The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

KGscv

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20250902_153736_278394AD-FDE5-4C11-BF61-6D6318D0FC9A.png

QT done on this pintail. Couple days in the acclimation box and should be good to go.
 

BTDBunch

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Hey can I get some advice on wrasse compositions for my tank? My fiancé wants a really pink wrasse and trying to decide on some others to fill my 80 gallon. Currently have a yellow Coris wrasse, want to get a carpenter flasher wrasse. Other wrasses we are interested in are the naoko fairy wrasse, pintail fairy, and debelius fairy wrasse. Not sure if it would pushing it to get them all but since we just upgraded, very curious on the bioload of fish we can accommodate happily.
Current stock:
2 clown fish (super friendly still)
1 royal gramma
1 long nose hawk fish
1 yellow Coris wrasse
1 helfrichi fire fish

Interested in:
Flasher carpenter wrasse (next)
Starry/lawnmover blenny (next or cycle after)
Diamond goby (cycle after)
Some pink wrasse(s) (cycle after)
Naoko wrasse (last)
Whitetail tang (last)

Feel free give advice, especially about wrasse selection, quantity, and order.

Main restriction is where to get them from if other options are better suited for my tank etc (currently only looking at reefbeauties)
 

JoJosReef

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Hey can I get some advice on wrasse compositions for my tank? My fiancé wants a really pink wrasse and trying to decide on some others to fill my 80 gallon. Currently have a yellow Coris wrasse, want to get a carpenter flasher wrasse. Other wrasses we are interested in are the naoko fairy wrasse, pintail fairy, and debelius fairy wrasse. Not sure if it would pushing it to get them all but since we just upgraded, very curious on the bioload of fish we can accommodate happily.
Current stock:
2 clown fish (super friendly still)
1 royal gramma
1 long nose hawk fish
1 yellow Coris wrasse
1 helfrichi fire fish

Interested in:
Flasher carpenter wrasse (next)
Starry/lawnmover blenny (next or cycle after)
Diamond goby (cycle after)
Some pink wrasse(s) (cycle after)
Naoko wrasse (last)
Whitetail tang (last)

Feel free give advice, especially about wrasse selection, quantity, and order.

Main restriction is where to get them from if other options are better suited for my tank etc (currently only looking at reefbeauties)
Can check out Halichoeres pallidus and Cirrhilabrus earlei.
 

Tcook

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Pink
IMG_9410.jpeg
IMG_4641.jpeg


How large is this tank? Definitely naoko last. I would also recommend losing the hawk. They can be very aggressive and not the best tankmate for the isosceles which is 100x better looking imo.
 

BTDBunch

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Pink
IMG_9410.jpeg
IMG_4641.jpeg


How large is this tank? Definitely naoko last. I would also recommend losing the hawk. They can be very aggressive and not the best tankmate for the isosceles which is 100x better looking imo.
Honestly, my long nose hawk fish has been a model citizen in my tank. He’s been there the 2nd longest after the clown fish and he’s easily the largest.
It’s 80 gallons with lots of caves and hiding spots.
 

i cant think

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Honestly, my long nose hawk fish has been a model citizen in my tank. He’s been there the 2nd longest after the clown fish and he’s easily the largest.
It’s 80 gallons with lots of caves and hiding spots.
Wait until you add a wrasse, I added a hawk after my wrasses got established and the next thing I had was a dead male Iridis and a Diamond Tail in hiding.
Since then, I’ve never touched hawkfish in wrasse tanks.
 

BTDBunch

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Wait until you add a wrasse, I added a hawk after my wrasses got established and the next thing I had was a dead male Iridis and a Diamond Tail in hiding.
Since then, I’ve never touched hawkfish in wrasse tanks.
Is that the cases for hawkish as a genus or long nose hawk fish in particular? Or also just the isosceles?

Right now I have my yellow Coris, and after he was added, I haven't noticed any aggression from either, and they are more similar in size than anything else.

Appreciate the advice!
 

kimts

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The Pinkies from my Macro tank! Pretty bad photos as they’re both still quite camera shy but they’re loving their little Macro/Gorgonian haven.
IMG_2681.jpeg

IMG_2680.jpeg


I also believe these two are another spawning pair. I must be doing something right with pink streaks, I don’t know what but this is now the second time I’ve had spawning occur between a pair.
Love these! This was on my stocking list, but my LFS can’t locate them anywhere.
 

i cant think

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Here’s one for you guys! My female Pseudojuloides species. She has me stumped. Her caudal fin shows red, her head is green, and there is the clear orange/yellow line down her body.
36CCA563-BF48-43FD-9E0C-5CF05FF2FD7E.jpeg


I’ve wondered about her being the polackorum but even the male doesn’t seem to match what I’m seeing. For one, the yellow is going too far up the body.
F7A618E2-F3C2-4368-AD84-6F901DBA7E7A.jpeg
 

kimts

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Is that the cases for hawkish as a genus or long nose hawk fish in particular? Or also just the isosceles?

Right now I have my yellow Coris, and after he was added, I haven't noticed any aggression from either, and they are more similar in size than anything else.

Appreciate the advice!
curious as to what kind of hawk? I really love the red hawkfish, but I don't want a killer.
 

Slocke

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Did you have one of those before?
Yeah a 4” one that I had for a few years but it jumped a few months ago sadly. One of the reasons I now have a custom lid. This ones about 1”
 

BTDBunch

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curious as to what kind of hawk? I really love the red hawkfish, but I don't want a killer.
Long nose hawk fish. He’s a sweetheart with all my fish including my spot line flasher wrasse and yellow purple Coris wrasse
 

BTDBunch

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curious as to what kind of hawk? I really love the red hawkfish, but I don't want a killer.
Long nose hawk fish. He’s a sweetheart with all my fish including my spot line flasher wrasse and yellow purple Coris wrassse
 

i cant think

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Is that the cases for hawkish as a genus or long nose hawk fish in particular? Or also just the isosceles?

Right now I have my yellow Coris, and after he was added, I haven't noticed any aggression from either, and they are more similar in size than anything else.

Appreciate the advice!
So, I’ve had some pretty bad experiences with hawkfish in general. I have mixed 3-4 species with wrasses (one in my own tank, and the others in an LFS).
What I found was, eventually they all turned against peaceful, timid species. The Hawks I have tried are;
Long Nose (Oxycirrhites typus)
Blotched (Cirrhitichthys aprinus)
Flame (Neocirrhites armatus)
Lyretail/Swallow Tail (Cyprinocirrhites polyactis)

And not one of them played nice, I’ve had them with;
Paracheilinus Wrasses (various species from Carpenteri up to Hemitaeniatus)
Cirrhilabrus Wrasses (Again, various species that range in temperament - they didn’t seem to touch the species in the Scottorum complex)
Macropharyngodon (This was an unintentional mix as an old colleague forgot about the Hawk being there but as you may imagine, went horribly wrong)
Anampses (These guys were fairly strong with it, but it was mainly the Neoguinaicus that had better success)
Hologymnosus (Verging into species which can hold their own, the Doliatus & Rhonodotus seem to be much more dominant against Hawks)
Coris pictoides (again, he held his own against the Aprinus, surprisingly well too).

So, in general I just don’t mix them with wrasses as it’s never a one off scenario - Now, I just always chuck Hawkfish with fish like Passer Angels, and other aggressive species.
 

OrionN

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My Blue throat is one beautiful and healthy wrasse
IMG_0827.jpeg


My two male Splendid Pencil wrasse are doing fine together in my large tank. Not recommended in small tank. They fight but the weaker one just run away into the rock structure when they do. 90+ percent of the time they just flare at each other.
IMG_0816.jpeg
 
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