What is the most helpful wrasse?

[Jordan Kutun]

What wrasse in your opinion does the best work at keeping the tank clean of pests and other unwanted organisms?

 

[Ashish Patel]

Can't go wrong with a melanrus or coris wrasse. If you have barebottom then you could add a six line. The first two need just enough substrate to sleep

 

[AnakinReefWalker]

+1 to a yellow coris wrasse, they are great at pest control. I wanna say Six Lines are probably better (based on anectodal evidence) but they are known to be jerks.

 

[jake_francis]

+melanarus and yellow coris

 

[Jesterrace]

Melanurus will eat fireworms (smaller ones), bristleworms (smaller ones) and flatworms. They also have a tendency to dig up left over food and bring it into the open where it and your other fish can get to it, which helps dispose of extra food waste in your tank. Just be aware that they will occasionally eat snails and hermit crabs (and possibly smaller ornamental shrimp). Mine leaves my cleaner shrimp alone though (hates being tickled by it's antennae).

I did a clip on corals here and my juvie melanurus wrasse seems to think it's all about him:

 

[Pife]

Redlone or Christmas wrasse.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Any of the small Halichoeres species.

 

[Paul B]

A 6 line ate so many flatworms in my tank he couldn't swim.
Very helpful fish. After that, he washed my car. OK maybe not, but they do eat flatworms

 

[BigJohnny]

In order of personal preference:

Any leopard
Melanarus/vroliks
Yellow coris
Six line

Six lines are really good but don't usually mix well with other wrasse.

 

[ca1ore]

Dusky is an excellent choice as well, though it gets quite large so a big tank is required.

 

[Jesterrace]

In order of personal preference:

Any leopard
Melanarus/vroliks
Yellow coris
Six line

Six lines are really good but don't usually mix well with other wrasse.

Leopard can be helpful, but they are also pretty delicate and may or may not eat anything beyond copepods.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Leopard can be helpful, but they are also pretty delicate and may or may not eat anything beyond copepods.

They are delicate shippers, but have found most to be pretty accepting of foods and after they settle in avtank are quite hardy.

 

[BigJohnny]

Leopard can be helpful, but they are also pretty delicate and may or may not eat anything beyond copepods.

My leopards pick at absolutely everything. They are at the top of my list because they are prettier than the rest imo.

 

[ca1ore]

Leopards certainly can be tricky to acclimate, but even ones that take to prepared foods can slowly lose weight. It's a good idea to treat them for internal parasites, but even then weight loss can be a problem. I recently bought a pair of small Meleagris. Both in the same tank, both observably eating equivalent amounts - one thrives the other slowly lost weight and died.

 

[sundog101]

Anything that doesn’t sleep in the sand?

 

[BigJohnny]

Anything that doesn’t sleep in the sand?

Six line

 

[jayala12]

+1 to a yellow coris wrasse, they are great at pest control. I wanna say Six Lines are probably better (based on anectodal evidence) but they are known to be jerks.

Mine bullied my clown to death. [emoji19]. Mean ole jerk

 

[Jesterrace]

They are delicate shippers, but have found most to be pretty accepting of foods and after they settle in avtank are quite hardy.

Glad to hear it, I have one on order and am a bit nervous. :D

 

[sundog101]

Six line

I’m scared of six lines :eek:

 

[BertieBones]

I removed my six line after he made my clown fish jump out the tank, thankfully the clown survived, I now have a Christmas wrasse banana wrasse and peacock wrasse, would like more....any suggestions