Yellow Coris Wrasse in 33gal

[ReefyMcReefleFace]

I saw a few youtube videos of this reliable fish keeper keeping a small coris wrasse in his 33 gallon tank. Wondering what you guys think of that? I love the look of them and really enjoy that they swim around the tank and don't hide that much. As of now he'd be living with a pair of clowns, a psychedelic mandarin, and the CUC. I have snails, hermits, and emeralds. Thanks everyone

 

[Fish Fan]

I've never kept a Coris wrasse, but maybe one of the #reefsquad members or another knowledgable R2R will know

Good luck!

 

[ReefyMcReefleFace]

I've never kept a Coris wrasse, but maybe one of the #reefsquad members or another knowledgable R2R will know

Good luck!

Thanks, only my second post so I didn’t choose the best forum. I think I’ll post it again in the fish talk forum!

 

[Fish Fan]

Thanks, only my second post so I didn’t choose the best forum. I think I’ll post it again in the fish talk forum!

You're good! We're glad to have you, and glad that you're asking questions, and I just wanted to get some more eyes on your post. Help's coming, I promise

 

[Fish Fan]

 

[bluemon]

Should be fine as long as you have sand

 

[Troylee]

In my experience it’s fine and I love the little guys! But these peeps are the wrasse experts
@Slocke @i cant think

 

[CubsFan]

You might have trouble with the mandarin sharing the pods with the wrasse in such a small tank. The yellow coris wrasse isn’t really a coris wrasse. It’s halichores I think. Good luck.

 

[tbrown]

There's no small Coris wrasse. The Yellow isn't a true Coris, it's just been mislabeled.

A 33 gallon is probably too small long term for a chrysus mainly because it's pretty narrow for a potentially 5" long fish.

 

[tbrown]

Also, the Psychedelic will be competing for food with a super pod predator. Is he/she eating prepared food?

 

[i cant think]

I saw a few youtube videos of this reliable fish keeper keeping a small coris wrasse in his 33 gallon tank. Wondering what you guys think of that? I love the look of them and really enjoy that they swim around the tank and don't hide that much. As of now he'd be living with a pair of clowns, a psychedelic mandarin, and the CUC. I have snails, hermits, and emeralds. Thanks everyone

Firstly, welcome to R2R!!

Long term, it may be a bad idea, but if you plan to upgrade soon or can source a 1” or smaller specimen, it shouldn’t be too bad for a year or two in that size tank. These guys can grow quickly to 3 inches but once at the 3 inch mark, I find that the smaller Halichoeres from the Biocellatus complex generally have a much slower growth rate. It took my radiant 3 years to get to 4.5 inches and it only started another rapid growth spurt after I introduced my female (which is now my current male) so it likely would’ve been another few months if not a year before my first male grew from 3.5-4 inches.
You may want to design the rock scape to being a bit more open and able to have swim throughs - I find for tanks with wrasses, they want an even amount of hunting grounds on the rock but also plenty of caves and swim throughs to be happy. Generally 1-2 arches will fulfill this need, and once corals grow on it, you’ve got your ideal scenario with even more hunting ground!

 

[JoJosReef]

Agree with the above. Any Halichoeres will be happier with more swimming length. That is also true for leopards (Macropharyngodon) and pencils (Pseudojuloides). While my Halichoeres chrysus, Macropharyngodon bipartitis and Pseudojuloides splendens seem "happy" in my 3ft 40gal tank, it was night and day upgrading to my 4ft 83 gal tank. They seem "happier" now--I'm sure a 5ft tank would be even better, but I'm pleased with how the 4ft tank is turning out.

A future upgrade wouldn't be bad for your yellow chrysus wrasse. And that wrasse will also decimate the pod population in your display.

 

[i cant think]

Also, the Psychedelic will be competing for food with a super pod predator. Is he/she eating prepared food?

This is true but also, I just wanted to mention this doesn’t mean they will outcompete each other for the OP

Mandarins and other Dragonets hunt for baby pods whilst wrasses go for adults, but also whilst a mandarin will eat all day long, the wrasse will take breaks between feedings. Also, if you ever face flatworms, the mandarin will take on smaller species, whilst the wrasse takes on larger species. It’s why in my coral trays I plan for a whole army of different species of wrasse, some (like Pink Streaks and Pencils) can get into the gaps larger species (like Halichoeres and Rings) can’t get, whilst the larger species go for larger Flatworms and such yet the smaller species can get the smaller flatworms/nudibranchs like Monti Eating Nudis.

Edit: man I can talk about wrasses for a long time, I could’ve made that a much shorter post

 

[JoJosReef]

This is true but also, I just wanted to mention this doesn’t mean they will outcompete each other for the OP

Mandarins and other Dragonets hunt for baby pods whilst wrasses go for adults, but also whilst a mandarin will eat all day long, the wrasse will take breaks between feedings. Also, if you ever face flatworms, the mandarin will take on smaller species, whilst the wrasse takes on larger species. It’s why in my coral trays I plan for a whole army of different species of wrasse, some (like Pink Streaks and Pencils) can get into the gaps larger species (like Halichoeres and Rings) can’t get, whilst the larger species go for larger Flatworms and such yet the smaller species can get the smaller flatworms/nudibranchs like Monti Eating Nudis.

My wrasse army has made me a bit lax on dipping corals... last two coral hauls (from friends with good tanks at least) went straight into the tank. Don't underestimate the pink streaks!

 

[i cant think]

My wrasse army has made me a bit lax on dipping corals... last two coral hauls (from friends with good tanks at least) went straight into the tank. Don't underestimate the pink streaks!

Yep! I do an iodine bath on my coral, but that’s it! The Mystery I added last week has already found herself going round the rocks and hitting the places the Pencils can’t get. My Twistii manages to sneak past the clowns with her size and the mystery gets to the annoying crevices that the Twistii misses due to the angels and the pencils are too large to enter.

 

[Rocks reef]

A lot of great information in this thread!

 

[VintageReefer]

I have two in my 75 and they are very active and use every bit of the tank. I agree with the above suggestions that a baby or smaller one 1-2” will be fine for a year or so but eventually will need a bigger tank, and by then you will be attached and not want to give them away

 

[ReefyMcReefleFace]

Also, the Psychedelic will be competing for food with a super pod predator. Is he/she eating prepared food?

Yes, I made sure she was eating frozen when I got her. Thanks for the info

 

[ReefyMcReefleFace]

Also, the Psychedelic will be competing for food with a super pod predator. Is he/she eating prepared food?

This is true but also, I just wanted to mention this doesn’t mean they will outcompete each other for the OP

Mandarins and other Dragonets hunt for baby pods whilst wrasses go for adults, but also whilst a mandarin will eat all day long, the wrasse will take breaks between feedings. Also, if you ever face flatworms, the mandarin will take on smaller species, whilst the wrasse takes on larger species. It’s why in my coral trays I plan for a whole army of different species of wrasse, some (like Pink Streaks and Pencils) can get into the gaps larger species (like Halichoeres and Rings) can’t get, whilst the larger species go for larger Flatworms and such yet the smaller species can get the smaller flatworms/nudibranchs like Monti Eating Nudis.

Edit: man I can talk about wrasses for a long time, I could’ve made that a much shorter post

This is really good info, thank you! Are there any colorful wrasses that could be good for a 33 gal? I love the constant swimming and pretty colors

 

[JoJosReef]

This is really good info, thank you! Are there any colorful wrasses that could be good for a 33 gal? I love the constant swimming and pretty colors

Pair of pink streaks! Male and female. Adorable!