The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[ThatDPTguy]

Here are a few shots of my Leopards and Coris wrasse. The Carpenters and orange back are really hard to catch. Enjoy!

 

[i cant think]

My LFS recently came into grabbing some rather rare wrasse, one of them is the Gold nugget (Xenojulis margaritaceus), and they came into the possession of not one but TWO johnsoni fairy wrasses! A male and a female (They’re selling them as a pair but we all know what will happen in the future…), also got hold of 3 Marjorie’s fairy wrasses and selling two as a pair.
Here’s one of those wrasses! I’ll be going in to check them out tomorrow and seeing my first ever Johnsonis in person if they’re still there!

I’m tempting on dropping the bank and grabbing the Xenojulis margaritaceus but we’ll see if he’s as pretty as he is in the picture! Will definitely try get a photo of the pair of johnsonis when I’m there aswell.

 

[OrionN]

My LFS recently came into grabbing some rather rare wrasse, one of them is the Gold nugget (Xenojul......and they came into the possession of not one but TWO johnsoni fairy wrasses! A male and a female (They’re selling them as a pair but we all know what will happen in the future…), also got hold of 3 Marjorie’s fairy wrasses and selling two as a pair.
......

I am very interested in keeping breeding units of fish. IMO, spawning activity is impressive, interesting and is the pinnacle that show our ability to keep a healthy animals.
I would not put a huge amount of weight on the rigid idea that wrasses cannot be keep in pair or trio, or breeding units. Living here in Corpus Christi, I don't have much of a chance of getting female wrasse, along with male ones, however, keeping breeding units of those I can get my hands on have not been a problem for me. The species that I were able keep as breeding group, the dominant healthy male will suppress the development of less dominant member of the group from transitioning into another male.
Keeping breeding units of wrasse is not for everybody, but it is far, far from impossible as some veteran wrasse keepers strongly indicated.

 

[SaltyT]

My LFS recently came into grabbing some rather rare wrasse, one of them is the Gold nugget (Xenojulis margaritaceus), and they came into the possession of not one but TWO johnsoni fairy wrasses! A male and a female (They’re selling them as a pair but we all know what will happen in the future…), also got hold of 3 Marjorie’s fairy wrasses and selling two as a pair.
Here’s one of those wrasses! I’ll be going in to check them out tomorrow and seeing my first ever Johnsonis in person if they’re still there!

I’m tempting on dropping the bank and grabbing the Xenojulis margaritaceus but we’ll see if he’s as pretty as he is in the picture! Will definitely try get a photo of the pair of johnsonis when I’m there aswell.

Oh you definitely need the X. Margaritacea! He’s quite nice, makes me want one

 

[Tcook]

I am very interested in keeping breeding units of fish. IMO, spawning activity is impressive, interesting and is the pinnacle that show our ability to keep a healthy animals.
I would not put a huge amount of weight on the rigid idea that wrasses cannot be keep in pair or trio, or breeding units. Living here in Corpus Christi, I don't have much of a chance of getting female wrasse, along with male ones, however, keeping breeding units of those I can get my hands on have not been a problem for me. The species that I were able keep as breeding group, the dominant healthy male will suppress the development of less dominant member of the group from transitioning into another male.
Keeping breeding units of wrasse is not for everybody, but it is far, far from impossible as some veteran wrasse keepers strongly indicated.

Whenever I see these online sellers offering "breading pairs" of cirrhilabrus wrasses and what a bad idea it can be, I think of your wrasses. Maybe the problem arises with adding 2 of the same that were never really a true pair or trying to do this in too small of a tank (less than 200 gallons)‽

 

[i cant think]

Oh you definitely need the X. Margaritacea! He’s quite nice, makes me want one

Haha, yeah he has quite the price tag too (£209) but worth it!! Guess we’ll see when I go in what his personality is like and his in person colouring!!

 

[i cant think]

I keep looking at not JUST the stock picture my LFS got of the Xenonulis but other male xenos and you know what, I think I have a chance at coming home with a beautiful wrasse tomorrow, how is their aggression like though? Will they withstand a chase every so often by a terminal Jade?

 

[jpg001]

Can I add a P. carpenteri or mccoskeri in my tank where a male C. solorensis has lived for 2 years?

 

[i cant think]

Can I add a P. carpenteri or mccoskeri in my tank where a male C. solorensis has lived for 2 years?

With great difficulty yes, it all depends on two things:
How aggressive is the current wrasse?
What is the tank size?

 

[OrionN]

Can I add a P. carpenteri or mccoskeri in my tank where a male C. solorensis has lived for 2 years?

How big is your tank?
Fairy wrasses normally does not interact much with Flasher, just occasionally run at them but nothing persistent. These flasher wrasses need about 36 plus inches to flash properly. Red Head Solon wrasse needs even larger tank since he is a fairly large size wrasse. They all very fast fishes.
you won’t have any problem with keeping these together, especially if you use an acclimation box

 

[jpg001]

With great difficulty yes, it all depends on two things:
How aggressive is the current wrasse?
What is the tank size?

Red Head Solon is not aggressive at all, he occupies the tank rather in the lower part. there are 2 Purple firefish that he can bother with food, but the Purple firefish don't run away at all.
The bin measures 47 inches.
Population :
1 Red Head Solon
2 Clownfish
2 Purple firefish
1 Mandarin fish

 

[jpg001]

How big is your tank?
Fairy wrasses normally does not interact much with Flasher, just occasionally run at them but nothing persistent. These flasher wrasses need about 36 plus inches to flash properly. Red Head Solon wrasse needs even larger tank since he is a fairly large size wrasse. They all very fast fishes.
you won’t have any problem with keeping these together, especially if you use an acclimation box

Red Head Solon is not aggressive at all, he occupies the tank rather in the lower part. there are 2 Purple firefish that he can bother with food, but the Purple firefish don't run away at all.
The bin measures 47 inches.
Population :
1 Red Head Solon
2 Clownfish
2 Purple firefish
1 Mandarin fish

 

[i cant think]

Red Head Solon is not aggressive at all, he occupies the tank rather in the lower part. there are 2 Purple firefish that he can bother with food, but the Purple firefish don't run away at all.
The bin measures 47 inches.
Population :
1 Red Head Solon
2 Clownfish
2 Purple firefish
1 Mandarin fish

You should be alright however red head solons (C. aquamarinus) are rather boisterous to other wrasses so I would definitely stay on edge but that me with some other rather boisterous wrasse in with some peaceful wrasses (No idea how it’s working out for now).

 

[OrionN]

I just read that there is a recent change in scientific name of the wrasse I (and most reefers) know as Red Head Solon wrasse. It is now C. aquamarinus instead of C. solorensis. The new name is definitely appropriate.
This specific wrasse is one of the midsize wrasse that is not one of the most aggressive wrasse IME, but far from been timid. He won't be easily bullied but does not instigate aggression in my tank. He does not bother my Flasher wrasses. I had this wrasse in my tank since 2015 and he is the oldest of the wrasses that I keep, I had him since he was 1.5 inch emaciated dabbed female wrasse. He certainly changed a lot since then.
In a bin that is 47 inches in diameter, you won't have problem adding the two flasher wrasses with him in it.
Good luck.
Here is another picture of mine. He is so fat that he has double forehead (thick dorsal muscles) I kinda think of this as equivalent to a double chin. His coloration have been the same for the last 4 years.

The dorsal dark blue coloration is very mood dependent. It can be as dark, maybe even more in the picture below, or as light as the third picture.

 

[i cant think]

I just read that there is a recent change in scientific name of the wrasse I (and most reefers) know as Red Head Solon wrasse. It is now C. aquamarinus instead of C. solorensis. The new name is definitely appropriate.
This specific wrasse is one of the midsize wrasse that is not one of the most aggressive wrasse IME, but far from been timid. He wont be easily bullied but does not instigate aggression in my tank. He does not bother my Flasher wrasses. I had this wrasse in my tank since 2015 and he is the oldest of the wrasses that I keep, I had him since he was 1.5 inch emaciated dabbed female wrasse. He certainly changed a lot since then.
In a bi that is 27 inches in diameter, you won't have problem adding the two flasher wrasses with him in it.
Good luck.
Here is another picture of mine. He is so fat that he has double forehead (thick dorsal muscles) I kinda think of this as equivalent to a double chin. His coloration have been the same for the last 4 years.

I think in smaller tanks they can be VERY aggressive, I definitely think larger tanks have a massive affect on aggression. Then again, they say the same for C. naokoae however mine is the most peaceful wrasse I own along with the leopard (My Lubbock’s are kind of aggressive but not a chase every day like some OTHER wrasse I own).

There have been quite a few changes in scientific names recently, the two wrasses that were sold as “cf aquamarinus” are now properly identified.

 

[i cant think]

Also here’s my question, why do people keep pairs of the wrasses that basically always turn male in the long run? I get spawning behaviour is nice but isn’t it better to get them singularly (Then again, I’ve never been able to have a pair of wrasses because they never have pairs of the wrasse I love). I don’t mean to sound rude or anything but isn’t it kind of pointless owning a pair or trio of the same wrasse that will eventually all wind up as males?

 

[i cant think]

I will admit, in person X. margaritaceus isn’t as pretty as photos show unless it’s right next to you.

Some of the other wrasse they have are really getting to me:
Anampses neoguinaicus

Cirrhilabrus johnsoni pair

 

[i cant think]

I will admit, in person X. margaritaceus isn’t as pretty as photos show unless it’s right next to you.

Some of the other wrasse they have are really getting to me:
Anampses neoguinaicus

Cirrhilabrus johnsoni pair

I will admit that if I ever find a brighter looking Xenojulis margaritaceus I will probably grab it. That duller specimen is growing on me (Shame it was sold when I got there).

 

[OrionN]

IF that pair of Anampses neoguinaicus eating at the LFS, I would get them. I love my pair.

 

[i cant think]

Yeah, all four of them eat quite nicely so I may go for a pair of them OR keep waiting for a nice specimen of X. margaritaceus to appear.