The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[evolved]

+2 to that ^

 

[Devaji]

ok guys/gals after a lot of debate on what direction to take the new build I have decided on a wrasse dominate system! so excited
so i wanted to run my list by you fellow wrasses lovers and get feedback.

I used the chart and other info provided by @evolved put together thank you once again!!

ok some of the more expensive wrasse have been left off the list. I am sure there your favs. too like the golden Rhomboid & Lineatus if I can find some sweet deals on them for sure I will add them. all fish will have to be shipped in as there is no LFS within 100's of miles each way ...boo sucks when trying to find that colorful fish you never know what you will get. :/ they those not so good shippers.

tank is a red sea reefer 750XXL 200 gal total. skimmer ,UV, ATS and fuge if the ATS does not out compete it
6'x2 x 2 or 71" X 23.6 x25.6




fish I already have:
1x flame angle
1x H. melanurus
1x Kaudern's Cardinalfish
1x Azure damselfish (model citizen)

Halichoeres:

H. melanurus “Melanurus Wrasse”- already have

H. iridis “Radiant Wrasse”

H. chrysus “yellow wrasse” X2

H. claudia “Christmas Wrasse”


Macropharyngodon:

M. bipartitus “Blue Star Leopard Wrasse”

M. ornatus “Ornate Leopard Wrasse”

Paracheilinus:

P. mccoskeri “McCosker’s Flasher”

P. cyaneus “Blue Flasher”: colorful male if I can find one
or
Paracheilinus carpenteri) Carpenter wrasse




Cirrhilabrus:

C. exquisitus “Exquisite Fairy” -male
C. lubbocki “tri colore fairy”- Male
OR C. cyanopleura ruby head fairy wrasse
C. pylei - male



other fish:
copperband butterfly
royal gramma
midas blennie
Kole tang
Yellow tang

also would like to have a few cleaner shrimp. I think I should be OK there no?


I am having hard time on the fairy wrasses.
open to suggestions thoughts, feedback all around on this list so calling all wrasse excerpts @eatbreakfast , @evolved
and all you other wrasse lovers.
cheers
D

 

[saltyhog]

ok guys/gals after a lot of debate on what direction to take the new build I have decided on a wrasse dominate system! so excited
so i wanted to run my list by you fellow wrasses lovers and get feedback.

I used the chart and other info provided by @evolved put together thank you once again!!

ok some of the more expensive wrasse have been left off the list. I am sure there your favs. too like the golden Rhomboid & Lineatus if I can find some sweet deals on them for sure I will add them. all fish will have to be shipped in as there is no LFS within 100's of miles each way ...boo sucks when trying to find that colorful fish you never know what you will get. :/ they those not so good shippers.

tank is a red sea reefer 750XXL 200 gal total. skimmer ,UV, ATS and fuge if the ATS does not out compete it
6'x2 x 2 or 71" X 23.6 x25.6




fish I already have:
1x flame angle
1x H. melanurus
1x Kaudern's Cardinalfish
1x Azure damselfish (model citizen)

Halichoeres:

H. melanurus “Melanurus Wrasse”- already have

H. iridis “Radiant Wrasse”

H. chrysus “yellow wrasse” X2

H. claudia “Christmas Wrasse”


Macropharyngodon:

M. bipartitus “Blue Star Leopard Wrasse”

M. ornatus “Ornate Leopard Wrasse”

Paracheilinus:

P. mccoskeri “McCosker’s Flasher”

P. cyaneus “Blue Flasher”: colorful male if I can find one
or
Paracheilinus carpenteri) Carpenter wrasse




Cirrhilabrus:

C. exquisitus “Exquisite Fairy” -male
C. lubbocki “tri colore fairy”- Male
OR C. cyanopleura ruby head fairy wrasse
C. pylei - male



other fish:
copperband butterfly
royal gramma
midas blennie
Kole tang
Yellow tang

also would like to have a few cleaner shrimp. I think I should be OK there no?


I am having hard time on the fairy wrasses.
open to suggestions thoughts, feedback all around on this list so calling all wrasse excerpts @eatbreakfast , @evolved
and all you other wrasse lovers.
cheers

D

I love your Halichoeres list. Take a look at H. chrysotaenia (Vrolik's wrasse). Looks much like melanurus but I like it a little better...more blue than green. Not expensive either.

Take a look at Potter's wrasse (M. geoffroy). Very cool leopard wrasse and also not expensive.

Ultimately it's all about what appeals to you if they are compatible. Welcome to the wrasse addiction!

 

[evolved]

I used the chart and other info provided by @evolved put together thank you once again!!

Thanks, but no thanks needed.

H. claudia “Christmas Wrasse”

Just make sure you're actually getting claudia. You don't want ornatissimus (which would likely come from Hawaii).

P. cyaneus “Blue Flasher”: colorful male if I can find one
or

If you can't find one, lineopunctatus is a close alternative.

C. pylei - male

Be a little careful with that one. Add last and make sure you use an acclimation box.

I think I should be OK there no?

Yeah, but if the Halichoeres have already been established, best to add them after lights out when they've all gone to bed. If they see you put them in, they might assume they're food.

Take a look at H. chrysotaenia (Vrolik's wrasse). Looks much like melanurus but I like it a little better...more blue than green.

No, don't - since he already has a melanurus. (those two won't work together)

 

[saltyhog]

No, don't - since he already has a melanurus. (those two won't work together)

Oops! Good catch. I missed that he already had the melanurus!

 

[evolved]

Oops! Good catch. I missed that he already had the melanurus!

I knew you must of.

 

[Devaji]

Thanks, but no thanks needed.


Just make sure you're actually getting claudia. You don't want ornatissimus (which would likely come from Hawaii).

If you can't find one, lineopunctatus is a close alternative.

Be a little careful with that one. Add last and make sure you use an acclimation box.

Yeah, but if the Halichoeres have already been established, best to add them after lights out when they've all gone to bed. If they see you put them in, they might assume they're food.

No, don't - since he already has a melanurus. (those two won't work together)

WELL that info has help out alot of refers and made the whole wrasse mixing attainable!

yes I was reading that in one of your threads. any tips for making sure I get a claudia from online vendors?

i'll look in to lineopunctatus. i picke the blue flasher as I love blue but i know each fish is different.

sounds good I'll add the shrimp after lights out.

how do you guys feel I am on my stocking bioload med or heavy?

 

[ngoodermuth]

^^I’m just curious what you guys think of the two chrysus working long-term? I’ve learned to hold to the “no conspecifics” rule, so surprised it wasn’t mentioned lol

 

[cancun]

WELL that info has help out alot of refers and made the whole wrasse mixing attainable!

yes I was reading that in one of your threads. any tips for making sure I get a claudia from online vendors?

i'll look in to lineopunctatus. i picke the blue flasher as I love blue but i know each fish is different.

sounds good I'll add the shrimp after lights out.

how do you guys feel I am on my stocking bioload med or heavy?

The shrimp thing.....I used to try and keep cleaner shrimp....but any of my Halichoeres Wrasses or my Red Coris Wrasse would make a meal out of them rather quickly. The only shrimp I was able to keep for more than a day or two was a coral banded shrimp....but my Red Coris Wrasse eventually ate him too. So for me I have all nocturnal clean up crew.... brittle stars and serpent stars.

 

[ngoodermuth]

The shrimp thing.....I used to try and keep cleaner shrimp....but any of my Halichoeres Wrasses or my Red Coris Wrasse would make a meal out of them rather quickly. The only shrimp I was able to keep for more than a day or two was a coral banded shrimp....but my Red Coris Wrasse eventually ate him too. So for me I have all nocturnal clean up crew.... brittle stars and serpent stars.

Yea... I haven’t had luck with shrimp either. And my hermits get picked off here and there too. Snails seem ok though.

 

[evolved]

any tips for making sure I get a claudia from online vendors?

If collection origin is known, you don't want one from Hawaii. Fiji only has claudia.

i'll look in to lineopunctatus. i picke the blue flasher as I love blue but i know each fish is different.

Sans the shape of the tail, the two species are very similar.

^^I’m just curious what you guys think of the two chrysus working long-term? I’ve learned to hold to the “no conspecifics” rule, so surprised it wasn’t mentioned lol

chrysus is maybe the one exception of Halichoeres that can work okay in multiples in the long run. It's probably the most mild species of the genus.

 

[cancun]

Yea... I haven’t had luck with shrimp either. And my hermits get picked off here and there too. Snails seem ok though.

LOL! Totally right! No hermits for me eaither! Yea I have no issues with snails too. My Red Coris has eaten serpent stars in the past that came out during the day instead if at night.

 

[ngoodermuth]

chrysus is maybe the one exception of Halichoeres that can work okay in multiples in the long run. It's probably the most mild species of the genus.

See...mine is not. Besides the regal, he runs the tank. I seem to bring the worst out in “peaceful” fish lol.

I’ve been scouring the web looking for examples of a pair working out long term, for my own curiosity. The closest to long term I can find seems to be “a few years”. One person had a pair for two years before the male had to be moved (for different reasons) but never had issues in that two years. Another account said they were fine for several years, and all of a sudden the male started to become more and more assertive to the female until eventually he pushed her into hiding and was attacking her through the sand [emoji15]

So I’d definitely use caution...

 

[Devaji]

Yea... I haven’t had luck with shrimp either. And my hermits get picked off here and there too. Snails seem ok though.

oh bummer I love cleaner and fire shrimp I think they add a very nice mood to the tank. but I dont want to give the wrasses a $25 meal.

 

[Devaji]

See...mine is not. Besides the regal, he runs the tank. I seem to bring the worst out in “peaceful” fish lol.

I’ve been scouring the web looking for examples of a pair working out long term, for my own curiosity. The closest to long term I can find seems to be “a few years”. One person had a pair for two years before the male had to be moved (for different reasons) but never had issues in that two years. Another account said they were fine for several years, and all of a sudden the male started to become more and more assertive to the female until eventually he pushed her into hiding and was attacking her through the sand [emoji15]

So I’d definitely use caution...

hmm thanks for bringing this up I thought those two would be fine together? I guess I can try and if one needs rehomed I have a friend with a 14' tank maybe he would rehome the little guy.

now I am not sure I even want to try...maybe i'll skip it and add a regal! one of my dream fish.

 

[ngoodermuth]

hmm thanks for bringing this up I thought those two would be fine together? I guess I can try and if one needs rehomed I have a friend with a 14' tank maybe he would rehome the little guy.

now I am not sure I even want to try...maybe i'll skip it and add a regal! one of my dream fish.

I’m not saying not to try it... @evolved is definitely more knowledgeable in wrasse behavior than I am. And I have no idea how big the tanks were in either case, just sharing what I found. I would definitely have a backup plan just in case, a 14’ tank seems like as good a plan as any [emoji23]

 

[evolved]

I’ve been scouring the web looking for examples of a pair working out long term, for my own curiosity.

When I say multiples, I mean a group of 4 or more. Pairs certainly may not work out.

 

[Devaji]

When I say multiples, I mean a group of 4 or more. Pairs certainly may not work out.

ah OK I will only add one. I just saw a few tanks on You Tube that had a pair in it, much smaller then mine so I got the impression it was Ok. but that is why I asked here!
thanks!

 

[Seanislav]

This may not be a completely fair question, but would anyone want to hazard a guess as to my chances of success with adding a Quoyi parrot to a 300 with large male Melanurus, medium Timor, and large Rose Margin, and a half dozen assorted tangs? I have access to one, but want to make as sure as I can that I'm not dooming the poor guy to certain death.

 

[Gareth elliott]

Have no intent of purchasing but found very little information on this fish. Why is it marked as difficult? Has anyone kept one and have some information on them. Again just for curiosity, what happens on a Sunday morning [emoji23]