The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[homer1475]

Going to go do the LFS crawl today. Hoping I can find another pintail(my wife and I really like the outward nature, and coloring).

Who knows, might even come home with some other wrasse.

<--- self proclaimed wrasseaholic!

 

[i cant think]

Going to go do the LFS crawl today. Hoping I can find another pintail(my wife and I really like the outward nature, and coloring).

Who knows, might even come home with some other wrasse.

<--- self proclaimed wrasseaholic

Good luck!! Hope you do go back with some beautiful wrasses. We’re all wrasseaholics haha.

 

[Tcook]

This isn’t uncommon unfortunately… I have found my wrasses to get into the worst gaps ever (Back of a max nano, down into the sump of my 4’ tank and more). It most likely did get out that way, if possible I would do WCs by the sump and take water out of there. Then you don’t risk the chance of a fish jumping. I do this because I have too many jumping fish in my main display, 5 wrasses a tile an Angel and a foxface. Most of my tank is jumping fish so I try to not have to open the lid for too long during a WC.

How does the tile do with other fish? Timid at feeding time?

 

[Lavey29]

Little man got popeye put him in 20 gallon treatment tank and couple day later it went away then came back

My rohmboid is the tank boss. Hope yours recovers.

 

[i cant think]

How does the tile do with other fish? Timid at feeding time?

Actually, he is the worst fish to feed because he’s right at the top of the tank when feeding. He is supposed to be the most peaceful and hardest fish to keep in my tank however this isn’t completely true. This guy bobs his head out of the water when hungry, he does just fine with my group of fish. Ignores all form of aggression, even when the tang started to assert dominance he just ignored it and went into his place. He hovers at the top of the tank a lot of the time but doesn’t struggle to swim. He’s a joy (I’ll probably sneak a photo in of him when I see him with a wrasse haha). He does dive into his cave when he’s startled though, I have yet to see him flash due to being scared but more just because he can. I have seen him flash to:
- Assert dominance to the lubbocks
- Feed
- Just randomly during a WC (This is why I love looking at the top-down side of the tank).

 

[homer1475]

Success!

I found a nice pintail fairy, and even scored a very healthy black leopard.

Was in the LFS invert room(they have a bunch of small interconnected acrylic "compartment" tanks for all their inverts, and the hidden gem once in a while), and happen to see on the side of one of the tanks a black leopard was listed. Asked if he was still there, and the owner said he thought so. He had had him for a couple months cause no one ever sees it, and they think it's not in there.

low and behold hiding in the sand is a nice sized black leopard! He/she?(are black leopards all born female like normal leopards? Would assume so) is super fat and healthy. LFS owner said it eats just about anything he throws in the tank, from pellets to frozen mysis.

It will make a nice addition to my wrasse gang.

Currently:
Adult yellow coris wrasse(yes I know, not really a coris wrasse!)
Transitioning red coris wrasse(very cool to watch change)
ornate leopard
black leopard
pintail fairy
melanarus

 

[Crabby48]

Success!

I found a nice pintail fairy, and even scored a very healthy black leopard.

Was in the LFS invert room(they have a bunch of small interconnected acrylic "compartment" tanks for all their inverts, and the hidden gem once in a while), and happen to see on the side of one of the tanks a black leopard was listed. Asked if he was still there, and the owner said he thought so. He had had him for a couple months cause no one ever sees it, and they think it's not in there.

low and behold hiding in the sand is a nice sized black leopard! He/she?(are black leopards all born female like normal leopards? Would assume so) is super fat and healthy. LFS owner said it eats just about anything he throws in the tank, from pellets to frozen mysis.

It will make a nice addition to my wrasse gang.

Currently:
Adult yellow coris wrasse(yes I know, not really a coris wrasse!)
Transitioning red coris wrasse(very cool to watch change)
ornate leopard
black leopard
pintail fairy
melanarus

Congratulations and yes they start out as female. Now get some pictures!

 

[i cant think]

Success!

I found a nice pintail fairy, and even scored a very healthy black leopard.

Was in the LFS invert room(they have a bunch of small interconnected acrylic "compartment" tanks for all their inverts, and the hidden gem once in a while), and happen to see on the side of one of the tanks a black leopard was listed. Asked if he was still there, and the owner said he thought so. He had had him for a couple months cause no one ever sees it, and they think it's not in there.

low and behold hiding in the sand is a nice sized black leopard! He/she?(are black leopards all born female like normal leopards? Would assume so) is super fat and healthy. LFS owner said it eats just about anything he throws in the tank, from pellets to frozen mysis.

It will make a nice addition to my wrasse gang.

Nice one!! I hope your new leopard settles in perfectly!! Here’s a comparison of the male M. negrosensis to the female (dang you autocorrect):
Male

Female

All wrasses no matter what genus/species it is start out as a female.

 

[homer1475]

Definitely female then.

Thanks!

Well lets see how long she stays buried for. My current ornate hid for 4 days before finally coming out.

Having 3 other rather large wrasses meet you at the door might be a little scary too. lol While the red, yellow, and mel are not aggressive, they are very inquisitive of new additions. I would rather use an acclimation box(where the pintail is), but feel letting them dive into the sandbed, and letting it come out on it's own is a better alternative.

 

[Crabby48]

Definitely female then.

Thanks!

Well lets see how long she stays buried for. My current ornate hid for 4 days before finally coming out.

Having 3 other rather large wrasses meet you at the door might be a little scary too. lol While the red, yellow, and mel are not aggressive, they are very inquisitive of new additions. I would rather use an acclimation box(where the pintail is), but feel letting them dive into the sandbed, and letting it come out on it's own is a better alternative.

I let my leopards loose with no box also. My fish never hide but I think it’s because I get them local and they get conditioned over weeks or months

 

[i cant think]

Definitely female then.

Thanks!

Well lets see how long she stays buried for. My current ornate hid for 4 days before finally coming out.

Having 3 other rather large wrasses meet you at the door might be a little scary too. lol While the red, yellow, and mel are not aggressive, they are very inquisitive of new additions. I would rather use an acclimation box(where the pintail is), but feel letting them dive into the sandbed, and letting it come out on it's own is a better alternative.

That’s the best way to introduce a sand sleeper IMO, especially a more stress prone one like the Anampses or Macros. I some how get away with just floating the wrasses in the water (The salinity at my LFS is the same as in my tank) and then putting it in. The fish take all their anger/assert dominance on the bag and then don’t care about the new guy in the tank (Although this is a risky move I know, especially with the species of wrasse I have at the moment). I always watch them for the first few hours to see if any aggression gets bad or not, I have had my wrasses not come out of hiding for 3 days tops. Although I’ve never gone harder than a Macropharyngodon bipartitus personally, I have kept several A. femininus thriving in the fish store I worked in though. I think I kept about 4-5 of them alive in the store, never tried one in my tanks because of the price and sensitivity though.

 

[Crabby48]

That’s the best way to introduce a sand sleeper IMO, especially a more stress prone one like the Anampses or Macros. I some how get away with just floating the wrasses in the water (The salinity at my LFS is the same as in my tank) and then putting it in. The fish take all their anger/assert dominance on the bag and then don’t care about the new guy in the tank (Although this is a risky move I know, especially with the species of wrasse I have at the moment). I always watch them for the first few hours to see if any aggression gets bad or not, I have had my wrasses not come out of hiding for 3 days tops. Although I’ve never gone harder than a Macropharyngodon bipartitus personally, I have kept several A. femininus thriving in the fish store I worked in though. I think I kept about 4-5 of them alive in the store, never tried one in my tanks because of the price and sensitivity though.

Not recommending but my potter’s and Vivian’s went though qt over month no sand just pvc and they were happy little buggers.

 

[ReeferCO]

Wrasse gurus I am wondering if I could get some advice. Would it be a good idea to put an orange back fairy-(C. aurantidorsalis) and an Exquisite wrasse-(C. Exquisitus) together in a 75 gallon? Looking at “The Wrasse Guy’s” website, and chart on mixing Cirrhilabrus this may be a questionable pairing? I am learning a ton as I work my through this thread. Thanks to all for any advice you may be able to offer.

 

[homer1475]

Might be ok, again as the chart leads you to believe, it's questionable. It all depends on the personality of the fish. I have certainly broke the rules on that chart before, sometimes it end up ok, other times your trying to catch one and rehome it.

Is one already established, or are you looking to purchase both?

I am a very firm believer in acclimation boxes when introducing new wrasses to already established ones.

 

[ReeferCO]

Might be ok, again as the chart leads you to believe, it's questionable. It all depends on the personality of the fish. I have certainly broke the rules on that chart before, sometimes it end up ok, other times your trying to catch one and rehome it.

Is one already established, or are you looking to purchase both?

I am a very firm believer in acclimation boxes when introducing new wrasses to already established ones.

None established at this time, so I would be purchasing both. As I am purchasing both I have every opportunity to go a different route. I’d like to give the fish and myself every opportunity for success, so it may be a wise move to go a different route. I really like both fish but there are so many amazing wrasse I think I will stick with the Exquisite wrasse-(C. Exquisitus) and pick a different 2nd. Thanks very much for your input!

 

[homer1475]

Exquisite is one of my favorites as well. Unfortunately, I have had way to many jump over the years to keep adding them for my own pleasure.

Also don't know if it's the location I live in, but they are few and far between, and I do not like ordering livestock online.

 

[i cant think]

So, in terms of the chart and what should mix I’ve said it before but if you want an example of a wrasse collection that breaks just about every rule of this chart my wrasse collection is the only example I can think of. If you manage a peaceful specimen of both species then it will most likely work just fine. I would add the exquisite in first then do the orange back second, their colours should be enough to differentiate the two and show they’re different fish. IMO you can’t get prettier than the Vanuatu exquisite variation, the African is a close second though.

 

[Crabby48]

None established at this time, so I would be purchasing both. As I am purchasing both I have every opportunity to go a different route. I’d like to give the fish and myself every opportunity for success, so it may be a wise move to go a different route. I really like both fish but there are so many amazing wrasse I think I will stick with the Exquisite wrasse-(C. Exquisitus) and pick a different 2nd. Thanks very much for your input!

If you are going to try it get them same time and small females. Younger they are they acclimate, ship better and get alone better. As they mature things can turn. I always have a trap ready.

 

[Crabby48]

None established at this time, so I would be purchasing both. As I am purchasing both I have every opportunity to go a different route. I’d like to give the fish and myself every opportunity for success, so it may be a wise move to go a different route. I really like both fish but there are so many amazing wrasse I think I will stick with the Exquisite wrasse-(C. Exquisitus) and pick a different 2nd. Thanks very much for your input!

I also agree with others just wanted to add my findings. Wrasse are worth it but can be little tricky. Also don’t be hesitant gets three wrasse and add them then be done until an upgrade. Every good wrasse post should enable lol

 

[J1a]

If you are going to try it get them same time and small females. Younger they are they acclimate, ship better and get alone better. As they mature things can turn. I always have a trap ready.

A lot of challenges when wrasses start to mature. The vying for dominance and their perchant for leaping through the smallest gaps is quite exhausting.