How Many of You...

[Reefing Newbie]

In my recent thread about my stocking list SDguy pointed out that it may be hard to keep trios of wrasses because the females seem to turn male at some point. My plan was to get all females to start. Would this give me better chances of only getting one male instead of three? Specifically I was planning on keeping Cirrhilabrus condei and Cirrhilabrus exquisitus trios in my 125 gallon tank. So how many of you have had the experience that SDguy has had with all of the wrasses going male at some point with the other male or males in the tank? How many of you have been able to keep happy harems that have females and few males if more than one?

 

[LukFox]

I started this thread a while ago and got some disappointing responses. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1966706

Regarding starting with all females, and note this is with flasher wrasses, I bought a m/f/f trio but the male died early and I was left with two females. The dominant female turned male soon after, and eventually the other female turned male, too, and I ended up with two fighting males. No luck. Harems can be kept but sometimes it doesn't work out.

 

[Reefing Newbie]

Reading that anthias comment didn't make it any better for me lol. I plan on keeping a group of 5 resplendents in my tank with these trios. I would think though that exquisites wouldn't be able to confuse the two because they are green, not pink/yellow/orange red. Who knows, I want more input though. I know there are more people than Peter and the others who have them. reefjunkie would probably have some experience with this with his thousands of wrasses

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

IME small groups, of any don't last, weather its wrasses, anthias or chromis.

 

[Reefing Newbie]

How much would you need for a large group? If 6 would be a group large enough to keep a harem then I would get one species...

 

[SDguy]

I disagree on anthias. I've had excellent success with lyretails regarding harems. Dispars and ignitus have been a bit more questionable, but I've never had any fight with each other.

Bartletts are terrible, on the other hand, regarding this topic.

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

I disagree on anthias. I've had excellent success with lyretails regarding harems. Dispars and ignitus have been a bit more questionable, but I've never had any fight with each other.

Bartletts are terrible, on the other hand, regarding this topic.

How many Lyretails are in your Harem?

 

[SDguy]

Originally 3, now it's up to 6.

 

[Reefing Newbie]

Peter, have you had experiences with resplendents? I plan on having a harem of 5 hoping it will work out.

 

[SDguy]

I don't, sorry.

 

[Reefing Newbie]

I forgot, you are the butterfly guy! I am not so daring on the butterflies though, I do however like the racoon butterfly. I know Steve has or at least had resplendents, I don't know how it worked out for him though do you?

 

[SDguy]

I'm not sure... and he had quite a few, too, if memory serves.

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

Originally 3, now it's up to 6.

Thats pretty good! I had 12 females and 1 male. Then one female decided to become a male, and aggresion soon starting picking off the small ones.

How long has your 6 been together?

 

[SDguy]

Thats pretty good! I had 12 females and 1 male. Then one female decided to become a male, and aggresion soon starting picking off the small ones.

How long has your 6 been together?

You know, I read that a lot. It's not experience at all. I've never, ever lost a small juvi. I always seem to lose the adult males...

The first 3 were together from '06 to 09. I then added more after my move, since I lost the male (crushed under a rock I think ), which brought the total to 4. One turned male. Male jumped, so I added three juveniles a few months ago. The dominant one has remained female colored (complete opposite of my previous males) since the second male died, but is huge and clearly acts like a male.

 

[Ben_n_Em]

Peter, have you had experiences with resplendents? I plan on having a harem of 5 hoping it will work out.

I've had a trio of resplendents for a little over 4 months. All have stayed female so far. No aggression at all. Started with more but lost a couple in QT (one came in injured and think the other was just over stressed). I'd order a couple more than you want to end up with just in case.

 

[nonstopfishies]

I've had a trio of resplendents for a little over 4 months. All have stayed female so far. No aggression at all. Started with more but lost a couple in QT (one came in injured and think the other was just over stressed). I'd order a couple more than you want to end up with just in case.

I started with 4 about 9 months ago. Lost one in QT, lost another after like 6 months, one day it just dissappeared. The other 2 are doing great. Neither showed any aggression or male coloration until I added a couple Carberryi anthias. Now the bigger Resplendent has gotten bright male colors and flashes the female A LOT.

 

[Reefing Newbie]

I will order 7 then so I hopefully end up with at least 5

 

[nonimmigrant]

I've harems of Bartletts, Dispars, Centropyge multifasciatus & aurantius. I've never kept harmems of wrasses; just pairs. Re the above comments, I agree with Peter on the Bartletts. PIA. I bought five and ended up with three big males. I had to add another set of young females to end the in fighting and I've not had any other sex changes (knock on wood). I've also kept a harem of Fatheads, which was stable at 1:4 for years.

Now on wrasses, I'll always buy where possible young females when it's Anampses. Cirrhilabrus I don't really care as long as the female is significantly smaller than the male or where there is a set pair.

 

[Reefing Newbie]

So you are saying that keeping a trio of fairies would be possible given that the females are much smaller than the male? My lfs has had a pair of flames for the past 3 months and the female isn't much smaller than the male. I should have gotten a picture of them. They also had a super male labouti in with them, he looked gorgeous.

 

[nonimmigrant]

Flames are actually the ones that I've read people having the most issues with a female changing to a sub-male. The Bartletts of the Cirrhilabrus world if you will.