The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[OrionN]

 

[SaltyT]

What do we think: male or female... ornate

Ornates can be tricky. Yours is a female. She looks to still be a juvenile based on how little color there is on the caudal and the three dark areas on her dorsal, but it could just be the pics.

 

[Beau_B]

Likely still juvenile, relatively small (3"). I'll be curious to see if it transitions or stays female!

 

[BelieveInBlue]

Hey wrasse lovers! What do you think of the following wrasse list for a 4 foot 120gallon mixed reef?

yellow canary wrasse
radiant wrasse
melanurus wrasse
2-3 flasher wrasses out of carpenter's, filamented, blue flasher, royal, diamond-tail, yellowfin, McCosker's.
2-3 fairy wrasses out of dusky (brunneus), lubbock's, exquisite, girdled (balteatus), pink margin (rubrimarginatus)? Rhomboid? Pintail?

which fairy/flashers I go with will likely be dependent on availability. Plan would be to introduce the canary first, and then the rest all at the same time, likely 2-3 months later.

Other fish in the tank will include a blackcap basslet, various blennies and gobies, a yellow tang, a white-tail bristletooth, and possibly a bellus angel, copperband/yellow pyramid butterflyfish, and if room, a harem of anthias, probably lyretail.

 

[OrionN]

Hey wrasse lovers! What do you think of the following wrasse list for a 4 foot 120gallon mixed reef?

yellow canary wrasse
radiant wrasse
melanurus wrasse
2-3 flasher wrasses out of carpenter's, filamented, blue flasher, royal, diamond-tail, yellowfin, McCosker's.
2-3 fairy wrasses out of dusky (brunneus), lubbock's, exquisite, girdled (balteatus), pink margin (rubrimarginatus)? Rhomboid? Pintail?

which fairy/flashers I go with will likely be dependent on availability. Plan would be to introduce the canary first, and then the rest all at the same time, likely 2-3 months later.

Other fish in the tank will include a blackcap basslet, various blennies and gobies, a yellow tang, a white-tail bristletooth, and possibly a bellus angel, copperband/yellow pyramid butterflyfish, and if room, a harem of anthias, probably lyretail.

That list seem to be fine to me. Nothing that will be a problem in a 120 gal tank.

 

[BelieveInBlue]

That list seem to be fine to me. Nothing that will be a problem in a 120 gal tank.

Awesome! So potentially 9 total wrasses wouldn't be too many in a 120gal?

 

[OrionN]

Awesome! So potentially 9 total wrasses wouldn't be too many in a 120gal?

IME, 9 wrasse in that tank should be OK. I would put the Melanurus in last since that probably will be your most aggressive wrasse. The Radiant should go in at the beginning. It is a sensitive and docile wrasse

 

[BelieveInBlue]

IME, 9 wrasse in that tank should be OK. I would put the Melanurus in last since that probably will be your most aggressive wrasse. The Radiant should go in at the beginning. It is a sensitive and docile wrasse

Awesome! I was planning on adding them in 3-4 batches anyways so that's perfect, although the radiant seems to be rarer up in Canada so adding it first along with the yellow canary might not be possible. :mad:

 

[Tcook]

the radiant seems to be rarer up in Canada so adding it first along with the yellow canary might not be possible. :mad:

Collecting for the radiant and other Madagascar/African fish is going to ramp up pretty soon.

How much rock and hiding spaces will you have? Looks like you will have a nicely stocked 120 like mine, fish-wise.

 

[dvgyfresh]

Anyone own a dragon wrasse? Would love to hear your experience !

 

[Goaway]

Anyone own a dragon wrasse? Would love to hear your experience !

I did back in 2006. I love that fish. Tore up whatever rock he could lift and was 4 inches long. Ate all of my inverts. Grabbed them smashed them up against rocks. If I did rock work, he was right there investigating for food. Did not mess with corals. Unless he could flip them.
I loved that fish. He needed a new home. He got too big for my 55g.

Edit: Dragon wrasse was what drew me back into saltwater. Eventually led to reef keeping.

 

[dvgyfresh]

I did back in 2006. I love that fish. Tore up whatever rock he could lift and was 4 inches long. Ate all of my inverts. Grabbed them smashed them up against rocks. If I did rock work, he was right there investigating for food. Did not mess with corals. Unless he could flip them.
I loved that fish. He needed a new home. He got too big for my 55g.

Edit: Dragon wrasse was what drew me back into saltwater. Eventually led to reef keeping.

That’s awesome! Ye I plan to move him into a Fowler after he gets a bit bigger , my inverts will probly thank me, may I suggest getting another lol he will be a sole resident into a 125

 

[Goaway]

That’s awesome! Ye I plan to move him into a Fowler after he gets a bit bigger , my inverts will probly thank me, may I suggest getting another lol he will be a sole resident into a 125

I did think about it. They are so amazing in personality. a nice FoWLR is in the picture. Just not sure when, yet.

I have a malanurus wrasse who's very close to behaving like a dragon. No BS tolerant attitude. He won't flip rocks. He does dig sand up. But he's always checking out what I am doing. And if it fits in his mouth, smashes it against the rocks... Scary.
Edit: except snails.

 

[dvgyfresh]

I did think about it. They are so amazing in personality. a nice FoWLR is in the picture. Just not sure when, yet.

I have a malanurus wrasse who's very close to behaving like a dragon. No BS tolerant attitude. He won't flip rocks. He does dig sand up. But he's always checking out what I am doing. And if it fits in his mouth, smashes it against the rocks... Scary.

Def looks like the king of the tank, got the look down

 

[BelieveInBlue]

Collecting for the radiant and other Madagascar/African fish is going to ramp up pretty soon.

How much rock and hiding spaces will you have? Looks like you will have a nicely stocked 120 like mine, fish-wise.

Current plan is for ~100lbs of marco rock. I plan on having about a dozen caves/bolt holes since I also want a few shrimp and some other cave dwelling fish. Plus more places to hide should result in less aggression, so that's always nice.

 

[saltyhog]

Hey wrasse lovers! What do you think of the following wrasse list for a 4 foot 120gallon mixed reef?

yellow canary wrasse
radiant wrasse
melanurus wrasse
2-3 flasher wrasses out of carpenter's, filamented, blue flasher, royal, diamond-tail, yellowfin, McCosker's.
2-3 fairy wrasses out of dusky (brunneus), lubbock's, exquisite, girdled (balteatus), pink margin (rubrimarginatus)? Rhomboid? Pintail?

which fairy/flashers I go with will likely be dependent on availability. Plan would be to introduce the canary first, and then the rest all at the same time, likely 2-3 months later.

Other fish in the tank will include a blackcap basslet, various blennies and gobies, a yellow tang, a white-tail bristletooth, and possibly a bellus angel, copperband/yellow pyramid butterflyfish, and if room, a harem of anthias, probably lyretail.

I agree the list looks ok. My only concern would be to only do C. rubrimargninatus or C. rhomoboidalis and not both in that size tank,. They are in the same complex and rubrimarginatus can be a little bossy and Rhomboids are usually very demure.

 

[BelieveInBlue]

I agree the list looks ok. My only concern would be to only do C. rubrimargninatus or C. rhomoboidalis and not both in that size tank,. They are in the same complex and rubrimarginatus can be a little bossy and Rhomboids are usually very demure.

Noted. I'm leaning toward brunneus + lubbock's. The original plan was to get a used 120gal, but that fell through unfortunately. The current plan is to look for a used 90 gal or purchase a new one. In that case, the plan will probably be 6 total wrasses. Likely yellow canary, radiant, brunneus, lubbock's, and then a couple flasher wrasses, probably McCosker's and filamented?

I should also note that the overall fish list will be getting redone. There won't be any angels or butterflies, and the goby/blenny list will likely be cut down a bit. Thoughts?

 

[saltyhog]

Noted. I'm leaning toward brunneus + lubbock's. The original plan was to get a used 120gal, but that fell through unfortunately. The current plan is to look for a used 90 gal or purchase a new one. In that case, the plan will probably be 6 total wrasses. Likely yellow canary, radiant, brunneus, lubbock's, and then a couple flasher wrasses, probably McCosker's and filamented?

I should also note that the overall fish list will be getting redone. There won't be any angels or butterflies, and the goby/blenny list will likely be cut down a bit. Thoughts?

Sound reasoning!

 

[Rudefish]

I added the 4 leopard wrasse to my 280g tank that has quite a few fish including 2 clowns. Although all indications are that they are compatible, one of the clown (most likely the female because it is the larger of the two) keeps chasing the wrasses. The clowns are usually in one corner of the tank but now she roams in different areas as if scouting to see the wrasses'. As soon as the wrasse are in sight, the chase is on. The wrasses are quick so have not gotten caught yet but I know eventually stress may take over. Has anyone experience this fenominon with clown not accepting wrasse?

 

[saltyhog]

I added the 4 leopard wrasse to my 280g tank that has quite a few fish including 2 clowns. Although all indications are that they are compatible, one of the clown (most likely the female because it is the larger of the two) keeps chasing the wrasses. The clowns are usually in one corner of the tank but now she roams in different areas as if scouting to see the wrasses'. As soon as the wrasse are in sight, the chase is on. The wrasses are quick so have not gotten caught yet but I know eventually stress may take over. Has anyone experience this fenominon with clown not accepting wrasse?

What species of clown fish? How long have the wrasses been in the tank? Some chasing is expected with clowns....especially a mature female. If the chasing is not constant and the wrasses are not hiding and are eating well, I would not be too concerned.