The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[Cael Gallery]

After some advice here, i've never kept Cirrhilabrus before since i've honestly always found them very small and plain. i have a 6 foot 200g fowlr with about 30 fish of which 17 are wrasses from the genera Halichoeres, Coris, Stethojulis, Cheilinus, Choerodon, Thalassoma, Novaculichthys, Labrichthys, Pseudodax,Gomphosus, Pseudolabrus, and Anampses. The current wrasses tend to get along fine since the Pseudolabrus has been in jail for tankmate murder x 6. The only Cirrhilabrus i really like are C.cyanogularis, C.hygroxerus and C.naokoae/C.rubeus. What is the likelyhood of 3 of the aforementioned species getting along if introduced at the same time? I realise these 3 species are all pretty similar in shape.

 

[JoJosReef]

After some advice here, i've never kept Cirrhilabrus before since i've honestly always found them very small and plain. i have a 6 foot 200g fowlr with about 30 fish of which 17 are wrasses from the genera Halichoeres, Coris, Stethojulis, Cheilinus, Choerodon, Thalassoma, Novaculichthys, Labrichthys, Pseudodax,Gomphosus, Pseudolabrus, and Anampses. The current wrasses tend to get along fine since the Pseudolabrus has been in jail for tankmate murder x 6. The only Cirrhilabrus i really like are C.cyanogularis, C.hygroxerus and C.naokoae/C.rubeus. What is the likelyhood of 3 of the aforementioned species getting along if introduced at the same time? I realise these 3 species are all pretty similar in shape.

Although tank is big, and I can only imagine they have more to worry about than each other!

 

[Cael Gallery]

Although tank is big, and I can only imagine they have more to worry about than each other!

Aside from the Pseudolabrus guentheri (evil murderer) and the dragon wrasse (Which chases pretty much everything but doesnt do any real damage and only chases a short distance) all the other wrasses get along very well. I do have a very mean six bar angel though which likes to chase stuff around for no reason, but it tends to ignore smaller fish.

 

[Cael Gallery]

If anyone was curious this is the complete list. The 'NEW' fish are being introduced this week.
This has actually reminded me i should update my build thread soon.

 

[TylerHaworth]

Adding a Lineatus to a 4' 90 gallon that already houses a Rhomboid and a Flasher... I'm thinking I should be ok... What say the group?

 

[Ross]

Just have to show this video of my baby earmuff. He is the smallest one I’ve ever seen, maybe 1”. He went through quarantine surprisingly easy

 

[betareef]

Great to see someone else with a P.guentheri! I have one myself that i've posted about before in this thread. Mines about 12cm long. How is yours going? I'm interested to hear about the tank size and tankmates it has and how it's behaved if you don't mind.

Well mine was a test fish. I was having trouble with the tank, so after a few weeks fallow, I added 2 of them that I caught while fishing (yes with a hook ), but then read that they will fight, and next morning yeah they were facing off, so I removed one. The remaining fish has been doing extremely well. Has overcome shyness by digging a nole behind some rocks, and now he swims all around the tank, and comes to the front demaning food when I come close to the glass.

At a rough estimate, mine is 9 or 10cm, but an adult (they say the black markings show adulthood).

As for aggression, well I added two stripeys, 2 or 3 cm size, and he immediately killed one, but has left the other completely alone. They have been great mates for weeks now.

Tank size is actually too small. 55 litres He really was just a test fish, however he seems comfortable and swims around enjoying the safety and free food.

 

[Tcook]

Doesn’t like when the phone comes out. I think I will try a black cover for it.

 

[Crabby48]

Adding a Lineatus to a 4' 90 gallon that already houses a Rhomboid and a Flasher... I'm thinking I should be ok... What say the group?

Lineatus will probably not be a good fit specially with a rhomboid. Close related and aggression from lineatus is high

 

[Crabby48]

Doesn’t like when the phone comes out. I think I will try a black cover for it.

Dad stop taken my picture

 

[TylerHaworth]

Lineatus will probably not be a good fit specially with a rhomboid. Close related and aggression from lineatus is high

Disappointing, I thought Rhomboids and Lineatus were both lower aggression but looking at the chart again I’m wrong.

I’m determined to have a Lineatus, and I’ve got two systems, one is wrasse free, so worst case is I’ve got one, just not in my main display.

My Rhomboid is a large fully developed male, I’ll try a young Lineatus in a large acclimation box for a few days to see how they interact.

 

[Crabby48]

Disappointing, I thought Rhomboids and Lineatus were both lower aggression but looking at the chart again I’m wrong.

I’m determined to have a Lineatus, and I’ve got two systems, one is wrasse free, so worst case is I’ve got one, just not in my main display.

My Rhomboid is a large fully developed male, I’ll try a young Lineatus in a large acclimation box for a few days to see how they interact.

Definitely use a box and be ready to remove. 4’ is small for those two to be together but anything is possible just those are two that are hard. Lineatus is more aggressive than the chart applies to me.

 

[cdnco2004]

I currently only have one Halichoeres marginitus in my 6' tank. I am considering getting a Halichoeres nebulosus. Do you guys think these two would get along?

 

[Krad]

Hopefully getting a new pair of eight line flashers soon and only other wrasse atm is my pintail. I am thinking about getting a lubbock next and want a variety of wrasse.

What else would you guys recommend? I have a 200 gallon with a 1 inch sand bed in most spots. Tank hitting the 2 month mark so not many pods yet.

FYI I DID NOT KNOW ORANGE SHOULDER TANGS DIG. He has been making some excavating changes lol!

Current stock:

clowns
3 cardinals
scissortail dart
purple firefish
orange shoulder tang
pintail wrasse

future plans:
eightline flasher wrasse pair
tomini tang
chocolate tang

 

[TylerHaworth]

Definitely use a box and be ready to remove. 4’ is small for those two to be together but anything is possible just those are two that are hard. Lineatus is more aggressive than the chart applies to me.

Have any thoughts on an Isosceles with the Rhomboid?

 

[Crabby48]

Have any thoughts on an Isosceles with the Rhomboid?

Should be a great pair. I highly recommend adding wrasse with multiples if possible. Helps spread aggression to give a new comer a break. When adding and mixing wrasse things no matter what can go wrong or anything can work.
If you can hold new fish in a holding tank for a week or so to get comfortable and eating good before they go in display with others helps too.

 

[Cael Gallery]

Well mine was a test fish. I was having trouble with the tank, so after a few weeks fallow, I added 2 of them that I caught while fishing (yes with a hook ), but then read that they will fight, and next morning yeah they were facing off, so I removed one. The remaining fish has been doing extremely well. Has overcome shyness by digging a nole behind some rocks, and now he swims all around the tank, and comes to the front demaning food when I come close to the glass.

At a rough estimate, mine is 9 or 10cm, but an adult (they say the black markings show adulthood).

As for aggression, well I added two stripeys, 2 or 3 cm size, and he immediately killed one, but has left the other completely alone. They have been great mates for weeks now.

Tank size is actually too small. 55 litres He really was just a test fish, however he seems comfortable and swims around enjoying the safety and free food.

Testing for what? If you're testing to see if they get a disease (i'm guessing that's what the fallow period is for), wrasses in general are very disease resistant and likely wont show any symptoms.

I'm usually the least militant person when it comes to tank sizes and tank mate recommendations for fish because in my tank i have a few fish combinations that most said wouldn't work but 55 litres is wayyyyy too small for that fish. Not only are P. guentheri very active once they settle in, but if you've seen my previous post my 12cm guentheri has killed 6 fish so far in my tank and it's a 6x2x2. He also uses the entire 6 foot length of the tank. 55 litres is way too small of a swimming space but the aggression will be even more compounded in such a small tank, it's only a matter of time before it kills the other stripey and any other fish you try and put in there. If you do plan on keeping, i would honestly say something like 400 litres minimum for a 10cm guentheri to disperse the aggression and to give them appropriate swimming space.
And you're correct about it being an adult, at that size it's an initial phase (Adult female). Keep in mind it will likely keep growing until it's around 15cm, at which point if it transitions into a male could reach 20cm.

 

[betareef]

If you do plan on keeping,

I don't.

Testing for what? If you're testing to see if they get a disease (i'm guessing that's what the fallow period is for), wrasses in general are very disease resistant and likely wont show any symptoms.

This tank ended up with just one percula clown, after various other companions all died mysteriously. Final conclusion - aggressive clown? To test that, I left it fallow for a few weeks then after catching the wrasse while fishing, decided to see if the tank would now be OK for store bought, using something local and free. Yes, I guessed it was a tough fish. Hence the stripey as well. Next step is to try something store bought, so he/she is definitely not a long term resident.

 

[Cael Gallery]

I don't.



This tank ended up with just one percula clown, after various other companions all died mysteriously. Final conclusion - aggressive clown? To test that, I left it fallow for a few weeks then after catching the wrasse while fishing, decided to see if the tank would now be OK for store bought, using something local and free. Yes, I guessed it was a tough fish. Hence the stripey as well. Next step is to try something store bought, so he/she is definitely not a long term resident.

What do you plan on doing with the wrasse when you remove it from the tank?

 

[betareef]

What do you plan on doing with the wrasse when you remove it from the tank?

Two schools of thought on that. One says he is a local and can go back where he was caught. The other says he has been in an aquarium and so should not be put back because foreign organisms may be present. Countering that last, the aquarium has only ever had critters from the area where I live, mostly very local.