How to keep a wrasse in a bare bottom tank ?

[Reefpharmer]

Wrasses are pretty popular in our tanks.
Between jumping and the need for sand, they present some unique challenges.
I have had multiple melanurus wrasses in bare bottoms and they either logged themselves into rocks during lights out or found some detritus to sleep in (not that I had a lot).
I have seen people discuss using a container of sand to have the wrasse sleep in. Has anyone successfully used some sort of plastic container for this? Which wrasse did it work for? What kind of sand did you use ?
Thanks !

 

[Anchor]

I am using aragonite special grade with a Christmas wrasse. Works fine, about 2 inches deep. It uses it for sleep and to hide from a particularly unfriendly Domino damsel.

I should add that I have to clean up the sand around the container every week or so as it gets tossed out when it buries itself

 

[fishguy242]

hi ,yes same w melanurus ,slept in cove w debris,240 sps bare bottom,added 4" red coris was flipping corals constatally ,clear bowl sand ,piece of acrylic ready,got him within 1 hour of lights outleft in for mele,loved it,happy reefing

 

[Redfoxtang]

You could go the route to get wrasses that don’t need sand as I did. Flasher wrasses are nice looking fish and most don’t need sand. That’s unless you want sand burrowers then I would try and put sand built up in the corner of the tank with less flow so the sand doesn’t blow around. But then that’s pointless if you want bare bottom.

 

[evolved]

Not all genera require sand. But for those that do (Anampses, Halichoeres, Macropharyngodon, and Pseudojuloides):

I have seen people discuss using a container of sand to have the wrasse sleep in.

This is certainly the way to go, for a BB tank.
The sand can be anything you want, so long as its <2mm to less in size.
But, do note that:

I should add that I have to clean up the sand around the container every week or so as it gets tossed out when it buries itself

This. You'll still need to do some sand cleanup, from time to time.