Help with adding a flasher wrasse

[Brandon McHenry]

Hi all! I was hoping to get some opinions on adding a flasher wrasse. First I wanted people’s suggestions/opinions on the following flashers:

McCoskers
Yellowfin
Royal
Other recommendations?

Also I wanted to ask about compatibility. I have a 40 gallon cube with a banggai cardinalfish and a yellow line goby. I want to add one flasher wrasse and then I was thinking about an exquisite firefish. Do all these fish seem compatible without any issues?

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[spiraling]

Yes, and all of the flashers mentioned should be OK. I think my McCoskers is better looking than my yellowfin. I don't have a royal. I had really bad luck getting them from liveaquaria, so hopefully you have an LFS that can help.
The firefish are shy and my understanding is it should be added first, before the active wrasse. You may want to check into that.

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Yes, and all of the flashers mentioned should be OK. I think my McCoskers is better looking than my yellowfin. I don't have a royal. I had really bad luck getting them from liveaquaria, so hopefully you have an LFS that can help.
The firefish are shy and my understanding is it should be added first, before the active wrasse. You may want to check into that.

Yeah it’s definitely hard to tell what they really look like from pictures online. Thanks for the opinion! I’ve heard firefish are shy so I was hoping for no issues between them and the flasher. My LFS are pretty bad here but I have some credit from LiveAquaria that I was going to try out. I hoped that they would ship alright.

 

[ReefGamer]

Fire fish are shy and peaceful. When j put my carpenter wrasse in, they tussled once and j have a video of it. Never once had the wrasse messed with anything at all. It is perfectly fine. Carpenter and mccoskers are almost exactly the same look wise or even species. They both look wayyy better in person than online pics I’ve seen on TSM aquatics online. When they flare up they might be the best looking fish or one of them, when they aren’t flared out they look decent. ( pinkish/purple with dark purple lines).

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Fire fish are shy and peaceful. When j put my carpenter wrasse in, they tussled once and j have a video of it. Never once had the wrasse messed with anything at all. It is perfectly fine. Carpenter and mccoskers are almost exactly the same look wise or even species. They both look wayyy better in person than online pics I’ve seen on TSM aquatics online. When they flare up they might be the best looking fish or one of them, when they aren’t flared out they look decent. ( pinkish/purple with dark purple lines).

Thanks for the opinion! They are definitely nice looking fish. Any thought on if the yellowline goby or banggai would be troublesome?

 

[spiraling]

firefish might be hard to add later because they are so shy. They might just hide. Might not.

 

[ReefGamer]

Thanks for the opinion! They are definitely nice looking fish. Any thought on if the yellowline goby or banggai would be troublesome?

I got my carpenter wrasse bc it’s one of the most peaceful wrasses and I have a peaceful tank. Even my huge yellow corris doesn’t mess with anything.
the Bangai is 100 safe, it is a much different shape than any wrasse. I would be very surprised if it had issue with the goby. IF they had issue it would be the first day and it would not be anything that would cause harm, just normal fish stuff. It’s not like having two similar tangs or more than two clownfish. It won’t bully it like a royal gramma and dottyback until they die. I wouldn’t worry about it, just acclimate it right. You can get one no problem

 

[Brandon McHenry]

firefish might be hard to add later because they are so shy. They might just hide. Might not.

I got my carpenter wrasse bc it’s one of the most peaceful wrasses and I have a peaceful tank. Even my huge yellow corris doesn’t mess with anything.
the Bangai is 100 safe, it is a much different shape than any wrasse. I would be very surprised if it had issue with the goby. IF they had issue it would be the first day and it would not be anything that would cause harm, just normal fish stuff. It’s not like having two similar tangs or more than two clownfish. It won’t bully it like a royal gramma and dottyback until they die. I wouldn’t worry about it, just acclimate it right. You can get one no problem

Well I have a chance to start over with some mor peaceful fish so if the banggai and goby shouldn’t be an issue then I may go for a flasher and the firefish. It seems like the McCosker is more popular than the others I listed. I also feed 5-6times per day so hopefully that would reduce any possible aggression and make acclimation easy.

 

[SaltyT]

I have both flasher wrasses and an exquisite fairy wrasse. They are very active and really shouldn’t be in a tank less than 4 ft long for their long term well being. Is your heart set on a flasher? Have you considered a pink streaked wrasse or a possum wrasse? They’re cool little dudes!

 

[Brandon McHenry]

I have both flasher wrasses and an exquisite fairy wrasse. They are very active and really shouldn’t be in a tank less than 4 ft long for their long term well being. Is your heart set on a flasher? Have you considered a pink streaked wrasse or a possum wrasse? They’re cool little dudes!

No I not necessarily set because I figured it may be a tad small for an active fish. I definitely want one but not if it’s going to be bad for the fish. I definitely like the pink streaked and possum but I rarely ever see them on LiveAquaria or any LFS. I also heard they could be a bit cryptic.

 

[ReefGamer]

I don’t see how it would be too small, they are active but not in the middle water column, mostly around rock work which is much more important. This yellow coriss wrasse I got form this guy recently who tore his tank down thrived in his tank. He had a 30 gallon and this fish is 3 times bigger than my flasher wrasse.

 

[SaltyT]

No I not necessarily set because I figured it may be a tad small for an active fish. I definitely want one but not if it’s going to be bad for the fish. I definitely like the pink streaked and possum but I rarely ever see them on LiveAquaria or any LFS. I also heard they could be a bit cryptic.

Yeah when they’re available they seem to go quick. Are you looking for activity, color, etc?

 

[SaltyT]

I don’t see how it would be too small, they are active but not in the middle water column, mostly around rock work which is much more important. This yellow coriss wrasse I got form this guy recently who tore his tank down thrived in his tank. He had a 30 gallon and this fish is 3 times bigger than my flasher wrasse.

The yellow coris is actually a halichoeres wrasse which is a different genus than a Paracheilinus or cirrhilabrus which are planktivores and are very active in the water column.

 

[ReefGamer]

The yellow coris is actually a halichoeres wrasse which is a different genus than a Paracheilinus or cirrhilabrus which are planktivores and are very active in the water column.

I knew they were different in that way but they swim the same in my tank. Maybe I got a lazy carpenter flasher wrasse, bc he isn’t that active. Not many of my fish go passed the rock work actually. My rocks go half way up my tank. Free space above and no swimmers except the clownfish when they aren’t in the corners. Lol

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Yeah when they’re available they seem to go quick. Are you looking for activity, color, etc?

Both activity and color. The two fish I have are both pretty subtle and don’t occupy the water column much at all. And it would be nice to have a vibrant showpiece fish.

 

[SaltyT]

I knew they were different in that way but they swim the same in my tank. Maybe I got a lazy carpenter flasher wrasse, bc he isn’t that active. Not many of my fish go passed the rock work actually. My rocks go half way up my tank. Free space above and no swimmers except the clownfish when they aren’t in the corners. Lol

Hey every fish is an individual and doesn’t always conform to what’s “normal“ behavior! lol

 

[ReefGamer]

Both activity and color. The two fish I have are both pretty subtle and don’t occupy the water column much at all. And it would be nice to have a vibrant showpiece fish.

I don’t know if this helps but heres my fish list from most active to least active. I have a 120 gallon and I did a lot of research on compatibility and peaceful fish. Granted, in the order you add matters and changes how fish act plus the tank size.

1. Flame angel
2. All three clownfish
3. Yellow coris wrasse ( very skiddish tho)
4. Carpenter Flasher wrasse
5. Lyretail Anthia
6. Lawnmower blenny
7. Purple fire fish goby
8. Royal gramma

 

[Brandon McHenry]

Hey every fish is an individual and doesn’t always conform to what’s “normal“ behavior! lol

Very true!

I don’t know if this helps but heres my fish list from most active to least active. I have a 120 gallon and I did a lot of research on compatibility and peaceful fish. Granted, in the order you add matters and changes how fish act plus the tank size.

1. Flame angel
2. All three clownfish
3. Yellow coris wrasse ( very skiddish tho)
4. Carpenter Flasher wrasse
5. Lyretail Anthia
6. Lawnmower blenny
7. Purple fire fish goby
8. Royal gramma

Thanks for the list. Obviously a lot goes in to how a fish acts in a tank and I guess you really never know!

 

[SaltyT]

Both activity and color. The two fish I have are both pretty subtle and don’t occupy the water column much at all. And it would be nice to have a vibrant showpiece fish.

Check out the fang blennies - Meiacanthus genus - very personable and always in the water column.

 

[Roachbeef19]

You will be fine and I had a McCosker and they are absolutely beautiful and fun to watch!!!!