Looking for advice/guidance from the Wrasse experts about addition

[rocknut]

Hello,

I have a 150 gallon primarily SPS tank that has been set-up since July of 2013. Up until I set this tank up, my only experience with Wrasses was a really cool Sixline Wrasse that tended to end up in my overflow, then sump on a regular basis. Anyway, with this tank the very first fish I added was a beautiful male Melanurus Wrasse, just to try something new.




Absolutely LOVE this fish, but after just treating a few of my Monti frags for Monti eating nudibranches, he doesn't seem to have much of an appetite for SPS pests. So, basic background out of the way, I would really like to add another wrasse to the tank. For one, I just didn't realize how cool they were until I started this tank, and I would also like some extra protection against different SPS pests.

However, I really want to stay as safe as possible with anything else I add. Part of me says: leave well enough alone. The fish in the tank now are healthy and all get along. Don't want to add one last fish, and screw everything up, especially don't want to add something that would mess with the Melanurus Wrasse that is already in the tank. I know that there are no sure things when it comes to this, but is there anything relatively safe to add? I just don't have enough experience with Wrasses to make a good educated decision with this. I was thinking about a Yellow Wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus), or something similar?

Here is what I have in the tank now:

(1) Tennenti Tang
(2) Bartlet's Anthias
(2) Lyretail Anthias
(1) Melanurus Wrasse
(1) Tailspot Blenny

Tank is 60" x 24" x 24" with a DSB (covered with netting to prevent jumpers)

All fish went thru QT and were treated with Prazipro before adding to the tank.

I appreciate everyone's feedback, suggestions, and guidance.
Thanks,

Rocky

 

[NyReefNoob]

ive kept melanarus, yellow halicoris pair along with several fairy/flasher wrasse's with no problem. some will say they arent reef safe but mine have never bothered shrimp,snails or hermits. stay away from a sixline wrasse if other wrasse's in the tank.

 

[hogfanreefer]

I have a melanarus, claudia and chrysus in a 72x24x21 tank with no problems. The melanaurs does eat a few of the dwarf cerith snails but my two fire shrimp and two cleaner shimp are not bothered at all.

 

[rocknut]

ive kept melanarus, yellow halicoris pair along with several fairy/flasher wrasse's with no problem. some will say they arent reef safe but mine have never bothered shrimp,snails or hermits. stay away from a sixline wrasse if other wrasse's in the tank.

Thanks for taking the time to share. I agree with the sixline, really cool looking, but definitely don't want to chance it with something that is known to be mean.

 

[rocknut]

I have a melanarus, claudia and chrysus in a 72x24x21 tank with no problems. The melanaurs does eat a few of the dwarf cerith snails but my two fire shrimp and two cleaner shimp are not bothered at all.

That is interesting about the Christmas Wrasse. I just don't know enough about Wrasses yet, I would have thought that another Wrasse that looks so similar to the Melanurus would be a problem. Wondering if I would need to be sure I added a female to void any aggression? Also, really like the idea of Chrysus.
Thanks for the input!

 

[NyReefNoob]

the timor wrasse has been coming in lately and a really nice looking wrasse, not much info out on them but colors are nice and different, you could also do a pair of the yellow coris, kinda plain yellow as juvi, but once it reaches adult size the color bars on face really stand out, radiant is really nice but one ive never had luck with.

 

[eatbreakfast]

Melanurus wrasses are usually pretty good with other Halichoeres wrasses. Every once in awhile you will come across a particularly ornery one. But usually when they are that way it is more focused towards Halichoeres wrasses that have horizontal stripes, which chrysus lacks. Also if you get a small chrysus themelanurus will view it as less of a threat and be less likely to be aggressive.

 

[criticalencore]

My female Christmas wrasse is aggressive towards other wrasses I have tried to add after she was in the tank and my tank is 550g.

 

[hogfanreefer]

That is interesting about the Christmas Wrasse. I just don't know enough about Wrasses yet, I would have thought that another Wrasse that looks so similar to the Melanurus would be a problem. Wondering if I would need to be sure I added a female to void any aggression? Also, really like the idea of Chrysus.
Thanks for the input!

The melanurus usually just ignores the claudia. He's about 4" and the claudia about 3". Occasionally the claudia will bow up at him but he just extends his fins and turns his head and the claudia backs down. Both ignore the chrysus. Only kept him in the acclimation box for an hour because they completely ignored him.