how many wrasses?

[FletcherF]

I'm getting ready to start adding livestock to my 75 gallon and I want it to be wrasse dominated. How many fairy/flasher wrasses can I keep? Some wrasses that I'm interested in are salon, orange back, whip fin, carpenter, tanakas, and finally an eightline. Thoughts on how many I could keep?

 

[phish guy]

in that size tank i would only get 2, maybe 3 max. just based on my experience, i had two fairy wrasses in my previous 90 bowfront tank, and when i tried to add another, they would both kill the new one. i currently have two in my 150 and i plan on adding two more and im hoping everyone will get along. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A TOP!!! if they chase eachother, you will have jumpers!!

 

[albano]

in that size tank i would only get 2, maybe 3 max.

+1

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A TOP!!! if they chase each other, you will have jumpers!!

+1...but even 1 alone may jump

 

[mthomp]

I have 6 in my 90 which is the same dimensions as your 75 only taller. I have an open top and the only jumper I have had is a clown.

 

[phish guy]

I have 6 in my 90 which is the same dimensions as your 75 only taller. I have an open top and the only jumper I have had is a clown.

did you add them all at the same time? and what species are they? because the eightline on his list i know can be a little more of an aggressive/territorial wrasse

 

[mthomp]

No I added all at different periods over the course of 2 years. My most recent being a mystery my first being a yellow coris. I also have a carpenters, lubucks, pylies, and melanarous.

 

[reefjunkie42]

you can have more that 2 or 3 for sure....depending on species.whips and solonsare going to be aggressive.same goes for 8line,however it is doable.(8line that is) I would suggest looking into some other faires, and then decide what to keep. Id say any flasher harem would be nice, as well as maybe a pair or 2 of fairys. say a hooded and a pink margin. not too expensive, and yet very nice and desireable fish, with well mannered dispositions( of course their are exceptions to every rule)

 

[FletcherF]

So how about a trio of mc'coskers, a pink margin, a orange back fairy wrasse, and finally a tanakas pigmy wrasse.

 

[evolved]

I'd be comfortable with that, assuming that's all the fish I was planning on.

 

[FletcherF]

The only fish that I'll be transferring from my current tank is a lone clown.

 

[hanaumabay]

I think safely, maybe 3 at most? Otherwise, you might have some aggression issues

 

[reefjunkie42]

guys This man is ok putting 3 flashers and 2 fairies into a 75. If were just talking fairy wrasse, i just set up a 90 and 5 in there now, hooded, kats,condi,adornus,and a blue flasher...and they all will be fine. I could add 5 more to the mix nd theyd be fine. they live in heremic groups in the wild, as long as you have a good filtration system, and dont add a bunch of n+p producing fish you will be fine.

 

[evolved]

The only fish that I'll be transferring from my current tank is a lone clown.

Eh, I still would feel comfortable. No more however.

 

[FletcherF]

Instead of the pink margin and orange back could I do a trio of orange back or exquisite wrasses?

 

[evolved]

Sure, if you can be so lucky as to find females of those (not a trivial task).

 

[reefjunkie42]

yes plus 1^ hard to find females. why are you so dead set on the orange back?

 

[FletcherF]

I lik that it has some blue in it

 

[reefjunkie42]

You realize he will lose color without a female present

 

[Arkayology]

You could probably do 4-6 of the smaller varieties. I wouldn't put a lot of medium/large wrasses in there though.