FS: Mated pair yellow assessors

[NicoleC]

The Assessor flavissimus is a small basslet of bright yellow with blue "eyeshadow." I think of them as little glam rockers. Yellow assessors are fairly rare in the hobby.

I have a large and full grown (2"+) healthy pair in QT that came out of my main tank as part of my rebuild; I am trimming down my harem to a pair and these two were the ones removed. There is one male and one female, although I am only guessing which is which. In the past, I believe they have spawned but I do not know if it was a regular occurance or if these two individuals were involved.

Assessors are very peaceful and mild-mannered, but probably should not be combined with other basslets. They should definately not be housed with large, aggressive fish. They are moderately shy -- preferring to hang out in caves and under overhangs. Mine are out and about when I am home, but if someone else comes over they run away and peek out to see what is going on. They have a charming disregard of gravity, and will swim sideways, upside down or at some other odd angle. They prefer low-light situations, so in my tank they are most active when just the actinics are on, or when the morning sun is lighting up the room a bit.

They are hardy fish and are predominately carnivores. They are safe with ornamental shrimps and corals and are 100% reef safe.

$150 for the pair. Pickup in Orange only.

 

[badbones]

Very COOL fish and a good deal for the pair. I have had my lonely one for 5 years now and it is very hardy. Survived the tank crash even. I thought I lost it and fell out of a rock and was shocked.

I wish I could get them from you!!! Just bad timing.

 

[NicoleC]

I'm shocked to see retail prices at $60-70 each wild caught, and then only rarely available. I guess it's a long way from the Great Barrier Reef!

Of my 4, I had two males and two females. I was hoping for 1 male and 3 females... ah, well. One male was always getting beat up, poor fella, he just couldn't learn to stop picking fights with the dominant male.

They are hardy and persistant fish. I meant to catch all 4, and I'm not too disappointed that two are staying in my tank even though they don't fit the biotope.

I wasn't sure of the lifespan -- it's good to hear they live at least 5-6 years. The only other one I've seen in a reef tank is Marc Trimble's yellow assessor.

 

[sps_addict]

Very nice. I have 1 yellow and 1 blue. If they are still available in September when I setup my new tank I'll take them off your hands

These are pretty sweet looking fish. So a bump for you.

 

[rbdesigns]

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[rbdesigns]

How long can you hold the pair for? I'm in the middle of setting up my tank, but had a mishap and am going to have to cure 300 lbs of live rock. Can I put a deposit for them until I am ready to start stocking my tank?

Ron

 

[sinned]

Nicole-
I am interested! Do you feel the pair would be okay
in a 50g tank - loaded with lps corals, a purple tang,
a few clowns.... Thanks Dennis

 

[badbones]

I actually had 4. 2 yellows 2 blues. One blue didn't make the shipping and the other 2 just disappeared. Mine actually came from Fiji since that was where I got them.

I don't think I have seen them in a store for years also.

 

[sps_addict]

Hey Tony & Nicole, do yours usually stay out in the open? The year or so I had my two, I don't usually see them at all, unless all the lights are out.

 

[NicoleC]

Dennis, if the purple tang is not one of those really aggressive tangs, I don't think they'd even notice each other. They'll be fine in a 50g. They'd look like pretty yellow jewels in front of all the red and blue and green you have! I know they are fine with clowns.

Ron, how long were you thinking? I wouldn't want to keep them in there for a long time, but I'm in no big rush. They are snug and happy in their own 15g right now.

Incidentally, if whoever buys them wants a prophylactic deworming or other treatment, I can do that for you for a small extra fee to cover the meds, etc.

Steve, how bright are your lights? They may be uncomfortable with tons of MH. Although they are shallow water fish, in the wild they stay under overhangs and in caves. Also, the more places they have to hide, the more you will see them. Mine are comfortable when I'm around, but if I get visitors they hide. I guess they know me. I'm watching mine play in front of, and swimming through, the branches of my neon green sinularia.

Assessors are seasonal -- you'll only see them for a couple of months in the winter here. ORA is breeding both blues and yellows now, but they don't have a steady stream like they do with clowns. Yellows are available more than blues. When I was trying to get mine, a LFS that doesn't usually order from ORA agreed to place and order (and there's a minimum) to get my fish. ORA said I could have only one. (This was right after a big Florida hurricane, so ORA may have been in bad shape.) So we scrapped the order. Incidentally, the lady who runs the store was at the wholesalers a few days later, saw they had assessors and called me from the wholesaler. She picked up my 4 fish and I picked them up -- still in the bags from the wholesaler -- several hours later.

These fish were SO sick. One also had a nasty parasite that no one could identify. I spent forever nursing them back to health. I wouldn't have had that problem with ORA fish.

Ah yes -- the helpful store with the excellent service with Tina or Pacific Reef in Fountain Valley.

 

[rbdesigns]

Nicole, I am thinking about a month or so. They would be going into a 225g with my pair of watchman gobies, two pairs of clownfish, a trio of helfrichi firefish, and maybe a chevron tang. Problem will be the lighting though, the tank tank has 3 metal halides.

 

[NicoleC]

I have no problem with that time frame, and it sounds like a nice, peaceful tank. I love tanks with pairs of fish.

My lighting is fairly bright and they have no issues with it. Unless you are going with 400w lights, your tank probably won't be much brighter than mine. Certainly not brighter than mine was with MH's last year. As long as they have overhangs, they will be fine.

 

[sinned]

Nicole-
I'll take those babies.....please contact at: dschneid1@adelphia.net
for payment and pickup arrangements. Thanks Dennis

 

[NicoleC]

Pending sale to Dennis!

 

[badbones]

Mne only comes out at night and if it sees me it darts into the rocks. I do use 400wt ers and maybe thats why wont come o ut in the day. I actually never feed him and its always fat. Just eats the pods I guess

Nicole

How can you tell if male/female? MInelooks like your second pic long narrow. The 1st pic looks a little stocky

 

[NicoleC]

I think it's just the angle in the first pic. The first pic is also more recent and the fish are a bit more mature and stocky (and fatter) whan they were in those other photos.

I am pretty sure the males are the large aggressive ones. They are a tiny bit stockier, especially around the face and jaws; noticeably larger. I say this because my bigger ones fight, and in the wild the males fight over access to females and keep a harem of 2-3 females per male.

One of my smaller ones also tends to disappear for days at a time, possibly brooding a nest, although they usually come out for a quick bite at mealtime. I can't tell the females apart, so it could be both that do this at different times.

Many internet sites and books state the male mouth broods the eggs, but ORA says no, they spawn in caves and tend the egg mass there. Perhaps they mouth brood under extreme stress or under certain circumstances?

 

[NicoleC]

SOLD to Dennis.

 

[sps_addict]

Nicole, I have 2x250 watters.

So it is fairly bright. I think my 6-line wrasse may be harassing them, probably the reason why the don't come out when lights are on.