Fairy wrasse Photo Library

[ninersrule1]

Neptune, you are one lucky guy, I saw those rhomboids when they came in, absolutely beautiful. How bout a pic of the big guy when you get a chance.

I think they still have one other left, as well as some balteatus.

Love that online place, definitely has some of the nicest fairy wrasses AND they'll send you pics of actual fish, unlike other places that cannot guarantee you a male let alone supermale.

 

[Curtis1158]

Where is the online place you are referring to? If you can see a picture of the actual fish, that is huge. Please fill us in.

 

[NeptuneofSC]

Curtis1158: Google reeftanksupply. They have an 800# you can call also. Just ask for Gal. They also have several female fairy wrasses. From lineatus, scotts, too labouti. Gal when send you a pic of the fish your interested in. Good luck!

 

[NeptuneofSC]

curtis1158: sent PM

 

[ninersrule1]

Curtis and others, its reef tank supply dot com and number is 888 545 7333.

I am only sharing not beacuse I am affiliated but because I know many of you hear are serious about your fairy wrasses, and like you , when I buy online and spend that kind of money on a fish, I prefer to see what I am getting.

I love marinedepot and liveaquaria, they have great stuff and great service. But they are just too big and cannot email us pics of fish. That is the advantage of working with a smaller outfit such as this one.

I still buy most of my common fish and corals from www.marinedepotlive.com and www.liveaquaria.com but for the rare stuff, I think I found my place

 

[ninersrule1]

btw, I just remembered LiveAquaria does have a WYSIWYG section for fish, so that is cool, but usually you pay extra for them. But just thought I'd mention that, so I dont seem too one sided. All of these places sell nice fish so no complaints here

 

[danieljames]

Would a deeper water wrasse (jordani) have instincts to stay away from anemone?

 

[bradleyj]

Here is a recent group shot of some of my wrasses, feeding time.

 

[Scottkelly911]

Bradleyj, you have got an amazing tank, thanks for sharing it with us! Here's a few pix of my newest member to the family, not a Fairy wrasse, but close enough. It's a type of Pencil wrasse (P. Severnsi), the pix really don't do this fish justice, but they're the best I could get.

 

[zemuron114]

looking good brad! Did the punctatus fade at all? I heard they may fade without females, but with the number of male fairies in there with him i would think he would flash and maintain the colors..

 

[Curtis1158]

BradleyJ: Always impressed with the pictures you post. Great tank. Awesome color. Corals look great.

Scottkelly911: The pencil wrasse is really different, good looking fish. Are they reef safe? Aggresive? Don't know much about then. Curious though. Can you fill me in?

 

[bradleyj]

Thanks DJ. I haven't noticed any fading from any of them, all of them have settled down to their new home and are doing great. I have noticed increased sparring with my 4 male bartletts since the new additions though. Too many foxes in the hen house, if you know what I mean.
Curtis, thank you for the compliments on my pictures, every once in awhile, I get a decent shot.

 

[lynn53]

Awesome tank Bradley!

 

[jimsflies]

Can anyone give me an id on this wrasse?

 

[H.Tanaka]

It is a male exquisitus; it has bluish lines around eye and another on caudal peduncle. The shape of caudal fin is that of exquisitus, but not that of scottorum.

 

[jimsflies]

Thanks. I thought it was an exquisitus, but had never seen one as brightly marked as this one before.

 

[Scottkelly911]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9329331#post9329331 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Curtis1158

Scottkelly911: The pencil wrasse is really different, good looking fish. Are they reef safe? Aggresive? Don't know much about then. Curious though. Can you fill me in?

I agree, it's definitely a very different and attractive fish, a very nice addition. I've only had it for just over a day, but here's some info based on what I've read, been told and my very short experience thus far. It is completely reef safe and very similar to fairy wrasses in husbandry, however may go after very small ornamental shrimp such as sexy shrimp or pom pom crabs (so I'm told). They're supposedly very difficult to get to eat and often require live food, then you can slowly try to ween them onto frozen. Mine hasn't even looked twice at my peppermint shrimp and for a breif time was even hanging out under the same rock with it. They're very docile and my exquisite wrasse has been flashing at it and occassionally chasing it, but not to the point of too much stress (so far), he hasn't tried to jump, but they are jumpers just like Fairy and Flashers, infact when I was acclimating him, he was jumping all over the tupperware, luckily I had a lid on it. I got lucky and mine is already eating thawed out mysis and Spirolina loaded brine. They don't get very large, only to about 4-5 inches and do best with a sandbed to burrow into and lots of rockwork. Since I don't have a sandbed, he spent the night in the rocks. Oh and one last thing, they pick at the rocks looking for pods. If you have any other questions just ask. So far, I've been really happy with him and just hope that his color stays as brilliant as it is right now.

 

[zemuron114]

scott - pencil wrasses are difficult to keep alive. The hawaiian ones are the most readily available and do the best in captivity and even they are a PITA to get to eat and stay alive.

without a sand bed, i highly doubt he will live. They will try to bury at night and in the process bust up their lips from pressing against the bottom trying to bury. I highly suggest adding some sand or maybe a tupperware of sand in the back corner. He will find it in no time and will bury every night in the sand.

they are 100% reefsafe and wont eat ornamental shrimp. Ive never had a pencil even look at my feeder shrimp (and they are tiny)

good luck with him, and keep us updated

 

[Scottkelly911]

Zemuron, thanks for the info. I think I'll do what you suggested and put a small tuppeware container with sand in it in a hidden spot for him. I've heard this is an extremely difficult fish to keep mostly because of it's eating patterns and when this one was eating at the LFS, I decided he might actually have a chance so I picked him up. I'll definitely keep you guys updated. Also, thanks for letting me know that he wont bother even small ornamental shrimp, I've read mixed comments about that and have a feeling that may differ between the 8 different types of Pencil wrasses, but judging by the fact as he hasn't even look cross eyed at my peppermint, I'm gonna side with you on that, thankfully! Again, thanks for the great suggestion, it's the perfect compromise of me being able to keep my barebottom tank and keeping my Pencil wrasse happy. Just out of curiuosity, how long have you kept them in the past?

On a side note, how come this thread isn't sticky'd anymore? This is such an informative and great thread, I feel it definitely deserves to be permanently at the top.

 

[lynn53]

Nice fish Scott...good luck with it, sure hope it makes it.
Well out of the six wrasses I bought last week for cheap...3 have died. Bummed out as I lost both the female Solar's. They didn't look that good at the LFS but I took a chance. I've got the rest on Maracyn 2 and they're looking like they may be fine. Thats the first sick wrasse I've had.
On a good note...I added my McCoskers to the main tank with the existing 6 wrasses. He stayed in the specimen tank for a couple days and everything looked good. He is now out and about and everything is still very copasetic.
cheers