Melanurus Wrasse?

[mystery_reef]

will be fine with a pistol. just make sure not to drop the pistol in the tank when first introduced like a piece of food.
im curious on the different varieties of melanarus?

 

[KillerReef]

will be fine with a pistol. just make sure not to drop the pistol in the tank when first introduced like a piece of food.
im curious on the different varieties of melanarus?

exactly what mystery said, put the shrimp in in the dark and place it in. Maybe it won't go after it, maybe it will...

Only one variety of melanurus, but the juveniles look much different than the adult males, really boring as a juvy, but much cheaper. If you're patient, that is the way to go, just have to wait a while for the awesome colors

 

[Clams55]

What are the odds? If it is a given that at some point the wrasse will go after the shrimp, I don't want to stock both of them. What about snails? (Turbos/Nass./Cerith)

 

[KillerReef]

I have had no issues with my turbos and my melanurus. It has taken out some of my hermits, but not all. I don't have any nassarius or cerith because I keep my tank too clean to keep them alive, but I would think they would be fine too since they burrow into the sand.

As far as shrimp, I don't have any right now because I have 4 wrasses and that would be an expensive lunch if they decided to go after them, but have never had any since the wrasses so I can not speak from experience.

 

[FSU3NOLES28]

Would really like to add one of these to my tank eventually.

What clean up crew can I get that shouldn't be effected if I do get one? I'd rather not spend the money and potentially harm any little guys if they are just going to be eaten for dinner by such a beautiful fish.

Thanks guys.

 

[KillerReef]

I have hermits and nassarius snails that are not bothered by them. The trick for the hermits is to put them in a hidden place on the rocks when the fish are asleep...

My fire shrimp and cleaner shrimp have not been bothered by him either...

 

[ryanrid]

at what stage/size would they turn from juv colouration to adult?
I recently go a 3' one which looks like the LA pic so not sure if female or just juv.

These fish are not readily available in aus so i jumped at the chance to grab one when i saw one.

ALso i have no problem with it in a BB QT tank which it is sharing with a 6 line wrasse and a royal gramma.

 

[DaFishHead]

He started eating snails and wiped out all but 1 of the 25+ peppermint shrimp I had.

Agreed.

I put three peppermint shrimp in and they were dead before they hit the sand. My Melanurus Wrasse ate all three!!! in one helping. My wrasse is about 6.5". He has been in a tank for three years. I don't know how old he is but he is big.

Live fine with a six line.
Very reef friendly.
He will turn over a sail so my snails only come out at night.

He has been a good fish. But if he starts acting up any more he will end up as breaded fish stick in the oven!

 

[MCCOOL]

I keep a long spine urchin and a few Mexican turbo snails for a clean up crew. He has yet to eat the turbos, but I wouldn't put it past him.

 

[saltyfishlvr]

Sad, I had a Melanurus on my list until I read the last few posts. They are beautiful. I want peppermint shrimp in my tank for aptasia control, but having them sure narrows down the fish wish list.

 

[Bernie21]

Ive had mine for about a year. He is about 4" and a great citizen. He is one of the most active of my fish. One of the alphas, but not quite a bully. I have him in my Reef along w 3 Blood Shrimps, 4 Scarlett's, 2 CBS, and PB Lobster. He doesnt mess w any of them. Some times Ive seen him go after those worms though.

 

[LKGRenegade22]

While mine pretty much wiped out my peppermint shrimp he never touched any of the cleaners and fire shrimp I have. But now that I think about it I did have a few smaller pistol shrimp that disappeared while I had the melanarus along with my 2 small conchs.

 

[dja1980]

I just picked one of these up last night... been looking for awhile to keep my Planaria population in check. My LFS sold him to me for $20 because he has a small injury on one of his sides. I'm hoping I can heal him up pretty fast... Rod's Food should do the trick.

I started doing a little more research on this fish this morning when I couldn't find him last night an hour after I added him to the tank... thought maybe he jumped, but it looks like he probably just buried himself in the sand. I'm hoping I will see him again within the next few days.

Is there an easy way to distinguish between the males and females? Mine is still somewhat small, so I would assume he/she is still a juvi. Based on what I've read, I'm hoping I have a male, but I don't know what to look for.

 

[vlad17]

I just got mine 2 days ago, knocked over one of my brains already and seemed like he wanted to burry my plate coral, should I be worried?

 

[KillerReef]

I just got mine 2 days ago, knocked over one of my brains already and seemed like he wanted to burry my plate coral, should I be worried?

Probably just hunting for pests. Mine knocked over a clam of mine, come to find out it was hunting pyramidal(sp?) snails. I wouldn't worry. Mine has never bothered any corals other than hunting...

 

[blennielove]

I'm trying my second one within the next week. He's been in a tank by himself at the LFS for three weeks now. I'll be quarantining him in a 20 long for three weeks before placing him in my display. No dips this time, just passive quarantine and treat if needed.
The display has been consistent with the same fishes for a LONG time, should I introduce a couple of fishes to distract the excitement or one should be fine.
He is going into a 225 gallon reef with Atlantic Blue 8", Powder Blue 4.5", Kole Tang 4", Emperor Angel 5", pair of clowns, flame hawk, starry blenny, coral beauty 2.5", and cleaner wrasse...very active tank but I think the halichores species should fair better than the fairies...I've lost too too many fairies in that tank!

 

[KillerReef]

I would think he should be fine. As long as you have enough sandbed for it to hide in, it will bury itself in the sand and come out when it feels safe. They are very friendly fish, ime, but I have heard they can handle themselves, too.

After QT, I always use an isolation box inside the tank because my purple tang harasses all new fish. I would recommend the bigger the better with the fish you have...

 

[lilalove]

I've had my melanurus for almost 2 years now. I don't know if it's male or female, but it is the most nervous fish in the tank. It hides every time I walk up to the tank, buries itself for bed early, and is the last to wake in the mornings. Consequently, it misses a lot of feedings but is still as fat as ever. It did kill a couple of nassarius when I first got them, but none since. I also have a bunch of cerith, turbos, and Mexican turbos. I attribute its shy behavior to living with a canary wrasse that would pick on it all the time. Who knows, but it's a pretty fish. I wish I saw it more often. I don't know about shrimp, as I also have a hawkfish so that's a no can do. Good luck, these guys seem to be quite hardy.

 

[blennielove]

Thanks KillerReef and Lilalove!

It seems that everyone has a much easier time when it comes to wrasses than me, but hey, I got lucky with my Cleaner wrasse, Christmas wrasse, and Possum wrasse! Not to mention a Lubbocks who's lived through it all!

But in all honesty, the current wrasse list is only a small fraction of what I've tried! I'll take it slow and keep my fingers crossed!

 

[KillerReef]

Well, my hats off to you for being able to keep a cleaner wrasse. I have tried a number of times with no luck. They always ate well, too, just a few weeks after I got them, they always end up dead. It is one of the few smaller fish I have added that my PT does not harass...