The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[evolved]

I have a chance to pickup a 2"-3" female ornate wrasse.
I currently have a 3" female meleagris and a 3" female bipartitus.
They are in my 240.
Problems?

Macropharyngodon ornatus, or Halichoeres ornatissimus? Fine on the former, no on the latter.

 

[mfinn]

Macropharyngodon ornatus, or Halichoeres ornatissimus? Fine on the former, no on the latter.

Macropharyngodon ornatus

 

[Fishnugget]

I've tried flame, rhomboid, and labouti once before but lost each one of them shortly after qt and releasing into display from bladder issues. -____-' For those that have flames, would you a recommend pair over a single in a wrasse dominant tank?

When I added my flames, I added a trio. The largest flame turned male and began beating up the females. One of the larger females jumped out. The smaller female still get picked on. However, my flame wrasse's are alive and well. I also had them shipped from zoacollector and they did well. I would recommend you buy from him, he supports you through the whole process.

I also did not qt them, but did use an acclimation box.

 

[eatbreakfast]

When I added my flames, I added a trio. The largest flame turned male and began beating up the females. One of the larger females jumped out. The smaller female still get picked on. However, my flame wrasse's are alive and well. I also had them shipped from zoacollector and they did well. I would recommend you buy from him, he supports you through the whole process.

I also did not qt them, but did use an acclimation box.

A prime example of why it is best to just get one specimen per species for most wrasses.

 

[evolved]

This feels timely again: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/pairing-wrasses-thats-not-how-any-of-this-works.3/

 

[ngoodermuth]

@evolved and @eatbreakfast I have a male rhomboid who has put himself at the top of the social ladder. Pretty sure he took out my lineatus this week, so now he is the only fairy wrasse in the tank. I do have a leopard and halichoerus that he ignores.

What are the chances of adding another fairy wrasse or two with an established, dominant male present (120g), using an acclimation box? Better if I add at least two at once? I already had a flame in QT before the lineatus disappeared...I'm debating on holding him there while I QT another wrasse to add with him and break up the aggression. Any suggestions?

 

[eatbreakfast]

@evolved and @eatbreakfast I have a male rhomboid who has put himself at the top of the social ladder. Pretty sure he took out my lineatus this week, so now he is the only fairy wrasse in the tank. I do have a leopard and halichoerus that he ignores.

What are the chances of adding another fairy wrasse or two with an established, dominant male present (120g), using an acclimation box? Better if I add at least two at once? I already had a flame in QT before the lineatus disappeared...I'm debating on holding him there while I QT another wrasse to add with him and break up the aggression. Any suggestions?

It's a little surprising for a rhomboid to be assertive enough to kill a lineatus in that size of a tank, but there are always exceptions.

Chances do improve by adding a few specimens at once. 2 is better than 1, 3 is better than 2.

 

[evolved]

I'm also surprised that a rhomboid would be that aggressive - it's certainly not the norm with the species. But again, there's always exceptions.

And yes - adding more at once will be better.

 

[saltyhog]

My Rhomboid is the most shy and timid fairy wrasse I have ever kept. I'm surprised too!

 

[Fishnugget]

Well my male flame just committed suicide. Found him nice, dry and crispy in the back of my tank. Poor guy. I think I have only one female flame wrasse left. :(

I am not going to add anymore wrasses until I get that acrylic top sold by a sponsor here. Too risky with wrasses.

 

[ngoodermuth]

Mine isn't shy at all [emoji849]He chased the lineatus quite a bit, and then it finally disappeared over night. I did find the body, in the rocks being cleaned by the hermits... an expensive snack [emoji31]

 

[R€€F @DD¡ÇT]

Yesterday I added 2x zebra dartfish and a yellow fin flasher wrasse.

Dartfish went straight into display. Wrasse went into breeder box for a day. Didn't notice any aggression towards it.

When I released the wrasse he swam around like normal. But when the melanarus noticed it he started chasing it all over. Eventually the flasher retreated to a corner and chilled there. When I came back it disappeared, presumably into the rocks (tank is covered and I looked all around anyway).

Will the aggression subside? Or would I be better off selling the melanarus. I already sold a whip fin to accommodate more flashers. The melanarus shows no aggression towards the dartfish. Should also mention, tank is about 75g and the melanarus wrasse is quite big. Maybe 3,5inches and the flasher is about 2 inches.

 

[R€€F @DD¡ÇT]

Sorry for the long post

 

[Flameback Pair]

Hello everyone! I am hoping someone could shed some light about a question I have. I'm planning to get a bunch of micro brittle stars and I'm wondering if my sixline wrasse will eat them? I'm hoping not.

 

[Ian03]

 

[mfinn]

Was wondering if a Cirrhilabrus isosceles and a Cirrhilabrus rubeus get along.

 

[Ocelaris]

Hello everyone! I am hoping someone could shed some light about a question I have. I'm planning to get a bunch of micro brittle stars and I'm wondering if my sixline wrasse will eat them? I'm hoping not.

I have so many in my tank they literally get thrown out daily changing the filter socks acciy. I don't know the answer, but my thought is that it would be for a wrasse to get in the rocks after them, and they're more than abundant, and my melanurus hasn't bothered them yet. .


My lfs had a Katherine's wrasse today, but I passed on it, for now.

Would there be an issue with a Katherine's wrasse and a solorensis?

 

[Maritimer]

When I released the wrasse he swam around like normal. But when the melanarus noticed it he started chasing it all over. Eventually the flasher retreated to a corner and chilled there. When I came back it disappeared, presumably into the rocks (tank is covered and I looked all around anyway).

Will the aggression subside? Or would I be better off selling the melanarus. I already sold a whip fin to accommodate more flashers. The melanarus shows no aggression towards the dartfish. Should also mention, tank is about 75g and the melanarus wrasse is quite big. Maybe 3,5inches and the flasher is about 2 inches.

Flashers can be pretty timid. You can try "the mirror trick" to distract the melanurus for a few days, and see if everything settles down a bit. Place a mirror at one end of the tank, and the established resident should be more focused on this new and more dire threat than on chasing the flashers.

Hello everyone! I am hoping someone could shed some light about a question I have. I'm planning to get a bunch of micro brittle stars and I'm wondering if my sixline wrasse will eat them? I'm hoping not.

I can't say for certain, but I have a sixline. "Somebody" seems to be snacking on my brittle and serpent stars. I also have a bluejaw trigger, and a couple of dwarf angels in that tank, so don't know for certain whether it's the sixline.

~Bruce

 

[shrimped]

Was wondering if a Cirrhilabrus isosceles and a Cirrhilabrus rubeus get along.

I would avoid putting more than one Cirrhilabrus Wrasse in a tank but a bigger tank (100g+?)would be fine. I was going to get a pintail with a brunneus but soon changed the idea to a Supermale Pintail with a Female Potters Leopard Wrasse

 

[eatbreakfast]

Yesterday I added 2x zebra dartfish and a yellow fin flasher wrasse.

Dartfish went straight into display. Wrasse went into breeder box for a day. Didn't notice any aggression towards it.

When I released the wrasse he swam around like normal. But when the melanarus noticed it he started chasing it all over. Eventually the flasher retreated to a corner and chilled there. When I came back it disappeared, presumably into the rocks (tank is covered and I looked all around anyway).

Will the aggression subside? Or would I be better off selling the melanarus. I already sold a whip fin to accommodate more flashers. The melanarus shows no aggression towards the dartfish. Should also mention, tank is about 75g and the melanarus wrasse is quite big. Maybe 3,5inches and the flasher is about 2 inches.

Bruce's suggestion of putting a mirror on one end is a good one. Are there other wrasses in the tank besides the melanurus and the flasher? Oftentimes more wrasses diffuse aggression.

In most cases that sort of aggression subsides, but not always. If it doesn't get better within a few days then one will need to be rehomed.

Hello everyone! I am hoping someone could shed some light about a question I have. I'm planning to get a bunch of micro brittle stars and I'm wondering if my sixline wrasse will eat them? I'm hoping not.

A sixline may pick at some, but if you want to get the micro brittle stars to reproduce provide empty shells and rubble piles where the sixline can't get at them.

Was wondering if a Cirrhilabrus isosceles and a Cirrhilabrus rubeus get along.

In most cases, yes. Just utilize a social acclimation box when introducing a new wrasse to an established one.

I have so many in my tank they literally get thrown out daily changing the filter socks acciy. I don't know the answer, but my thought is that it would be for a wrasse to get in the rocks after them, and they're more than abundant, and my melanurus hasn't bothered them yet. .


My lfs had a Katherine's wrasse today, but I passed on it, for now.

Would there be an issue with a Katherine's wrasse and a solorensis?

In a tank 100g or more a solorensis and katherinae should be fine. Katherinae are a very peaceful species. Solorensis are usually fine, but some specimens can be pushy, so definitely utilize a social acclimation box.

I would avoid putting more than one Cirrhilabrus Wrasse in a tank but a bigger tank (100g+?)would be fine. I was going to get a pintail with a brunneus but soon changed the idea to a Supermale Pintail with a Female Potters Leopard Wrasse

In most cases more than one Cirrhilabrus can be kept without iasue. In fact, it is often desireable to keep different Cirrhilabrus together to get the best colors and displays from them.