Melanurus wrasse

[gablett]

I have a female melanurus wrasse. I have thought of adding a male of the same size. Anyone done that? Obviously the males are prettier will my female eventually become a male?

 

[Oscaror]

I'm pretty sure it can become a male. Also if there are two female I'm pretty sure one will become a male. I'm 100% sure still learning all this wrasse stuff, I know that @evolved and @eatbreakfast can help out

 

[gablett]

I'm pretty sure it can become a male. Also if there are two female I'm pretty sure one will become a male. I'm 100% sure still learning all this wrasse stuff, I know that @evolved and @eatbreakfast can help out

Cool thanks for getting the discussion started

 

[Oscaror]

No problem

 

[4FordFamily]

Yes a some female will often turn male. Adding a male can be risky but I think the general consensus is that they would get along.

 

[4FordFamily]

Also if you had two females typically only one will become male. This can take months or years.

 

[vedros74]

I was curious about the same thing I have a male Scott's wrasse and was thinking about adding a female

 

[Triggreef]

Size of the tank plays a significant part. I had 2 for a long time (1 yr plus) in a 125g but one eventually killed the other. It was fast and I never saw it coming either. Never even found the body. But that could just be the personality of that one wrasse. It also killed a red coris and 2 yellow wrasses when it flipped its switch.

 

[Triggreef]

I was curious about the same thing I have a male Scott's wrasse and was thinking about adding a female

They are all different IMO and IME. I had a scotts that was mean to all other fish through qt but once in my main tank it was not bullied but steered clear of every other fish.

In my current 200g I have a dozen different wrasse mostly halichoerus and leopards. Many are quite large, but all are getting along quite well.

 

[vedros74]

I have the male in a 6' 125 right now the only other wrasse is a potters and a vrolik that should arrive tomorrow but is headed straight to qaurantine first

 

[eatbreakfast]

Every female melanurus wrasse I have ever owned or encountered has transitioned to a maleon it's owned.

@gablett I would not add a male to an established female. Male melanurus wrasses are quite intolerant of other male conspecifics. The female may have begun it's transition, and although not evident to people is very evident to them.

@vedros74 be xery careful adding H. chrysotaenia to an established melanurus, they are very close relatives so aggression will be worse between these 2 than other Halichoeres species. It can be done, but be aware. Keeping them together makes it easy to see the difference between these 2 species and to see how truly stunning chrysotaenia is.

Also, I would not add a female scott's to an established male. Scotts wrasses are particularly aggressive toward fairy wrasses and even more so toward a conspecific.

 

[gablett]

Every female melanurus wrasse I have ever owned or encountered has transitioned to a maleon it's owned.

@gablett I would not add a male to an established female. Male melanurus wrasses are quite intolerant of other male conspecifics. The female may have begun it's transition, and although not evident to people is very evident to them.

@vedros74 be xery careful adding H. chrysotaenia to an established melanurus, they are very close relatives so aggression will be worse between these 2 than other Halichoeres species. It can be done, but be aware. Keeping them together makes it easy to see the difference between these 2 species and to see how truly stunning chrysotaenia is.

Also, I would not add a female scott's to an established male. Scotts wrasses are particularly aggressive toward fairy wrasses and even more so toward a conspecific.

This is a 220 and the only other wrasse is a massive checkerboard. That's really all I'm after is ending up with a male. So if your confident in its own it will change over time that's good enough for me.