Female McCosker's Wrasse

[EllieSuz]

I just got a call from my LFS that they have the two juvenile McCosker's I've been on the lookout for. I'll be setting up my quarantine tank tomorrow and pick up the fish on Saturday. Presuming they're small enough to be females, how long can I keep them in QT before one of them begins to turn male? I already have a male in my Display.

 

[shaggy14]

so do the mcckosers all start as females and turn into males? i have been looking for a female for a while now with no luck. i have 9 males and would like them to have a few females as well.

 

[EllieSuz]

You have nine males? Do they fight? I'm not exactly sure how these fish decide which gender to assume, but I think if you get them small enough, they will remain female as long as there is a male present. I really hope we'll get some answers from a wrasse expert here as I will be picking up two juveniles tomorrow and am very concerned about the length of quarantine.

 

[wrasseguy2]

i do not see 9 males working out..maybe you have some females..i think there nwould be too much fighting with 9 males

 

[Luiz Rocha]

Nine males would be hell in any size tank.... Even in the reef we see males fighting over territory and every male seems to control a territory of about 30 by 30 feet (which can have anywhere from a few dozen to a hundred or so females).

Eileen is right by the way, if you add females (or juveniles) to a male's territory they will remain as females until the male dies (or is removed). When the male disappears the largest (and most dominant) female takes over and changes sex in a few weeks, behaviorally first (in a few days) and then functionally.

 

[EllieSuz]

So, here's the problem then, Luiz. How do I quarantine females (juveniles) for a month or six weeks without one turning male?

 

[LukFox]

I guess you could buy a male to hold the place for the duration of quarantine, and when they're all healthy and ready to go into a display, sell the new healthy male off to a local reefer and put the girls in with your established male.

 

[shaggy14]

They actually do not fight a lot. A little chasin every now an then, but they pretty much hang out in two groups depending on when I added them. And there might be a female, I just bought them all as males. Some were really small when I got them so maybe one changed.

 

[EllieSuz]

Alexa, you were reading my mind. As much as I hate to spend money on a fish I won't keep, I think your suggestion makes the most sense.

 

[LukFox]

I'm dealing with the same thing with some cherub angels so I've thought about this. I got 3 very tiny cherubs, and I'm hoping I can get them through QT before one of them changes. If I can't though, at least I'll still have two girls. I know what you mean about not wanting to spend money on a fish you won't keep for sure.

 

[EllieSuz]

Gonna give this a little bump in case there are any more opinions on this.

 

[snorvich]

I tend to agree with Alexa. I know that a mature female can change in a couple of weeks so insuring a female state makes good sense.

 

[sassyfrassy]

Jumping in if you don't mind - so if I buy 2 MacCoskers, one will turn into a female? Would I need 3 or would 2 be enough? I had planned to buy a male MacCoskers and a male Carpenters as read somewhere that will keep their colors bright. But I'm sure male & female would make them happier.

 

[snorvich]

sassyfrassy, males will not turn into females. Females CAN turn into males.

 

[sassyfrassy]

I just got it backwards - You say CAN - does that mean not necessarily? What do you think about the carpenters & maccoskers?

 

[wrasseguy2]

I just got it backwards - You say CAN - does that mean not necessarily? What do you think about the carpenters & maccoskers?

sometimes the females will stay female it just depends on different factors for it to change into a male..but males can not change into a female..as for carpenteri and mccsokeri u can mix them..though i would use an acclimation box if adding at different times

 

[EllieSuz]

I have three McCosker's in my quarantine tank right now. I just finished acclimating them. I had to go to two different stores to get a trio. Two of them are juveniles (I think/hope) and the third is a very small male. He is already flashing the girls. Since there are no threatening fish in the QT, they are swimming freely and even had a snack just a few minutes after introduction to the tank. When QT is finished, I will be offering the odd male up for sale in the local reef club. I'm sure somebody will be happy to have him.

Sassy, I think the McCosker's and Carpenters are so similar in appearance that it would make little sense to have both. Choose one or the other. At least around here, the McCoskers are more readily available. LiveAquaria occasionally offers three McCoskers as a package deal; two females and a male. That would save you the effort of identifying the gender and hoping that the juveniles you find are still female.

 

[sassyfrassy]

What the article said was that 2 male McCoskers would fight, and one w/absence of females would lose it's bright colors. But w/Carpenters & McCoskers being so close in coloration it would trick the males into keeping their colors up, but they would not fight. The thing I was thinking was that apparently the colors are staying bright b/c they are kinda staying in fighting mode even though they do not actually fight. Would that be too stressful on them do you think? I was thinking about this b/c males are more brightly colored than females.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

I've had the same issue with anthias before as well. In my experience with anthias, they are more worried about the changing enviroment and their survival than their social status in the short term. I've had females in QT for weeks with none changing, but in the main tank I had an established female change within days of a male dying.

 

[EllieSuz]

So, I have three small juveniles in quarantine. How do I know if they have already begun to turn male? Is there some marking or detail that distinguishes the females from the males?