Can someone ID this wrasse?

sturner91

New member
What is it and is it coral safe? He's causing some problems for me.
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Dang. My LFS I got it from said it was something else and was reef safe. All my research says otherwise based off that name. Welp now I need to figure out what to do.

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Dang. My LFS I got it from said it was something else and was reef safe. All my research says otherwise based off that name. Welp now I need to figure out what to do.

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They are reef safe as far as I'm concerned. I've had one in my reef for years without issue and it's a model citizen. Granted I have a very large tank. They are one of the few wrasses that are known to eat flat worms too. That said, they are relatively large and very active. They are also jumpers. If you don't have a fairly large tank, it's probably not a good choice.
 
Well if it will go after flat works maybe it's seeing the torch tentacles as worms? My torch had 5 heads which have slowly been falling off. I didn't put two and two together until today. I saw the wrasse picking at the base of one of the polyps. Attached is a picture of my torch in isolation now trying to save it. 3 polyps dropped and I completely lost two. Mind you since I've put my torch in a isolation container the wrasse has tried to get it numerous times. Swimming below it trying to get at the polyp laying on the bottom.
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And before you ask, no water parameters are not an issue. Everything is spot on normal for my tank.

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It would be highly unlikely the wrasse is the problem. It might be looking for something to eat but it wouldn't harm your corals.
 
It's a male Halichoeres chrysotaenia.

It is 100% coral safe, but may pose a risk to crabs and/or snails.

If it's picking at the torch, it is only picking off small invertebrates to feed on. Those could be pods which are eating the dying tissue of the coral, or it might be feeding on flatworms which are eating that Euphyllia.

You are blaming the wrong suspect. :)
 
I too doubt it's the wrasse causing the torch to toss it's heads. If a Euphyllia isn't happy where it is, it will drop it's polyps. This is a way for them to protect the species. If in a place they don't like they pop out a polyp and it gets carried away in the current and finds a place to settle in and grow from there.
 
Meh I have no idea what to do then. It seemed like the wrasse was going for the green balls on the end of the tentacle that's why I thought he was going for it. He also picked primarily at the very base of the polyp where it meets the skeleton.
Ever since I put my torch in the isolation box the wrasse has been swimming around trying to get to it.

I am going to be ordering one of those in tank brine shrimp hatcheries and once that comes in and starts producing I'll probably move the torch back.

Does anyone know if the brine shrimp hatchery works out and makes too many shrimp if anything bad can happen? I don't forsee it being a problem due to my livestock.

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I wonder if you have any parasites on that coral such as flat worms. That would certainly peak it's interest as they are known to eat them.
 
I wonder if you have any parasites on that coral such as flat worms. That would certainly peak it's interest as they are known to eat them.

No idea, as of now that coral is in a separate enclosure within the same tank. There isnt anything I can see. Maybe I should dip it to be safe?
 
It's a male Halichoeres chrysotaenia.

It is 100% coral safe, but may pose a risk to crabs and/or snails.

If it's picking at the torch, it is only picking off small invertebrates to feed on. Those could be pods which are eating the dying tissue of the coral, or it might be feeding on flatworms which are eating that Euphyllia.

You are blaming the wrong suspect. :)

Agreed. I have a Vrolik's wrasse like this one and it never bothers my corals. Model citizen, and goes to bed in the sand every night within 15 minutes of 10 pm.
 
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