The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[SaltyT]

I'm okay with ordering online. Im just not confident in my ability to quarantine a fairy wrasse, I've heard they're very difficult. It's been getting the places that do quarantine to get the fish that has been the issue. I've been eyeing the WWC and Reef Pro Store for a bit for sure.

Gotcha. It looks like Dr. Reef has some QT'd ones right now.

Hooded Flame Fairy Wrasse | Quarantined Fish

Min. Tank Size: 75 gal Reef Compatible: Yes

drreefsquarantinedfish.com

 

[radav88]

Gotcha. It looks like Dr. Reef has some QT'd ones right now.

Hooded Flame Fairy Wrasse | Quarantined Fish

Min. Tank Size: 75 gal Reef Compatible: Yes

drreefsquarantinedfish.com

Oh sweet! Thanks for that I think I'm going to pull the trigger. Just debating on another wrasse to add to the order.

 

[beesnreefs]

Gotcha. It looks like Dr. Reef has some QT'd ones right now.

Hooded Flame Fairy Wrasse | Quarantined Fish

Min. Tank Size: 75 gal Reef Compatible: Yes

drreefsquarantinedfish.com

Wow. That is a stunning wrasse!

 

[LAReefer4Life]

 

[AZReef13]

Oh sweet! Thanks for that I think I'm going to pull the trigger. Just debating on another wrasse to add to the order.

Can't wait to see it in your tank... Beautiful fish

 

[radav88]

Quick question for the more experienced wrasse keepers. I'm looking at the Fairy wrasse compatibility chart and was wondering would it be a bad idea to try to keep C. bathyphilus with C. Isosceles?

 

[noobreefer2]

Hey everyone, I am interested in getting another wrasse for my tank. I bought a yellow halichoeres wrasse, but it ended up dying, so Im wondering if anyone has other suggestions for other halichoeres wrasse. (I would like a halichoeres wrasse because I have heard they can eat some coral pests and are pretty peaceful)

 

[Matt Carden]

I got a Melanarus Wrasse about 6 weeks ago. He had good coloration with horizontal stripes only. Last week I noticed what looks like verticle discoloration stripes. At first I was thinking maybe losing color due to stress but the stripes are uniform thickness and spacing.

When I looked up pictures online I see that most of the pictures showed some variation of verticle colored stripes. Is this something a young male would go through transitioning to a more dominant male?

 

[beesnreefs]

I got a Melanarus Wrasse about 6 weeks ago. He had good coloration with horizontal stripes only. Last week I noticed what looks like verticle discoloration stripes. At first I was thinking maybe losing color due to stress but the stripes are uniform thickness and spacing.

When I looked up pictures online I see that most of the pictures showed some variation of verticle colored stripes. Is this something a young male would go through transitioning to a more dominant male?

I’m not a wrasse expert so I’ll let those folks chime in…but my melanurus shows those stripes often, when he’s feeling spicy or got spooked by something

 

[OrionN]

Those stripes are mood dependent coloration. Normal coloration of Melanurus and Vrolik wrasses, perhaps some other species as well.
Vrolik and Melanurus are sister species that do not have overlap geographic distribution. Here are pictures of my Vrolik that I posted earlier in this thread.

Normal coloration

Light going down

Moonlight

 

[Sean Clark]

Help me with compatibility...

China Pearl Black-backed Wrasse (Anampses neoguinaicus) New

Radiant Wrasse (Halichoeres iridis) New

Splendid Pintail Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus isosceles) New

Melanurus Wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus) Existing definitely male

How do you think this bunch would get along? I am open to suggestions for additions or replacements.

 

[A Young Reefer]

We’re all guilty of mixing wrasses that ‘shouldn’t’ be mixed… I mean, I have it in practice currently. Hopefully you can re home him and get a beautiful plan ready!!
And talking of my gang, here’s my two Halichoeres :)

talk about me, I have a blue throat, an exquisite and a pintail together. But it’s working perfectly fine.

 

[Tcook]

It's funny cause the clowns don't seem to have any clue what's going on, they just kind of move out of the way. I've always wanted to keep a C. jordani but with the Hawaii closure that's out of the question.

Or is it?;)

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Quick question for the more experienced wrasse keepers. I'm looking at the Fairy wrasse compatibility chart and was wondering would it be a bad idea to try to keep C. bathyphilus with C. Isosceles?

They should do fine. I have the following in my 75 gallon without any issues:

C. bathyphilus
C. isosceles
C. rhomboidalis
H. iridis
H. timorensis

They share the tank with a variety of other fish. Also had a C. finifenmaa (found a since sealed hole and jumped out unfortunately) and a C. lineatus (slowly wasted away, refusing all foods even though it wasn't bullied, and was always out and about). Both C. isosceles and C. bathyphilus are pretty mellow fairies and get along pretty well with most others.

I'd avoid the following if looking to mix in anything smaller than a massive tank from my own experiences with fairies:
C. rubripinnis (chased all the other fairies, even in a 380 gallon tank)
C. katherinae (my current specimen even chases the damsels...)
C. briangreenei (unless you've got a tank 180 gallons or larger, don't mix it with other fairies)
C. scottorum (unless you've got a huge tank, it'll fight all other fairies)
C. rubrimarginatus (my old one was almost as bad as my rubripinnis)
C. cyanogularis

My most mellow fairies have included:
C. isosceles
C. brunneus
C. bathyphilus
C. lubbocki (both Indo and Cebu variants)
C. finifenmaa
C. rhomboidalis
C. cf cyanopleura
C. solorensis
C. lineatus
C. lunatus
C. rubriventralis

C. solorensis, cyanopleura, temmincki, and ryukyuensis fall somewhere in between, and unfortunately I haven't had the pleasure of keeping any other species yet.

 

[OrionN]

The Melanurus may be aggressive but the rest should be fine if you don’t have a small tank they should do well together.

 

[i cant think]

They should do fine. I have the following in my 75 gallon without any issues:

C. bathyphilus
C. isosceles
C. rhomboidalis
H. iridis
H. timorensis

They share the tank with a variety of other fish. Also had a C. finifenmaa (found a since sealed hole and jumped out unfortunately) and a C. lineatus (slowly wasted away, refusing all foods even though it wasn't bullied, and was always out and about). Both C. isosceles and C. bathyphilus are pretty mellow fairies and get along pretty well with most others.

I'd avoid the following if looking to mix in anything smaller than a massive tank from my own experiences with fairies:
C. rubripinnis (chased all the other fairies, even in a 380 gallon tank)
C. katherinae (my current specimen even chases the damsels...)
C. briangreenei (unless you've got a tank 180 gallons or larger, don't mix it with other fairies)
C. scottorum (unless you've got a huge tank, it'll fight all other fairies)
C. rubrimarginatus (my old one was almost as bad as my rubripinnis)
C. cyanogularis

My most mellow fairies have included:
C. isosceles
C. brunneus
C. bathyphilus
C. lubbocki (both Indo and Cebu variants)
C. finifenmaa
C. rhomboidalis
C. cf cyanopleura
C. solorensis
C. lineatus
C. lunatus
C. rubriventralis

IME, the Cebu variant of Lubbocki is slightly more aggressive than some other wrasses. I haven’t had too much of an issue with it however he has shown some more boisterous behaviour in the past. The others look alright to me and I agree with the aggressive guys, they can be nasty if you get the wrong specimen.

 

[i cant think]

Help me with compatibility...

China Pearl Black-backed Wrasse (Anampses neoguinaicus) New

Radiant Wrasse (Halichoeres iridis) New

Splendid Pintail Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus isosceles) New

Melanurus Wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus) Existing definitely male

How do you think this bunch would get along? I am open to suggestions for additions or replacements.

This gang should get along, I would be cautious with the melanurus as they can be slightly aggressive to newcomers depending on how well established they are to the tank.

 

[i cant think]

Quick question for the more experienced wrasse keepers. I'm looking at the Fairy wrasse compatibility chart and was wondering would it be a bad idea to try to keep C. bathyphilus with C. Isosceles?

These are both mellow fairies and should get along. They are also on opposite ends of the chart (When the chart was made, C. isosceles was known as C. cf lanceolatus). Isosceles is in the Johnsoni complex and Bathyphilus is in the Bathyphilus complex. I personally don’t go off the chart 100% as some of it may be a bit out dated however the it’s a good idea to use as guidelines.

 

[i cant think]

Hey everyone, I am interested in getting another wrasse for my tank. I bought a yellow halichoeres wrasse, but it ended up dying, so Im wondering if anyone has other suggestions for other halichoeres wrasse. (I would like a halichoeres wrasse because I have heard they can eat some coral pests and are pretty peaceful)

I would personally go for a Halichoeres leucoxanthus as these are often overlooked by their close cousin, Halichoeres chrysus.
Another good Halichoeres if you can find a juvenile that is established into the hobby is Iridis. Although these are a pain for shipping, they’re generally really easy once past that stage.

 

[i cant think]

talk about me, I have a blue throat, an exquisite and a pintail together. But it’s working perfectly fine.

I have two Lubbockis (Both Cebu & Indonesian variants), my Naokoae and a Flasher of some sort in my 4’ tank, the only wrasses that should get along are my Iridis and the Lubbockis.
The rest shouldn’t really get along but some how they do.