaceful fish, never had to rehome anything. I've read mixed reports of this fish often being very aggressive but I'm still tempted. I've got a 120g four foot tank. Multiple fairy, flasher and halichoeres wrasses. What do you think?

So, did you get him, and how did he fair if you got him?

 

[Baldguy]

I passed this time. I may yet give him a try

 

[OrionN]

My guys fins have washed out slightly and are now more see through than a nice solid black. Fingers crossed when he’s big enough and moved over to my larger tank he colours up and flashes more!

It have been a year. How is he doing?

 

[rudrasreef]

I had the experience of keeping them for some time (individually & in pair) in my waterbox 100.4 reef tank. They are very active & quite bullying towards other flasher wrasses. Had to give them away. I wouldn't recommend them unless they are the only species you wish to keep from the Fairy wrasse family in a small tank.

 

[OrionN]

Mine is fine but “in a large tank”. However, I acclimated them in a 40 gal reef with other wrasses without problems. 6 weeks or so.

 

[i cant think]

It have been a year. How is he doing?

He’s thriving!
He’s infront of the Indo lubbocki

 

[DeanoL]

Love the look of the Naoko's but I'm guessing 60g is too small? The colours are awesome

Lineatus, yellow coris wrasse and leopard wrasse in tank. Would like a flasher (eg mccoskers) at some stage too.

 

[Mark Gray]

Came across this thread I added a Naoko about 2 weeks ago. Only wrasse in the tank. This morning I saw him kind of try to herd my Fox Face, well this foxface is really timid but he has a best friend a Female Swallowtail Angel, I had never seen aggression in this fish tell today. She chase the Naoko about for probably 20 minutes lol. Of course the wrasse is much faster but sort of funny to me. Anyway I so far can not get a picture of him he's way faster than my finger on the take photo button.