The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[SaltyT]

Thanks, not yet. Lost a C. naokoae in QT to swim bladder problems, and a C. brunneus that didn't survive shipping. I plan to add a lineatus and/or rhomboid, a couple flashers, and whatever bodianus sp. hogs I can get in the next year.

Sorry about the losses. I lost a brunneus recently too that didn’t survive shipping. That’s a nice list post pics when you start getting your new additions.

 

[Futuretotm]

My pride and joy

 

[Futuretotm]

My yawning Mel

 

[SaltyT]

My yawning Mel

Very cool pic! Check out those teeth!

 

[Futuretotm]

Very cool pic! Check out those teeth!

Last words of my CUC

 

[BelieveInBlue]

anybody have any experience with an aggressive yellow canary wrasse? I added a radiant wrasse yesterday, and the yellow canary, which had only been in the tank for a few weeks, has been chasing it quite a bit. The radiant's been forced into a corner, though it isn't bothered as long as it stays in that corner. The tank is 90 gallons, and there are 7 total wrasses in there. No aggression from any other fish so far either....

 

[Futuretotm]

Caught the leopard yawning (has spine damage I think as he doesn’t use his tail as much)

 

[jp_75]

What is on first picture?

Need to get pics of the rest, but a couple of mine

 

[SaltyT]

anybody have any experience with an aggressive yellow canary wrasse? I added a radiant wrasse yesterday, and the yellow canary, which had only been in the tank for a few weeks, has been chasing it quite a bit. The radiant's been forced into a corner, though it isn't bothered as long as it stays in that corner. The tank is 90 gallons, and there are 7 total wrasses in there. No aggression from any other fish so far either....

The aggression isn’t unusual because H. chrysus and H. iridis are close cousins, but I wouldn’t expect the aggression to last long since chrysus is one of the mildest halichoeres wrasses. In the future, try an acclimation box when you introduce new wrasses.

 

[SaltyT]

Caught the leopard yawning (has spine damage I think as he doesn’t use his tail as much)

Sorry to hear that she has something wrong with her, she’s beautiful!

 

[BelieveInBlue]

The aggression isn’t unusual because H. chrysus and H. iridis are close cousins, but I wouldn’t expect the aggression to last long since chrysus is one of the mildest halichoeres wrasses. In the future, try an acclimation box when you introduce new wrasses.

Yea on closer inspection, the two do seem very similar, body and head wise. I thought I could skip the acclimation box since H chrysus is supposed to be one of the least aggressive wrasses in general, but I didn't realize how similar the two are. I put up a large mirror in the middle of the tank as a distraction and thankfully, it seems to have worked.

 

[Thomashtom]

Updated pics of Broomtail wrasse!! Thanks

 

[jdiefenbaugh]

What is on first picture?

Redstripe hogfish, B. sepiacaudus

 

[LeftyReefer]

Are Clouded Wrasses reefsafe? saw one at the LFS and wasn't even sure what it was. Live Aquaria doesn't even have them listed...

 

[SaltyT]

Are Clouded Wrasses reefsafe? saw one at the LFS and wasn't even sure what it was. Live Aquaria doesn't even have them listed...

I've never heard this name before so I googled it and it came up as a name for halichoeres nebulosus. If this is the same wrasse you saw it is coral safe, but not invert safe. H. nebulosus can become pugnacious towards other wrasses and smaller fish as it matures.

 

[LeftyReefer]

I've never heard this name before so I googled it and it came up as a name for halichoeres nebulosus. If this is the same wrasse you saw it is coral safe, but not invert safe. H. nebulosus can become pugnacious towards other wrasses and smaller fish as it matures.

Yes, that's it. I'm guessing my shrimp wouldn't be happy if I brought that guy home then.
thanks!

 

[Luananeko]

Question for all you more experienced wrasse folks, how do you entice a new, scared wrasse to come out and eat after you've caught it's bully?

I picked up a beautiful Fiji Exquisite Fairy Wrasse from Live Aquaria recently and he seemed to acclimate with flying colors. Seemed confident and raring to get out of the acclimation box, and none of the other wrasses in my tank even looked at him while he was in it. As soon as I let him out, he was swimming strongly and inspecting everything, until my biggest wrasse (a Splendid Pintail) who normally is the most timid fish in the tank (despite also being the biggest) zoomed out of his rock arch and chased him around a bit. The Exquisite boy seemed to take this in stride at first and was able to swim out alongside the Pintail at times, but after a few hours of several more chases the Exquisite was full stress colors and hiding under a rock.

I managed to catch the Pintail and put him in the acclimation box as a time-out to give the Exquisite some peace and quiet so he could come out, eat, and get used to the tank without getting picked on (he's twice the size of all the other fish in the tank other than the Pintail), but I wasn't sure what else I could do to help him. I plan on keeping the Pintail in the time-out box for a few days as-needed until the Exquisite had time to get some meals and confidence before attempting to reintroduce the Pintail.

What do you guys think? Any tips/tricks to help the situation? Tank is a 60g display with 35g combined volume between an under tank sump & HOB refugium, packed full of live rock for lots of broken lines of site & hidey holes. Other inhabitants besides the Exquisite and Pintail are a Firefish, a juvenile Golden Rhomboidalis, a Blue Flasher, a McCosker's Flasher, a Green Mandarin, and a Starry Blenny.

 

[SaltyT]

Question for all you more experienced wrasse folks, how do you entice a new, scared wrasse to come out and eat after you've caught it's bully?

I picked up a beautiful Fiji Exquisite Fairy Wrasse from Live Aquaria recently and he seemed to acclimate with flying colors. Seemed confident and raring to get out of the acclimation box, and none of the other wrasses in my tank even looked at him while he was in it. As soon as I let him out, he was swimming strongly and inspecting everything, until my biggest wrasse (a Splendid Pintail) who normally is the most timid fish in the tank (despite also being the biggest) zoomed out of his rock arch and chased him around a bit. The Exquisite boy seemed to take this in stride at first and was able to swim out alongside the Pintail at times, but after a few hours of several more chases the Exquisite was full stress colors and hiding under a rock.

I managed to catch the Pintail and put him in the acclimation box as a time-out to give the Exquisite some peace and quiet so he could come out, eat, and get used to the tank without getting picked on (he's twice the size of all the other fish in the tank other than the Pintail), but I wasn't sure what else I could do to help him. I plan on keeping the Pintail in the time-out box for a few days as-needed until the Exquisite had time to get some meals and confidence before attempting to reintroduce the Pintail.

What do you guys think? Any tips/tricks to help the situation? Tank is a 60g display with 35g combined volume between an under tank sump & HOB refugium, packed full of live rock for lots of broken lines of site & hidey holes. Other inhabitants besides the Exquisite and Pintail are a Firefish, a juvenile Golden Rhomboidalis, a Blue Flasher, a McCosker's Flasher, a Green Mandarin, and a Starry Blenny.

A healthy fairy wrasse can be enticed with food. But your Exquisite will venture back out on his own, just give him a little time. And once he does come out, post a pic of that beauty!

Hopefully when you reintroduce the Pintail there isn't much squabbling between them. I too added an Exquisite in with a Pintail and my Pintail dominated the Exquisite, but after a couple of weeks the tables turned and my Exquisite became dominant over my Pintail.

 

[Luananeko]

A healthy fairy wrasse can be enticed with food. But your Exquisite will venture back out on his own, just give him a little time. And once he does come out, post a pic of that beauty!

Hopefully when you reintroduce the Pintail there isn't much squabbling between them. I too added an Exquisite in with a Pintail and my Pintail dominated the Exquisite, but after a couple of weeks the tables turned and my Exquisite became dominant over my Pintail.

Nice, it's good to hear another experience with these two!

I was a bit shocked at how aggressive the Pintail was once the Exquisite was released since, like I mentioned, he usually is shy and spends most of the time either in the back near the top or under his arch watching while the rest of the wrasses swim around together. Until the Exquisite, he was by far the biggest fish in the tank, so there really wasn't any reason for him to be so timid. The Exquisite is slightly smaller than the Pintail, but I figured he'd still end up the dominant fish in the tank just based on their tending to grow bigger and slightly more aggressive... That's why I waited to add him until last!

I'm gut loading some brine shrimp right now, fingers crossed that's tempting enough to entice him out!

 

[Luananeko]

Sadly, the Exquisite didn't make it. Found him on top of the rocks this afternoon :(