How to keep my male fairy wrasses "pretty"

3FordFamily

In Memoriam
I am turning my 125 in to a wrasse tank after I buy another 180 this weekend. I have a male solar faory wrasse, a male Maldives exquisite fairy wrasse, a male Cook Islands Scott's fairy wrasse, a male mccoskers flasher wrasse, and a lubbocks wrasse of unknown sex (don't think they're distinguishable?).

I would like to keep the boys vibrant. They currently hang together sometimes even school together. No aggression at all. Is it enough to have this many wrasses that they won't lose color? For competition maybe? Or do I need a female for each male of each species?

Would one female Scott's wrasse and another female wrasse suffice? I would rather not overkill it, as I wish to add some leopard wrasses. I know the Scott's wrasse is notorious for losing color without females around, does this happen even if its surrounded by other fairy wrasses?

What have you guys done? Any experience?
 
I did like you and had all terminal supermale fairy and flasher wrasse. They all pretty much kept their color with the exception being the Aussie Scott's. Lot's of flashing with each other IMO kept their color.
 
Keeping only males is just fine for getting them all to maintain color. I have even found that a scotts will keep its color when housed with an exquisite. I believe it is because their base color is similar.

It is quite possible to distinguish sexes with lubbocks wrasses as well, females are uniformly pinkish red and have a black spot on the caudal peduncle.
 
Keeping only males is just fine for getting them all to maintain color. I have even found that a scotts will keep its color when housed with an exquisite. I believe it is because their base color is similar.

It is quite possible to distinguish sexes with lubbocks wrasses as well, females are uniformly pinkish red and have a black spot on the caudal peduncle.

I learned something today!

Thank you I will keep males around! Thanks!
 
In addition, trying to add a female of each species is highly likely to end up resulting in two males of each species, a situation which could give rise to a lot of aggression. Not something I'd recommend.

To extend on the comments about lubbocki, with all the species in the Cirrhilabrus genus there is a sharp distinction between sexes.
 
Two variants, but all the females look alike:

Male
fishbase.org said:
Cilub_m3.jpg

Male
fishbase.org said:

Female
fishbase.org said:
 
Back
Top