The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[OrionN]

I finally got my Diamond Tail Flasher wrasse. A friend I I got two from @NYAquatic last Friday, 2/14/2020. I am keeping the wrasse for my fiend right now for about 3 weeks since he is adding other fish and got his QT full. Right now that two Diamond Tail are in my QT system with a Carpenter Flasher Wrasse. All are doing great. Already chasing Otohime pellets with gusto. I am feeding Flakes and Frozen Mysis twice a day about 7 AM and 6-7 PM right before the light go out. Automatic Otohime feeding at 9:00,11:00,13:00 and 15:00 hrs.
So far the three wrasse are doing great in my QT system.
I am just glad that I finally got a P. attenuatus.

Larger of the two about 1.5 inch. This is going to my friend's tank if a few weeks

My Baby Diamond Tail

 

[HairyGary]

I finally got my Diamond Tail Flasher wrasse. A friend I I got two from @NYAquatic last Friday, 2/14/2020. I am keeping the wrasse for my fiend right now for about 3 weeks since he is adding other fish and got his QT full. Right now that two Diamond Tail are in my QT system with a Carpenter Flasher Wrasse. All are doing great. Already chasing Otohime pellets with gusto. I am feeding Flakes and Frozen Mysis twice a day about 7 AM and 6-7 PM right before the light go out. Automatic Otohime feeding at 9:00,11:00,13:00 and 15:00 hrs.
So far the three wrasse are doing great in my QT system.
I am just glad that I finally got a P. attenuatus.

Larger of the two about 1.5 inch. This is going to my friend's tank if a few weeks

My Baby Diamond Tail

They look great! It’s one my favorite wrasse. Very personable.

 

[OrionN]

Video of my wrasses in QT
You may have to go directly to YouTube to view the video

 

[saltyhog]

Mine transitioned very quickly from female to terminal male....just a few weeks. Great looking specimen!

 

[jstephens24]

setting up a new tank that the DT will be roughly 190 gallons. Fish wants: 2 clowns, 3 yellow tangs, blue tang and a powderblue tang possible. they would all be added at same time. Now to the wrasse question: I am thinking these will be alright together based on the chart

Cirrhilabrus type- Cirrhilabrus lubbocki, Cirrhilabrus exquisitus, Cirrhilabrus naokoae, Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura and Cirrhilabrus katherinae

How many, if any, more wrasses can I put in and also what type? I will have 2 cleaner shrimp so they must be invert friendly. I will have sand also. I have read Paracheilinus is also a good type but I don't know if I can just add 2-3 and be fine.

 

[evolved]

Cirrhilabrus type- Cirrhilabrus lubbocki, Cirrhilabrus exquisitus, Cirrhilabrus naokoae, Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura and Cirrhilabrus katherinae

The only risk there is with naokoae.

How many, if any, more wrasses can I put in and also what type?

There's not really a set number, provided compatibility and you're within an allowable bioload.
Other genera such as Paracheilinus, Halichoeres, Macropharyngodon, and Anampses could all work.

I will have 2 cleaner shrimp so they must be invert friendly.

Most reef appropriate wrasses are fine with cleaners, except some of the larger species in the Halichoeres genus.

I have read Paracheilinus is also a good type but I don't know if I can just add 2-3 and be fine.

For the most part, yes - a few together are fine.

 

[Archibald J McLauchlin]

Checkerboard, Dragon, Red Coris, Twin Spot Coris and a Melanarus for me so far.

 

[kyley]

Hi All,
Compatibility check... In my 120g, I have a Black Leopard Wrasse and Malanurus Wrasse with an Exquisite Fairy Wrasse on the way. I'm considering also getting a Pintail Fairy Wrasse as my LFS has them pretty cheap. Would they all get along? Not sure of the rules on Fairy + Fairy... Thanks!
--Kyle

 

[evolved]

Would they all get along?

Yes

Not sure of the rules on Fairy + Fairy...

Cirrhilabrus Complexes: Inferiority Need Not Apply (1st Revision)

Cirrhilabrus, the “Fairy Wrasses”, are one of the most elegant, active, and colorful reef fish. Their appeal in a reef tank is common to many, but not all have a well-rounded understanding of the compatibility amongst them. Enter the notion of...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[kyley]

Yes

Cirrhilabrus Complexes: Inferiority Need Not Apply (1st Revision)

Cirrhilabrus, the “Fairy Wrasses”, are one of the most elegant, active, and colorful reef fish. Their appeal in a reef tank is common to many, but not all have a well-rounded understanding of the compatibility amongst them. Enter the notion of...

www.reef2reef.com

You're awesome, thanks for the quick response! :D
--Kyle

 

[saltyhog]

Checkerboard, Dragon, Red Coris, Twin Spot Coris and a Melanarus for me so far.

I hope you have a big tank! All of those except the melanurus get to about 1 foot long. The twin spot up to 2 feet! :)

 

[A. grandis]

So many beautiful species here!!!
What are the best dry foods your guys recommend for wrasses?
What are the 3 less demanding/ sensitive reef safe species to be kept together?
In what order would you suggest to add them to the system?
I would like to keep 2 or 3 wrasses in a 7gal.
Right now I've got 3 tangs, 4 small cardinals and 2 clowns for years.
I would like to keep my Turbo snails, if possible.
Thanks in advance.

 

[mattzang]

that's a mighty stocked 7g tank! guessing there's at least one missing number there

 

[A. grandis]

Sorry... 75gal.

 

[mattzang]

Sorry... 75gal.

i'd check out the smaller halichoeres, they're mostly invert safe. i have some big turbos and h. chrysus and h. biocellatus leave them alone. when i feed masstick i have a few nassarius snails that cruise up the glass and biocellatus likes to pick at them (doesn't kill them or even thwart them, they want dat masstick)

the group A, B, C fairy wrasses should be good

most flashers, i think there's one that's kinda too big for the tank, should be good

if you want to try more difficult there's leopard and tamarin wrasses. i got me a little moyers leopard a few weeks ago and it has been great, eats everything including pellets and flakes.

 

[A. grandis]

I very much appreciate your reply, @mattzang.
Heard about Masstick and still didn't get some. Good to hear from you they work. I'll get some. Any other dry food recommendation?
You confirmed about the H. chrysus. I had that in mind to try. Should I add that first? In terms of aggression...
What about the fairy wrasses... I would like one in the same level of H. chrysus in terms of feeding.
My worse fear is feeding. I hate to purchase fishes when they are hard to feed. I have a small 20 gal. quarantine tank and will put them there first before transferring to the 75gal.
Tamarin wrasses are said to be only for experts. I love them, but want to keep them with other fishes. Should I try them anyway? I had in mind that they would do better in a dedicated tank. Am I wrong?
My dream is to have a Anampses neoguinaicus.
The more info the better...
Thanks again.

 

[mattzang]

I very much appreciate your reply, @mattzang.
Heard about Masstick and still didn't get some. Good to hear from you they work. I'll get some. Any other dry food recommendation?
You confirmed about the H. chrysus. I had that in mind to try. Should I add that first? In terms of aggression...
What about the fairy wrasses... I would like one in the same level of H. chrysus in terms of feeding.
My worse fear is feeding. I hate to purchase fishes when they are hard to feed. I have a small 20 gal. quarantine tank and will put them there first before transferring to the 75gal.
Tamarin wrasses are said to be only for experts. I love them, but want to keep them with other fishes. Should I try them anyway? I had in mind that they would do better in a dedicated tank. Am I wrong?
My dream is to have a Anampses neoguinaicus.
The more info the better...
Thanks again.

dry foods i kinda have a plethora of, best being: TDO pellets, NLS pellets, PE pellets, PE flakes, and sustainable aquatics pellets

h. chrysus is great, very peaceful and doesn't seem to bother inverts. eats anything

afaik fairy wrasses and flasher wrasses should all be on the easier end of the spectrum since they're planktivores. i have an orangeback fairy wrasse and it eats anything

if you're worried about feeding the leopards and anampses wrasses might not be for you. but if you can find them eating they might work.

i did have a hard fail a few months ago with anampses neoguinaicus, i tried everything in the book to get it to eat and it just wouldn't. others have had more success with them, seems if you find one in an lfs eating prepared foods you're halfway there. but my tiny sample size of one didn't go well. beautiful fish though!

 

[A. grandis]

dry foods i kinda have a plethora of, best being: TDO pellets, NLS pellets, PE pellets, PE flakes, and sustainable aquatics pellets

h. chrysus is great, very peaceful and doesn't seem to bother inverts. eats anything

afaik fairy wrasses and flasher wrasses should all be on the easier end of the spectrum since they're planktivores. i have an orangeback fairy wrasse and it eats anything

if you're worried about feeding the leopards and anampses wrasses might not be for you. but if you can find them eating they might work.

i did have a hard fail a few months ago with anampses neoguinaicus, i tried everything in the book to get it to eat and it just wouldn't. others have had more success with them, seems if you find one in an lfs eating prepared foods you're halfway there. but my tiny sample size of one didn't go well. beautiful fish though!

Thanks very much! Will start with the H. chrysus then.
One more question... should I plan to add one at a time in the main system or should I add one by one and do the quarantine separately? Quarantine one first and add, then quarantine next species then add til the 3rd be added? Some times I see pictures of many wrasses of the same genus in the same quarantine. Would that be better and recommended with different species or genus?

 

[mattzang]

Thanks very much! Will start with the H. chrysus then.
One more question... should I plan to add one at a time in the main system or should I add one by one and do the quarantine separately? Quarantine one first and add, then quarantine next species then add til the 3rd be added? Some times I see pictures of many wrasses of the same genus in the same quarantine pictures. Would that be better and more recommended with different species or genus?

that's a better question for someone with a whole mess of wrasses :) when you figure out a list of wrasses you'd like i'd try to get a real expert's opinion

i will say the wrasses that do similar things will probably be more problematic to each other. fairys and flashers likely to bother each other more. halichoeres/leopards/anampses might bother each other more. closer related more aggression.

an acclimation box is a worthy investment. i added my red line wrasse to my DT first and then added the h. chrysus a week later thinking it'd be fine, but the red line got in some minor chasing. i think a day or so in the acclimation box would've prevented that.

 

[A. grandis]

that's a better question for someone with a whole mess of wrasses :) when you figure out a list of wrasses you'd like i'd try to get a real expert's opinion

i will say the wrasses that do similar things will probably be more problematic to each other. fairys and flashers likely to bother each other more. halichoeres/leopards/anampses might bother each other more. closer related more aggression.

an acclimation box is a worthy investment. i added my red line wrasse to my DT first and then added the h. chrysus a week later thinking it'd be fine, but the red line got in some minor chasing. i think a day or so in the acclimation box would've prevented that.

Ok, so I'll try to add only 2 wrasses to the system: Halichoeres chrysus and the Cirrhilabrus aurantidorsalis or a C. solorensis, depending on what I can order here. Also will try to get all the food you suggested. Dry foods are great to prevent the huge load of phosphates added with frozen. I normally use mysis only in the quarantine during the first week or so for the new fishes. Hopefully the wrasses will do good.
By the way... I already invested in a nice acrylic box a while ago to get wrasses.
I really appreciate your help.