The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

christinna77 · Aug 6, 2025

Here's my new tamarin, still in QT. She's best buds with my tilefish Sushi :) She never stops moving, so getting a good picture is next to impossible. Super happy she finally started eating frozen, Sushi really helps her feel more secure and curious.

Crabby48 · Aug 6, 2025

I

Tcook said:
I used to think it was some unmet dietary requirement as they would do well for 6-12 months and then suddenly vanish. But we have no issues keeping other members of the genus like vivien, meleagris, ornatus, moyers etc. Just the chaoti and negrosensis. Can’t see the dietary requirements would be that different. Strange.

think it’s internal. Ben talking with someone way better than me with fish disease and they are willing to help me scrap, cut dissect to see if anything is found. They have a multi tank system for them all. The only issue is I have to find it a the hobby prices are high. Also I need to recoup some money and I refuse to ship. Working out that detail.
Also potters if known impossible to keep long term but I did until unfortunate accident and know others that have luck. Me and them all fully qt’ed. I think it helps give but don’t believe fully that’s why. Viviens are very hardy if you get them healthy after a long hold and flight. I find all leopards to be hardy if you get them healthy I find leopards to be easier then fairy’s to be honest. The number one is where you get and even that if you get them off the plane when imported your chance goes way up. It’s multiple tanks and shipping.
Rapid DNA test are coming out. I’m excited for them as they will say if fish has ich, velvet or uronema to start. I hope in the future wholesalers are mandated to test new batches of fish. The loss is many big wholesalers can’t use most meds legally to treat. Seems the ones that breed fish like QM. So technically. Our government is doing more harm then good with laws but yet want to close collections for what they say is for the good. Hmm

Crabby48 · Aug 6, 2025

to be clear whether you quarantine, fish or not, I do not care. I hate these meds My issue is wholesalers and stores where most of these fish get parasites and disease put it in other peoples tanks and risk other fishes lives.

Crabby48 · Aug 6, 2025

JoJosReef said:
Actually a Halichoeres leucoxanthUs! Not a Coris wrasse (an unfortunate common name).

That’s a dottyback?!

Crabby48 · Aug 6, 2025

OrionN said:
For sand sleeping wrasses, they don’t just dive into the sand and parted the sand like they do water. Actually they are next to the sand and vibrate very quickly. This vibration sorta part the sand and they can swim right through the sand. If there is a rock or something hard, they cannot. They are not going to injured their spine by diving to to a hard bottom. They still can swim very fast and run into the glass or bottom or hit the lid and break their spine, but not because of diving into the sand.

Yes they vibrate! I did have an adorned that would go full sped dive in the sand and he would go 2 - 3 ‘ in distance under the sand. I run tanks with very shallow sand beds to. It was like watching someone dive in the shallow end of a pool.

Tcook · Aug 6, 2025

Crabby48 said:
Yes they vibrate! I did have an adorned that would go full sped dive in the sand and he would go 2 - 3 ‘ in distance under the sand. I run tanks with very shallow sand beds to. It was like watching someone dive in the shallow end of a pool.

I did on vacation and broke my front tooth.

NancyFish · Aug 6, 2025

Crabby48 said:
Yes they vibrate! I did have an adorned that would go full sped dive in the sand and he would go 2 - 3 ‘ in distance under the sand. I run tanks with very shallow sand beds to. It was like watching someone dive in the shallow end of a pool.

2-3feet? lol geez. Are they really apparent of Rockwork. I was considering a choats but my sand be is like narrow strips. Maybe one corner is a decent patch less narrow and I keep wondering if the foundation rock just isn’t a good fit.

maxthisout · Aug 6, 2025

NancyFish said:
How’s your hooded? I can’t tell if I like the rose bad or the hooded more. I also liked their colors more than a pin tail but the pintail seems to shimmer pretty nicely.

Since I can’t do a ton of fish it feels like a final commitment, no wonder people just keep getting bigger tanks lol.

I hear you, Rose Bands are very pretty with stunning pink base. Hooded will be more "chill" with it's attitude. Not to throw another option at you the Nahacky is in the same group as a Hooded and also very stunning.

Honestly you'll be happy with any the above Wrasses. The Chaoti might hide for a while depending on how long since they were imported. When you see them out of the sand in the tank for the first few times it is an amazing feeling. Mine spent a few weeks hiding months ago and was transitioning to a male (after about 2 years in my system).

I try to get all my Wrasses as females so I can watch them transition.

maxthisout · Aug 6, 2025

NancyFish said:
2-3feet? lol geez. Are they really apparent of Rockwork. I was considering a choats but my sand be is like narrow strips. Maybe one corner is a decent patch less narrow and I keep wondering if the foundation rock just isn’t a good fit.

People keep sand sleeping Wrasses in bare bottom tanks with a tub of sand hidden in the back. You just need enough to cover the fish.

NancyFish · Aug 6, 2025

maxthisout said:
I hear you, Rose Bands are very pretty with stunning pink base. Hooded will be more "chill" with it's attitude. Not to throw another option at you the Nahacky is in the same group as a Hooded and also very stunning.

Honestly you'll be happy with any the above Wrasses. The Chaoti might hide for a while depending on how long since they were imported. When you see them out of the sand in the tank for the first few times it is an amazing feeling. Mine spent a few weeks hiding months ago and was transitioning to a male (after about 2 years in my system).

I try to get all my Wrasses as females so I can watch them transition.

Besides the transition, do you see the choat a lot? I’m still torn if its pattern is worth it, some people say they hide a lot and it’s not as vibrant as it seems.

Lol I wish there was a petstore that just had all the fish so you could see them next to each other.

i cant think · Aug 7, 2025

OrionN said:
P. kaleidos
For very quick ID, it is the yellow instead of black tail that separates a Bluehead from a Splendid. This plus the fact that I know you have Kaleidos while I have Splendends. :)

The guy in the back is Hologymnosus doliatus, another weird wrasse I have - I’d love a rhonodotus though.

Oh! And I still hunt for Splendens, although I can’t work out how many female pencils I want

I used to have 4-5 pencils at once - a pair of Splendens, Kaleidos, Labrynthus and i think I still had my Edwardi at that point.
And, for anyone interested, here’s all the pencils I’ve kept;
1. Edwardi (M)
2. Severnsi (M)
3. Splendens (M & F)
4. Kaleidos (M & F)
5. Labrynthus (F)
6. Polackorum (M) - only in an LFS, for now

My favourite? Well, obviously the first pencil I truly fell in love with, Kaleidos! There’s just something about both the males and females that no other pencil has.

i cant think · Aug 7, 2025

NancyFish said:
2-3feet? lol geez. Are they really apparent of Rockwork. I was considering a choats but my sand be is like narrow strips. Maybe one corner is a decent patch less narrow and I keep wondering if the foundation rock just isn’t a good fit.

I’ve seen a peninsula tank where all the sand is pushed to the back and it held some stunning leopards - including a trio of Choati, pair of Lapillus and a Bipartitus. Plus a pair of Radiants among other fairies/flashers (including a Diamond tail flasher pair).
Wrasses will find the deeper part of the sand and dive into it.

i cant think · Aug 7, 2025

NancyFish said:
Besides the transition, do you see the choat a lot? I’m still torn if its pattern is worth it, some people say they hide a lot and it’s not as vibrant as it seems.

Lol I wish there was a petstore that just had all the fish so you could see them next to each other.

I had a juvenile (>1”), if I can find the photos I got whilst I had her I’ll show them, but her pattern was bright and contrasted with the other fish.
Also, whilst they can be shy for the first couple of weeks, once they’re settled and used to our timezone they’ll stay up and hunt around the rocks all day.

NancyFish · Aug 7, 2025

i cant think said:
I had a juvenile (>1”), if I can find the photos I got whilst I had her I’ll show them, but her pattern was bright and contrasted with the other fish.
Also, whilst they can be shy for the first couple of weeks, once they’re settled and used to our timezone they’ll stay up and hunt around the rocks all day.

I think we’re definitely leaning towards a choat, thank you for sharing about it and the insight on the sand.

Do you know how many “peaceful” wrasses you can do in a smaller tank without having issues with territory? I have a 65, chat gpt thinks 3 should be it but I’m wondering if 4 wouldn’t be much different.

i cant think · Aug 7, 2025

NancyFish said:
I think we’re definitely leaning towards a choat, thank you for sharing about it and the insight on the sand.

Do you know how many “peaceful” wrasses you can do in a smaller tank without having issues with territory? I have a 65, chat gpt thinks 3 should be it but I’m wondering if 4 wouldn’t be much different.

I’m not great with gallons and converting into dimensions - what are the dimensions of the tank?