Help Me Pick A Wrasse!

[i cant think]

Christmas, Solar Fairy, Pintail, Rhomboid, Choat’s are all beautiful & not aggressive.

Christmas wrasses are 5 species as said above;
Thalassoma trilobatum (Nasty, Big and yet so pretty)
Halichoeres ornatissimus (Pretty and moderately sized yet Hawaii was the main export so they’re not seen commonly anymore)
Thalassoma purpureum (Nasty, Big and so Pretty)
Halichoeres biocellatus (Small, Pretty and Peaceful)
Halichoeres cosmetus (Small, Pretty and moderately peaceful)

As you can see, there’s 2 genera which holds species called “Christmas Wrasses”.

Solar Fairy Wrasse, which do you mean? There’s 3.
Cirrhilabrus chalasai (Chalasai’s Fairy)
Cirrhilabrus solorensis (Solar Fairy)
Cirrhilabrus aquamarinus (Red Head Fairy)

These are most definitely not peaceful. I have a very boisterous Aquamarinus which is the most peaceful out of the 3. I wouldn’t keep these in a tank less than 4 foot due to how boisterous they are - he absolutely battered my Roseafascia.

 

[i cant think]

Any flasher wrasse would be a good fit. Wouldn't break the bank and they're hardy. Next would be one of the fairy wrasses. Use the chart @felda001 linked. Wrasses are my favorite - I currently have ten but at one time was up to fourteen.

10? Is that it? I’m at 21 including ones at the LFS.

 

[JoJosReef]

Christmas wrasses are 5 species as said above;
Thalassoma trilobatum (Nasty, Big and yet so pretty)
Halichoeres ornatissimus (Pretty and moderately sized yet Hawaii was the main export so they’re not seen commonly anymore)
Thalassoma purpureum (Nasty, Big and so Pretty)
Halichoeres biocellatus (Small, Pretty and Peaceful)
Halichoeres cosmetus (Small, Pretty and moderately peaceful)

As you can see, there’s 2 genera which holds species called “Christmas Wrasses”.

Solar Fairy Wrasse, which do you mean? There’s 3.
Cirrhilabrus chalasai (Chalasai’s Fairy)
Cirrhilabrus solorensis (Solar Fairy)
Cirrhilabrus aquamarinus (Red Head Fairy)

These are most definitely not peaceful. I have a very boisterous Aquamarinus which is the most peaceful out of the 3. I wouldn’t keep these in a tank less than 4 foot due to how boisterous they are - he absolutely battered my Roseafascia.

Did you mean Halichoeres claudia in place of Halichoeres cosmetus?

 

[Outlaw Corals]

You have to remember they all have their own personalities, sometimes you can get what is supposed to be a peaceful wrasse and it turns out to be aggressive and sometimes you can get what is supposed to get what is supposed to be a more aggressive wrasse and it turns out to be peaceful

 

[i cant think]

Did you mean Halichoeres claudia in place of Halichoeres cosmetus?

Nope! I’ve seen Cosmetus as Christmas wrasses, Claudia makes 7 as I know there’s a 6th I’m forgetting

 

[OrionN]

common names are such crapshoot many times. Try to use Scientific name if you can when give recommendations like @i cant think unless the common name is unambiguous.

 

[OrionN]

Add these wrasses and you just cant miss
Any of the flasher wrasses. Pict the color and cost you are willing to pay. I would not go for the the rare 1000 dollars wrasse yet. Pick them small and young and they will grow in your tank to become beautiful. There are a number of them and they are all going to be about the same except the color.
McCosker

Yellow Fin

Easy, you can't miss Fairy wrasses
Lubbock

Peaceful but harder to keep Halichoeres, the very best of this genus
The Radiant wrasse Halichoeres iridis. Female in front and male in the back

Pick one of the Leopard wrasse species and get 2 or 3 of the same species. These are a little more difficult to get establish, similar to the Radiant wrasse

Meleagris Leopard:
Female

Male

Nuptial display

Or the Black Leopard:
Female

Male

Nuptial display

 

[Tamberav]

10? Is that it? I’m at 21 including ones at the LFS.

 

[TheFunnyFarm]

10? Is that it? I’m at 21 including ones at the LFS.

Hah! Beat me to it.

Wrasses are seductive. You get your first, then the obsession begins. My downfall started with a Bipartitus Leopard, then in the following order over the last 10months:
• Black Leopard
• Jewel ‘Leopard’
• Yellow Tail Tamarin
• China Tamarin
• Radiant
• Twistii Tamarin
• Eightline Flasher
• Guinea Fowl Leopard
Still have more planned, but royally POed the wife to the point she placed a moratorium on them until further notice. She’s like The Pink Panther’s Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus whenever my 3yo son says the word wrasse

 

[TomTheSeagull]

I have a Melanurus. Love his color and how active he is. Constantly swimming and pecking at everything. He eats everything I put in the tank - unfortunately this includes snails and hermit crabs.

 

[ghost427]

Had a few Melenurus wrasse, great active fish that has colorful markings.

 

[RoanokeReef]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I'm leaning towards adding Paracheilinus mccoskeri for my first unless this doesn't seem like a solid choice.

 

[OrionN]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I'm leaning towards adding Paracheilinus mccoskeri for my first unless this doesn't seem like a solid choice.

Add at least 2 flasher wrasses. You will like the P. flavianalis

 

[RoanokeReef]

Add at least 2 flasher wrasses. You will like the P. flavianalis

At the same time or can I introduce them separately?

 

[felda001]

I really want a Christmas wrasse.

 

[NCsalt]

Mature Possum wrasse and Halichoeres chrysus in my 40 breeder.

Possum was mean and tempermental. Killed a few finned tank mates. (Rare apparently) Calmed down with a true perc pair and the chrysus were added.

The yellow will not let you feed LPS. “Oh benepets LPS pellets! My favorite!”

Both worth it.

I love wrasses. Any upgrade will include several more.

 

[danreef55]

Lineatus

Or McKosker

 

[Slocke]

Lineatus

Or McKosker

Actually you are correct. Brain fart!

That’s a Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis?? (No it’s not it’s C lineatus)

 

[Tcook]

Looks like the lineatus I had

 

[Slocke]

Looks like the lineatus I had

Lineatus

Or McKosker

So let me explain where my brain went. The thread was talking about flasher wrasse. So when that was posted I thought for some crazy reason that it was supposed to be a flasher. I then forgot their is no Paracheilinus lineatus (I was thinking P lineopunctatus) and then I just completely misidentified the fairy wrasse as a rhomboid.

I’m a fool!! :face-with-tears-of-joy: Apologies @danreef55