The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[Slocke]

This little guy ate so much today, I don't know how it all fit in him lol. No flakes for him yet, he only ate mysis.

He's still a juvenile, so his colors should get more vibrant, right? He's an exquisite wrasse.

Honestly to me it looks like a male that's been underweight for a while. Those are the male colors its just pale from poor health I think.

Should regain its color soon though

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Honestly to me it looks like a male that's been underweight for a while. Those are the male colors its just pale from poor health I think.

Should regain its color soon though

Interesting! I swear he's already looking better today. I'll try to get a photo.

He has a bit of red on his dorsal and anal fins, and from what I've researched the only types that have that are Vanuatu exquisite wrasses?

 

[Tcook]

Anyone interested in Palidus. I know a source thinking about a few. If interested pm me

They get big

 

[JoJosReef]

Anyone interested in Palidus. I know a source thinking about a few. If interested pm me

Yes! But I'm not in the position for one right now and I'm also very far away :-(

 

[TARHEEL78]

Anyone interested in Palidus. I know a source thinking about a few. If interested pm me

Is the source local to you or a shipper?

 

[Crabby48]

They get big

Not as big as an earmuff lol.

 

[ChiCity]

(envious heir to the throne)

 

[Crabby48]

(envious heir to the throne)

He is letting you know he is boss! Great shot

 

[mook1178]

My nebulous wrasse.
Anybody have one in a mixed reef tank?

 

[OrchidMiss]

My nebulous wrasse.
Anybody have one in a mixed reef tank?

Nebulous wrasse

What are your experiences with them? Ive heard theycan be aggressive towards other wrasse. Can it be the only wrasse in a peaceful tank?

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Cael Gallery]

My nebulous wrasse.
Anybody have one in a mixed reef tank?

I have one in my 6 foot fish only. It's the second smallest in the tank, at about 2" or a little over. Just a hair bigger than my H.prosopeion. It is bigger than the one in your video though and a fully mature female as they're a small species.
They are really really tough wrasses. They can be kind of aggressive towards other wrasse, especially other Halichoeres (Mine isn't a fan of my larger male H.richmondi and female Pseudodax moluccanus) but the aggression is manageable. They don't really chase or do any kind of damage to other wrasses, it's more so just a 'lunge' as i've described on this thread before to get the other wrasse away from the general vicinity of wherever the nebulosus is foraging.

But what i mean by tough is basically they are immune to bullying. Kind of like dragon wrasses, in a way. For lack of a better term they have that dog in them. When i first added mine, 2 of my fish had a problem with it. The first was my 3" Bandit dottyback (Pseudochromis perspicillatus) which chased him vigorously for about 10 minutes. they did like 6 laps of the entire tank at full speed, with the little dottyback hot on the wrasses' tail. It was really funny to watch honestly, the dottyback was like a little missile of a fish wiggling it's tail. After about 10 minutes it lost interest and never showed any aggression towards the wrasse again.
Another was my 4" Lightning wrasse (Thalassoma quinquevittatum) which is an absolute beast. It managed to beat a 2" larger Thalassoma lutescens into hiding by repeteadly dive bombing the other fish so fast that it couldn't react. That being said, the first encounter i saw the lightning came up behind the nebulosus with it's fins flared, the nebulosus turned around and did the same and the lightning immediately backed off and didn't bother it again.
In fact, i've had it for about a month and a half now and i recently watched the dottyback swim up behind the nebulosus which was picking some pellets off the sand bed. As the dottyback attempted to feed on the same pellets the nebulosus turned around, opened it's mouth and swam towards the dottyback which turned around and swam away, so the wrasse is actually higher on the heirarchy than the dottyback now.

Tldr can be aggressive (but not harmful) towards similar wrasses, will not be bullied or take any kind of aggression even from larger fish. Females stay small like under 4" so might be safe with larger shrimp and the like. Males get like 5 or 6 inches i think but are never really seen in aquariums.
They're kind of like dragon wrasses but a little less grumpy and mean.

 

[Cael Gallery]

Bad photo of mine. The pink belly depends on mood but they’re very cute.

 

[i cant think]

(envious heir to the throne)

How big is he? Mine is slowly getting to a good size, he’s about 2.5-3 inches currently.

 

[mook1178]

I have one in my 6 foot fish only. It's the second smallest in the tank, at about 2" or a little over. Just a hair bigger than my H.prosopeion. It is bigger than the one in your video though and a fully mature female as they're a small species.
They are really really tough wrasses. They can be kind of aggressive towards other wrasse, especially other Halichoeres (Mine isn't a fan of my larger male H.richmondi and female Pseudodax moluccanus) but the aggression is manageable. They don't really chase or do any kind of damage to other wrasses, it's more so just a 'lunge' as i've described on this thread before to get the other wrasse away from the general vicinity of wherever the nebulosus is foraging.

But what i mean by tough is basically they are immune to bullying. Kind of like dragon wrasses, in a way. For lack of a better term they have that dog in them. When i first added mine, 2 of my fish had a problem with it. The first was my 3" Bandit dottyback (Pseudochromis perspicillatus) which chased him vigorously for about 10 minutes. they did like 6 laps of the entire tank at full speed, with the little dottyback hot on the wrasses' tail. It was really funny to watch honestly, the dottyback was like a little missile of a fish wiggling it's tail. After about 10 minutes it lost interest and never showed any aggression towards the wrasse again.
Another was my 4" Lightning wrasse (Thalassoma quinquevittatum) which is an absolute beast. It managed to beat a 2" larger Thalassoma lutescens into hiding by repeteadly dive bombing the other fish so fast that it couldn't react. That being said, the first encounter i saw the lightning came up behind the nebulosus with it's fins flared, the nebulosus turned around and did the same and the lightning immediately backed off and didn't bother it again.
In fact, i've had it for about a month and a half now and i recently watched the dottyback swim up behind the nebulosus which was picking some pellets off the sand bed. As the dottyback attempted to feed on the same pellets the nebulosus turned around, opened it's mouth and swam towards the dottyback which turned around and swam away, so the wrasse is actually higher on the heirarchy than the dottyback now.

Tldr can be aggressive (but not harmful) towards similar wrasses, will not be bullied or take any kind of aggression even from larger fish. Females stay small like under 4" so might be safe with larger shrimp and the like. Males get like 5 or 6 inches i think but are never really seen in aquariums.
They're kind of like dragon wrasses but a little less grumpy and mean.

Thanks for this. Right now he's keeping my clowns in the upper water column of the tank. I think I just need more fish to occupy his time. Maybe some dottyback that will stand up to him some.

 

[ChiCity]

How big is he? Mine is slowly getting to a good size, he’s about 2.5-3 inches currently.

maybe about 4 1/2 - 5” now

he was a tiny thumbprint but fully transitioned male when i got him, which was fascinating.
little sub 1” male flashing around the tank….
normally, they’re females with the black “eye” spot near the tail and they transition to male colors,
but this guy came in tiny and showy

he was added before the halfband,
so he hates that he’s not the alpha

 

[Cael Gallery]

Thanks for this. Right now he's keeping my clowns in the upper water column of the tank. I think I just need more fish to occupy his time. Maybe some dottyback that will stand up to him some.

That’s weird. Mine never bothers fish that aren’t wrasses. That being said i don’t have any fish in my tank under 3” that aren’t wrasses (except for the dotty). Usually the smaller the fish or more ‘juvenile’ it is the more timid they are so i am surprised it’s acting aggressive at all especially towards clowns.

 

[mook1178]

That’s weird. Mine never bothers fish that aren’t wrasses. That being said i don’t have any fish in my tank under 3” that aren’t wrasses (except for the dotty). Usually the smaller the fish or more ‘juvenile’ it is the more timid they are so i am surprised it’s acting aggressive at all especially towards clowns.

They're the first fish in the tank, so I think he is taking over. Once I get more fish I think he'll calm down

 

[i cant think]

One twistii is out! I think I’ve sussed the introduction of new wrasses… Add the mirror on after introducing them.

 

[Slocke]

One twistii is out! I think I’ve sussed the introduction of new wrasses… Add the mirror on after introducing them.

That’s a cutie!