how many Fairy Wrasses in a 120?

[maxxII]

This isnt my first reef tank and I'm pretty well versed in fish keeping, but havent ever been interested in wrasses until now... I've never kept wrasses before, much less Fairy wrasses, but according to what I've been reading, most Fairy wrasses are fairly easy to keep.

I've got a 120 gallon (48x24x24) and I'd like to keep 3-4 Hooded Fairy Wrasses, (Cirrhilabrus bathyphilus).

The wrasses would be in QT for awhile before going into the tank and as this is a reboot of a prior system, they would be among the first fish in the tank after it was cycled, so there would not be much aggression for them to worry about. I'm very aware that they jump, the tank is and will continue to be covered to protect against that.

The entire stock list would be:

(3-4) Hooded Fairy Wrasses, (Cirrhilabrus bathyphilus)
(1) small Blue Lined Angelfish, (Chaetodontoplus septentrionalis) approx 2 inches. Had in my care since Jan 2014
(1) medium Scribbled Rabbit Fish (Siganus doliatus) approx 4.5 inches. In my care since April or May of this year.
(1) medium Tomini Tang, (Ctenochaetus tominiensis), approx 3.5 inches. In my care since April or May of 2014.
(1) medium Yellow Tang, (Zebrasoma flavescens). Approx 2.75 inches. In my care since April or May of this year.
(1) bonded pair of Darwin black clownfish, (Amphiprion ocellaris) in care for more than a year.
(1) mated pair of Rod's Onyx Perc's, (Amphiprion percula). In my care since 2004.
(1) small Christmas wrasse, (Halichoeres ornatissumus). Approx 2 inches. In my care for 30 days, still in QT.
(1) Starcki Damsel, (Chrysiptera starcki), not in my care yet, will be last fish in the tank.

The tank is aquascaped and designed with my three Ritteri anemones (Heteractis magnifica) in mind. I've had these anemones for a long time, (longest in my care since March 2006) and they will be on separate sides of the tank which is why I'm going to attempt to keep two sets of clowns in them to keep fish out of the anemones.

The open water swimmers like the Fairy wrasses add color and movement, and also keep the clowns from venturing too far from their anemones. If the clowns stay close to the anemones, they wont bother each other, and they will keep fish from the anemones.

That's the plan anyway....

I know it's ambitious, and yeah, I know all about the best laid plans of mice and men...

But I'd like to hear from those experienced with Fairy wrasses in the community reef tank.

 

[maxxII]

Bump...

 

[hogfanreefer]

I would get 3 or 4 males of different species rather than 3-4 of one species. Males of the same species don't usually play nice and even if there is a male and 3 females the females will usually change in to males eventually anyway.

 

[maxxII]

That's why I was going to go with females and let the most dominant turn male.

I havent seen any reports of multiple females changing over to males or females turning into males when a males is already present. Has this happened?

 

[ramon1181]

It does happen sometimes especially with flame wrasses when the dominant female start turning into a initial phase male at that point u will have to remove either one

 

[username in use]

I would get 3 or 4 males of different species rather than 3-4 of one species. Males of the same species don't usually play nice and even if there is a male and 3 females the females will usually change in to males eventually anyway.

What? If there is a harem of true juveniles, the dominant one will become male and the rest will remain female.

 

[nuxx]

I'd say go for around 3 males as well.