Wrasse for pest control.. All of them good?

[cnseekatz]

Melanurus are excellent hunters, but will trash smaller snails & shrimp, and can/will become bullies to other fish in the tank, especially other wrasses. Sixlines are awesome as well, but can also become aggressive. I would only introduce them if they're the smallest fish in your tank, or you have a serious issue with flatworms or zoanthid eating nudis.

I keep leopard wrasses, and I find them much more polite members in my reef. They're active hunters, though probably not quite as much as the two above. My chaoti is a stellar hunter though, as active (if not more) than the sixline and melanurus.

 

[Anthony kolodziej]

I got both a melanurus and a chrysus hoping they would help with flatworms. I've not seen either partake. Still love the fish but no help with my pests.

For these a target dragonett works well . I have a pair that eats anything

 

[1stNoel]

Typically no, but it's not impossible. It would not be my first suspicion.

While in their tubes, no; there are none. If you manually break the tubes and expose the worm, many Halichoeres will figure out they're tasty.

Pods are their primary diet; may eat some other small critters on the substrate but don't count on it. Completely CUC safe.

I almost purchased a Leopard Wrasse today, but my LFS recommended against it since I have a barebottom tank. It is 300g with plenty of rocks and hiding places. I also have an acclimation box that I can place him in, along with a 55g quarantine tank to make sure he's eating and pest free before introducing him to the display tank. I've been able to keep finicky fish like the Copperband Butterfly and Powder Blue Tang without issue.

I've seen Melanurus Wrasses kept in barebottom tanks, so is it an absolute "no go" with a Leopard Wrasse if I don't have sand?

 

[Friday24]

you need a sandbed for any of the Halichoeres species as well, they all bury at night.

 

[Stigigemla]

The scooter blennies and mandarins are good att eating the usual flatworms. Normaly one is enough to clean up a heavy infested 150 gallon. It will take a month but they do it. By me the Halichoeres is far better in cleaning up the corals.
A tray of a few square decimeters with 5 cm sand is enough for most wrasses.

 

[maroun.c]

I have 2 scooter blennies, a pair of mandarins, mated pair of melanurus, multiple leopards yellow Cories, radiant Wrass and couple of dragon face pipefish. All of these have been considered as pest control, though I bought them as I wanted them and not really for pest control. My CUC (snails) seems fine and my shrimps group was untouched including a couple of sexy shrimps in the tank since more than a year.
A previous melanurus has nipped on clams once and was removed to a cube where it was well fed and didn't touch another clam I tried in there.

 

[Maxxingout]

I have 4 wrasses, Melanurus, male and female blue star leopard, and a Anampses neoguinaicus (China wrasse). Out of all 4 the China wrasse hunts like you're watching TV at 1.5x fast compard to the other 3. Beautiful fish, reef safe, and very fun to watch. If you get a chance to get 1 I'd recommend it. They do bury in sand at night just a fyi.

 

[Pola0502ds]

I have a melanarus and it is always on the hunt and does a good job. Have never seen him pick on any other fish or CUC member.

 

[Mrx]

 

[evolved]

I almost purchased a Leopard Wrasse today, but my LFS recommended against it since I have a barebottom tank.

Good call. Yes, the genera which sleep in the sand by nature require a sand bed. This includes the leopards (Macropharyngodon), Halichoeres, and Anampses (and some others too).
As an alternative in a bare bottom tank, you can use a "sand box"; a container with sand somewhere in the tank - possibly in a discrete location.

I've seen Melanurus Wrasses kept in barebottom tanks,

It's not a good idea, regardless. Not good for the longevity of the fish.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

How long have they been with you ?

 

[MiguelCS71]

Can I ask about a banana wrasse? Has anyone else had experience with this fish to inform me to say if it's good for a reeftank with crabs and shrimp.....

 

[eatbreakfast]

Can I ask about a banana wrasse? Has anyone else had experience with this fish to inform me to say if it's good for a reeftank with crabs and shrimp.....

The wrasse most commonly sold as a banana wrasse is Thalassoma lutescens, which will destrot shrimp and crabs, as well as can be pretty aggressive. Less frequently, but still sometimes called a banana wrasse is Halichoeres chrysus, which is much more peaceful and can usually be kept with shrimp and crabs.

 

[Lentzjj]

So will the Christmas wrasse eat my shrimp and feather duster? I've got worms bristle and fire that need to go

 

[MiguelCS71]

I've had two of them & they were never that aggressive, but maybe someone has had more experience. As for the feather duster I don't think any fish will bother with them. But that's just been my experience with this wrasse.

 

[MiguelCS71]

The banana wrasse that I asked about is a much more aggressive wrasse.

 

[MiguelCS71]

Google Christmas Wrasse if no one else answers

 

[eatbreakfast]

So will the Christmas wrasse eat my shrimp and feather duster? I've got worms bristle and fire that need to go

There are a few species that go by the common name Christmas wrasse. Halichoeres biocellatus is pretty safe with shrimp and dusters. H. claudia is slightyly less safe, followed next by H. ornatissmus. There is a Thalassoma species that is also called Christmas wrasse, that is decidedly unsafe.

 

[Wilsoni]

Melanurus are excellent hunters, but will trash smaller snails & shrimp, and can/will become bullies to other fish in the tank, especially other wrasses. Sixlines are awesome as well, but can also become aggressive. I would only introduce them if they're the smallest fish in your tank, or you have a serious issue with flatworms or zoanthid eating nudis.

I keep leopard wrasses, and I find them much more polite members in my reef. They're active hunters, though probably not quite as much as the two above. My chaoti is a stellar hunter though, as active (if not more) than the sixline and melanurus.

How long have you had your Chaoti?

 

[cnseekatz]

How long have you had your Chaoti?

About 6 months!