Keeping wrasses in pair with other single wrasses?

[wunderlong88]

I would like at least a pair of flasher or fairy (something reef safe) wrasses. Do I just order unsexed pair and one will turn to male? If not where do I find female and male pairs? I haven't seen anywhere. I see a few listings for a male sometimes, seems like anytime I find that there isn't another "unsexed or female" listing for the same type of wrasse. (I have to find online) I assume when a listing for a type of wrasse doesn't list a sex they are all female?

Also, I have 180 gal. +40 gal in the sump. I have 1 coral beauty, 1 diamond goby, 1 starry blenny and 1 purple firefish. If I add a pair of wrasses can I add another type of wrasse (or possibly 2 more wrasses, each of their own type) at the same time?

I plan to add a yellow watchman goby, and possibly a tailspot or midas blenny.

When my tank is mature enough I will probably try a dragonet.

Also, on my wishlist for the future is probably 4 "showy" fish depending on how much room I have by the point I get to add them. Possibly 1 tang (bristletooth or white tail kole), 1 butterfly (love longnose), 1 foxface/rabbitfish, 1 Regal Angel (or another large angel if there is one that is small enough) and/or 1 bluethroat trigger. I know some of these may be varieties that are only "reef safe with caution or any less safe than that. I'm not sure what I will have by then or if I will be too concerned. Probably only going to have fairly invasive, hardy, soft corals so I may not be too worried.

If there is room or some of this doesn't work out I will probably add a clownfish or pair of clownfish.

Anyway, just a general plan that I am working towards but not set on. I only mention all of this to see how many wrasses I can add?

 

[wunderlong88]

Fyi -I found the information I needed on the website done by the wrasse guy. Very helpful website!

 

[i cant think]

I would like at least a pair of flasher or fairy (something reef safe) wrasses. Do I just order unsexed pair and one will turn to male? If not where do I find female and male pairs? I haven't seen anywhere. I see a few listings for a male sometimes, seems like anytime I find that there isn't another "unsexed or female" listing for the same type of wrasse. (I have to find online) I assume when a listing for a type of wrasse doesn't list a sex they are all female?

Also, I have 180 gal. +40 gal in the sump. I have 1 coral beauty, 1 diamond goby, 1 starry blenny and 1 purple firefish. If I add a pair of wrasses can I add another type of wrasse (or possibly 2 more wrasses, each of their own type) at the same time?

I plan to add a yellow watchman goby, and possibly a tailspot or midas blenny.

When my tank is mature enough I will probably try a dragonet.

Also, on my wishlist for the future is probably 4 "showy" fish depending on how much room I have by the point I get to add them. Possibly 1 tang (bristletooth or white tail kole), 1 butterfly (love longnose), 1 foxface/rabbitfish, 1 Regal Angel (or another large angel if there is one that is small enough) and/or 1 bluethroat trigger. I know some of these may be varieties that are only "reef safe with caution or any less safe than that. I'm not sure what I will have by then or if I will be too concerned. Probably only going to have fairly invasive, hardy, soft corals so I may not be too worried.

If there is room or some of this doesn't work out I will probably add a clownfish or pair of clownfish.

Anyway, just a general plan that I am working towards but not set on. I only mention all of this to see how many wrasses I can add?

What I will say is, if this is your first time delving into the transitioning side of wrasses, don’t start with a pair - get yourself several females of other species to understand the signs (it’s more than just a colour change but the other signs can vary from species to species).

Wrasses naturally live in harems with very few species pairing up. You’ll find you have to have a male which can suppress the female to stop the transition. This means it can’t be an older male which is growing weak, but also not necessarily a newly transitioned male.

Next, when you don’t see a specific listing for a wrasse, assume it’s male - females of most Fairies/Flashers aren’t common and some species you just don’t see females of at all.

Wrasses and the Blue Throat trigger may not work the best so I’d go for the Angel route - smaller large angels that work will be species such as…
All of the Genicanthus genus
Pomacanthus navarchus (Majestic)
Apolemichthys trimaculatus (Flagfin)
Pygoplites diacanthus flavescens/diacanthus diacanthus (Yellow Belly Regal/Blue Belly Regal)


Finally, to give you an idea of how many wrasses you can have, here’s my 5 foot x 2 foot x 2 foot system’s stock list;

And an FTS of my 5 foot wrasse tank.

 

[wunderlong88]

What I will say is, if this is your first time delving into the transitioning side of wrasses, don’t start with a pair - get yourself several females of other species to understand the signs (it’s more than just a colour change but the other signs can vary from species to species).

Wrasses naturally live in harems with very few species pairing up. You’ll find you have to have a male which can suppress the female to stop the transition. This means it can’t be an older male which is growing weak, but also not necessarily a newly transitioned male.

Next, when you don’t see a specific listing for a wrasse, assume it’s male - females of most Fairies/Flashers aren’t common and some species you just don’t see females of at all.

Wrasses and the Blue Throat trigger may not work the best so I’d go for the Angel route - smaller large angels that work will be species such as…
All of the Genicanthus genus
Pomacanthus navarchus (Majestic)
Apolemichthys trimaculatus (Flagfin)
Pygoplites diacanthus flavescens/diacanthus diacanthus (Yellow Belly Regal/Blue Belly Regal)


Finally, to give you an idea of how many wrasses you can have, here’s my 5 foot x 2 foot x 2 foot system’s stock list;

And an FTS of my 5 foot wrasse tank.

Thank you for your extremely helpful reply. Your tank is beautiful and it sounds like you have a lot of the same fish that I hope to have. Wow I had no idea to have that many. I did decide I would just go the allmale route with individual species. Ty so much!

 

[CBonito]

I love wrasses. They have almost a reptilian sort of quality about them, but they are very smart and some of them are just silly with the things they do. Always interesting to watch even though half the time you wonder what's wrong with them, even though it's usually nothing. And they're model citizens...the reef-safe guys anyway.

 

[b1llvance]

Fyi -I found the information I needed on the website done by the wrasse guy. Very helpful website!

What is the wrasse guy website?