blennielove
New member
Thank you, Dave, for your insight and sharing your expertise. I will do as you say.
Watch and wait.
Watch and wait.
Halichoeres... show some love
- Thread starter Jacob D
- Start date
My lemon meringue wrasse has a favorite sleeping spot and circles it before the lights go out, kind of like a dog waiting to lie down. It clearly doesn't like other fish to see it go under the sand, so it waits till they have left if possible.
iamwrasseman
New member
i wish you the best blennielove ,please keep us informed !
mr.maroonsalty
New member
I have a bunch of questions; lets start with how deep a sand bed should I plan for, and how much area should it be. I'm wanting to partition off a bed. Say I plan for two Halichoeres in a 4' 140, would I be safe planning a Bodianus? What about two a candy and a peppermint? How will Cirrhilabrus mix with them? Last for now, I'm really liking the spectrum foods, and liking more being off frozen; how will these wrasses fit into a once or twice feeding schedule, and will they take well to these pellets?
iamwrasseman
New member
3"to 4" deep sand bed but if needed they will burrow in less .i like to leave the back of my tank deeper ,say 1/3rd of my tank .candy and peppermint with cirrhilabrus should be okay and add them in that order IMO .yes most fish overall eat spectrum foods as they are a pretty good company and have good products .
iamwrasseman
New member
oh and yes the hod fish should be okay also . how many other fish are currently in your tank ? corals also?
mr.maroonsalty
New member
I'm in the early build stage; it'll have my current fish: a gsmc, a talbot's damsel, a scopus, and a solaris blenny. I would like to pair up the little Chrysiptera; its mate was lost in an accident a couple years ago. I'm stuck with the Clownfish. I've had her since Jan 03, and as much as I don't want to give up the real estate I need to include an anemone in the livestock list most likely a Macrodactyla doreensis; hopefully it'll stay out of the stack. My corals are a 65/35 sps/mix I'm looking to exile my breeding snail population to the refugium for a non-chemical pest control 
patrick28
New member
I was wondering about the Red head wrasses. In all the books I have they just show the male. is this because the male and female look the same or are they all born as males then change? Maybe no photographs have been taken of females? Anyhow I have a Red head wrasse and I would like to add a female. Anybody ever see one or even hear of one. Thanks in advance. Oh yeah do you think to males would work also?
Jacob D
New member
I don't have any experience mixing them with hogfish but mine get along with my Cirrhilabrus fine. My sandbed is only about 1 1/2 inches, no problems here.
With regard to feeding... once or twice daily? Yes, that should be fine (more feedings are better). Both of mine eat NLS pellet and everything else that I feed. They have also decimated my flatworm population (mainly the dusky has, but both fish eat them).
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Jacob D
New member
The key would be to get a juvenile fish to introduce to your male. I've never seen a juvi/sub-adult offered for sale. You might have to source one from a collector. Les at Wet Pets Hawaii is one such person you could put a request in with.
blennielove
New member
Hello Everyone,
Just an update on the Melanurus - he is not doing well. He did wake up this morning but is doing that spiraling thing that wrasses do when they are heading south...It's a scene that breaks my heart.
The Christmas wrasse is doing well.
Here is my question about selection and what I'm really supposed to be looking for in a healthy wrasse:
I know that when my LFS got this shipment in, it was November 3rd. I saw them on November 6th and they had two Melanurus, one Christmas, one Scott's and they had placed them all in their sanded cubicles in their coral section. On the 6th, they were all swimming actively, with the Christmas wrasse the "late" riser. One of the Melanurus (the one I ended up purchasing) ate spectrum pellets on November 6 (three days after the LFS got him) while the others passed the pellets for frozen mysis. I waited till November 16th to get him, I was also thinking about the Christmas wrasse, but passed her up that day after I heard from the lady who feeds them at the shop that "Oh, she's been hiding more over the past couple of days". Before I decided to purchase him, I checked him over for thickness, and responsiveness. He was coming to the surface for food and ate Specturm pellets eagerly. I brought him home, acclimated to tank temperature, did a temperature/pH matched fresh water dip of 20 minuts and placed him into the display. For the next two weeks, he was a champ, comes begging for food as I walk into the room and eating very well, so well, that he had that figure 8 look - if you take a cross section is like having one smaller oval sitting on a larger oval. Five days ago, he started acting a little strange with NO changes in the tank. He would hover at one end of the tank and not as alert to food or Spectrum which he previously loved. I checked the parameters - Ammonia 0, Nitrate 0, Nitrate 10, pH 8.4, temperature 80. I slowly decreased the temperature over 3 days to 78 now. Then, stupid me, didn't really think much of it and went and bought the Christmas wrasse on 12/8. I acclimated the Christmas wrasse pretty much the same way, she is doing well. She has no interest in the pellets but is taking mysis, frozen formula one well.
Am I missing something in the way I select wrasses? I specify "wrasses" because I don't have anything like this when it comes to any other fish.
I check their appearance - Eyes for brightness, fullness, mouth and fins/scales for damage. Then I check they way they swim, do they look like they are balanced, not sluggish or rocking side to side. Then I do what I thought was the ultimate test, to see if they eat pellets. If all of the above checked out, then I bring them home. Oh, and I also make sure that the LFS has had them for around two weeks time.
I must be missing something or doing something wrong. As I shared earlier, my track record for wrasses have been grim.
So, please point out my mistakes and I will make changes.
I really love wrasses and nothing would make me happy to not be so afraid of bringing them home and seeing them die in less than one month.
My hubby gave me the ickiest look this morning when I told him that the Melanurus was not doing well...ICKY!
Thanks!
Oh, by the way. I turned off the lights in the Melanurus tank today and plan on leaving it off all day since he is out but not digging back into the sand and his tank mates are not being nice to him when he goes into their area...
Just an update on the Melanurus - he is not doing well. He did wake up this morning but is doing that spiraling thing that wrasses do when they are heading south...It's a scene that breaks my heart.
The Christmas wrasse is doing well.
Here is my question about selection and what I'm really supposed to be looking for in a healthy wrasse:
I know that when my LFS got this shipment in, it was November 3rd. I saw them on November 6th and they had two Melanurus, one Christmas, one Scott's and they had placed them all in their sanded cubicles in their coral section. On the 6th, they were all swimming actively, with the Christmas wrasse the "late" riser. One of the Melanurus (the one I ended up purchasing) ate spectrum pellets on November 6 (three days after the LFS got him) while the others passed the pellets for frozen mysis. I waited till November 16th to get him, I was also thinking about the Christmas wrasse, but passed her up that day after I heard from the lady who feeds them at the shop that "Oh, she's been hiding more over the past couple of days". Before I decided to purchase him, I checked him over for thickness, and responsiveness. He was coming to the surface for food and ate Specturm pellets eagerly. I brought him home, acclimated to tank temperature, did a temperature/pH matched fresh water dip of 20 minuts and placed him into the display. For the next two weeks, he was a champ, comes begging for food as I walk into the room and eating very well, so well, that he had that figure 8 look - if you take a cross section is like having one smaller oval sitting on a larger oval. Five days ago, he started acting a little strange with NO changes in the tank. He would hover at one end of the tank and not as alert to food or Spectrum which he previously loved. I checked the parameters - Ammonia 0, Nitrate 0, Nitrate 10, pH 8.4, temperature 80. I slowly decreased the temperature over 3 days to 78 now. Then, stupid me, didn't really think much of it and went and bought the Christmas wrasse on 12/8. I acclimated the Christmas wrasse pretty much the same way, she is doing well. She has no interest in the pellets but is taking mysis, frozen formula one well.
Am I missing something in the way I select wrasses? I specify "wrasses" because I don't have anything like this when it comes to any other fish.
I check their appearance - Eyes for brightness, fullness, mouth and fins/scales for damage. Then I check they way they swim, do they look like they are balanced, not sluggish or rocking side to side. Then I do what I thought was the ultimate test, to see if they eat pellets. If all of the above checked out, then I bring them home. Oh, and I also make sure that the LFS has had them for around two weeks time.
I must be missing something or doing something wrong. As I shared earlier, my track record for wrasses have been grim.
So, please point out my mistakes and I will make changes.
I really love wrasses and nothing would make me happy to not be so afraid of bringing them home and seeing them die in less than one month.
My hubby gave me the ickiest look this morning when I told him that the Melanurus was not doing well...ICKY!
Thanks!
Oh, by the way. I turned off the lights in the Melanurus tank today and plan on leaving it off all day since he is out but not digging back into the sand and his tank mates are not being nice to him when he goes into their area...
Jacob D
New member
Blennie, sorry to hear about your melanurus.
It sounds like you have done due dilligence at the LFS. I don't know that you have done anything wrong. It could be that along the CoC the fish was traumatized, or that it has internal parasites, or other isses. In any case here are two key points that stand out to me.
1) Leaving the fish at the LFS for ~ 2 weeks
2) Freshwater dip for 20 minutes
Starting with point #2 first, that seems like a long time to dip a fish. I would think that this would be stressful for the fish. As far as leaving the fish at the fish store, I understand your rationale but here are a few potential downsides... There is more chance for the fish to come into contact with diseases/pests which it may not have already had. More time spent in a cube can be stressful, or even dangerous for "darting" fish. If the fish get spooked and dart for a hiding place they're likely to run into a wall and have trauma. This all depends on the LFS and the specific situation of course.
I think both of the points have a common solution - quarantine. By having your own QT you eliminate the need for FW dip and the need to leave the fish at the LFS, you can give the fish some downtime by itself and observe for problems. Sometimes fish die in QT of course, but IMO that's always better than having them dead/dying in your tank with unknown issues. Just something to think about...
It sounds like you have done due dilligence at the LFS. I don't know that you have done anything wrong. It could be that along the CoC the fish was traumatized, or that it has internal parasites, or other isses. In any case here are two key points that stand out to me.
1) Leaving the fish at the LFS for ~ 2 weeks
2) Freshwater dip for 20 minutes
Starting with point #2 first, that seems like a long time to dip a fish. I would think that this would be stressful for the fish. As far as leaving the fish at the fish store, I understand your rationale but here are a few potential downsides... There is more chance for the fish to come into contact with diseases/pests which it may not have already had. More time spent in a cube can be stressful, or even dangerous for "darting" fish. If the fish get spooked and dart for a hiding place they're likely to run into a wall and have trauma. This all depends on the LFS and the specific situation of course.
I think both of the points have a common solution - quarantine. By having your own QT you eliminate the need for FW dip and the need to leave the fish at the LFS, you can give the fish some downtime by itself and observe for problems. Sometimes fish die in QT of course, but IMO that's always better than having them dead/dying in your tank with unknown issues. Just something to think about...
blennielove
New member
Jacob,
Thanks for your thoughts.
You are right, many people I know on this forum, do purchase the fish right out of the box! And how un-natural and STRESSFUL for it is for a fish to be in a cubicle when it needs swimming room, not to mention the possible pathogens it will be exposed to!
The 20 minute dip is longish but from my experience (which pales from many people here), they do not mind it much at all.
I'll be honest about QT, I've had reallly miserable experiences with a twenty gallon...
I should have a 55 gallon QT - that will be my "next" plan! I had a 55 gallon QT but that one mysteriously morphed into a full blown reef tank...I have NO CLUE how that happend!
So to prevent any morphing in the future, I will have it set up back in the water making room - dark most of the time, very little traffic...
I will keep my mind open with everyone's expertise!
Thanks for your thoughts.
You are right, many people I know on this forum, do purchase the fish right out of the box! And how un-natural and STRESSFUL for it is for a fish to be in a cubicle when it needs swimming room, not to mention the possible pathogens it will be exposed to!
The 20 minute dip is longish but from my experience (which pales from many people here), they do not mind it much at all.
I'll be honest about QT, I've had reallly miserable experiences with a twenty gallon...
I should have a 55 gallon QT - that will be my "next" plan! I had a 55 gallon QT but that one mysteriously morphed into a full blown reef tank...I have NO CLUE how that happend!
So to prevent any morphing in the future, I will have it set up back in the water making room - dark most of the time, very little traffic...
I will keep my mind open with everyone's expertise!
SaraB
Coral Killer
Thanks! I don't even attempt to take a picture of my tank anymore since I have a friend with these incredible photography skills!
Cowgirlup9
New member
I will have to take a picture of my Christmas. She's so fast though. What are the best settings for taking pics of these speed racers?
