Melanurus

[MikeOB]

Do they really eat flatworms or just my hermits/cleaner shrimp?

 

[ChargerOnDavins]

Do they really eat flatworms or just my hermits/cleaner shrimp?

My melanarus has never touched hermits or cleaner shrimp, and I have 3 cleaners, 1 fire shrimp, and a coral banded.

No idea on the flatworms.

 

[t4zalews]

if flatworms are you problem..i'd get a sixline before a melanurus. Melanurus while a beautiful and active fish..will destroy your clean up crew...mine ate snails, hermits..even starfish. Sixlines do a good job eating them and they won't kill your CUC...they are very colorful and active as well

 

[abrian]

if flatworms are you problem..i'd get a sixline before a melanurus. Melanurus while a beautiful and active fish..will destroy your clean up crew...mine ate snails, hermits..even starfish. Sixlines do a good job eating them and they won't kill your CUC...they are very colorful and active as well

As with many fish, individuals may vary in behavior. My melanurus cleaned up a planara outbreak I had a couple of years ago and is a great citizen. I keep blue leg hermits and peppermint shrimp with him just fine and he seems to leave them alone.

 

[RadReefer]

6 lines are tank terrorists....

 

[csmfish]

Do they really eat flatworms or just my hermits/cleaner shrimp?

Are you saying you have one that does or you want one and wonder if it will?

 

[mrstihl]

Canary wrasse. Plain but bold color, perfect behavior, Eats what you want it to and leaves the rest alone.

 

[autodave]

6 lines are tank terrorists....

Agree ^^ My Melanarus is a good citizen

 

[scapes]

i luv my melanaurus!

 

[Steveb]

I love my Halichoeres melanurus as well. It will go after the little feather dusters every now and then but hasn't touched my hermits, snails, shrimp. +1 on a great red planaria vacuum.

 

[sophelia76]

I had a bad flat worm infestation a few months ago. My melanarus did an awesome job with cleaning it up. Obviously it's an individual thing, but mine co-exists with at least 15 hermits, assorted snails and 2 shrimp. He's never shown any aggression to other fish, either (which is not something I could say about my 6 line- RIP from a fight to the death with a twin spotted hogfish)

 

[MikeOB]

Thanks for the info!

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

My six line doesn't touch my flatworms.

 

[zigzag1]

I assume that my 6-line either does get my flatworms, or I have never had them.. And my 6-line is a model citizen for the most part. Harasses (not really, but shows dominance over) my flame angel a bit, but the angel needs to go anyway.. just need to catch the bugger.

 

[spieszak]

my melanurus took care of my flatworms, my hermits and my snails. I can keep nass snails and conchs with him, but nothing else. There are days I swear I see him staring longingly at the tank across the room that still has a proper CuC. I personally think it's hit or miss on the flatworms, and also hit and miss on the CuC...Regardless of off of the above though, he really is a beautiful fish.

 

[markster33139]

My melanurus lives with 2 cleaners, 2 peppermints, 2 blood shrimp, and an assorted CUC with over 30 hermit crabs, and he does'nt seem to bother any of them.

 

[jakearoe]

I thought I would bump this thread with my recent experience. I have a Melanurus in both my home 120 mainly SPS reef and my office 90 LPS/softie tank. It should be noted that I really like these fish for the work they do, their beauty, and their personality.

The Mel in my 120 has grown to over 4 inchies over the last year+. He started nipping at the only clam I had in there (Deresa), but I got it in time and moved it (the clam) to another tank. Next it slowly made it's way through a lot of my snails, with the exception of the turbos. Yesterday I found that both my cleaners were gone. I've had them about 2 1/2 years, so I was hoping they were big enough for the wrasse not take interest, but I'm about 99% that is what happened.

So I guess I have three conclusions about these wrasses, other than they are beautiful and full of personality:

1) The bigger they get (and they grow fast) the more likely they are to take out your bigger shrimp
2) Clams are at risk
3) It occurred to me that many people who write 'he does not show any interest in my shrimp' can get a surprise on any given day.

Hope this information is helpful to someone.

 

[jakearoe]

I thought I would bump this thread with my recent experience. I have a Melanurus in both my home 120 mainly SPS reef and my office 90 LPS/softie tank. It should be noted that I really like these fish for the work they do, their beauty, and their personality.

The Mel in my 120 has grown to over 4 inchies over the last year+. He started nipping at the only clam I had in there (Deresa), but I got it in time and moved it (the clam) to another tank. Next it slowly made it's way through a lot of my snails, with the exception of the turbos. Yesterday I found that both my cleaners were gone. I've had them about 2 1/2 years, so I was hoping they were big enough for the wrasse not take interest, but I'm about 99% that is what happened.

So I guess I have three conclusions about these wrasses, other than they are beautiful and full of personality:

1) The bigger they get (and they grow fast) the more likely they are to take out your bigger shrimp
2) Clams are at risk
3) It occurred to me that many people who write 'he does not show any interest in my shrimp' can get a surprise on any given day.

Hope this information is helpful to someone.

 

[betamed]

Canary wrasse. Plain but bold color, perfect behavior, Eats what you want it to and leaves the rest alone.

I have all three of these wrasses and the canary is the only one that eats flatworms. 6 line is a jerk and my CUC is safe.

 

[Raggamuffin]

bought a 6 line lasted 1 day in my tank before he started tearing up my photon clown pair, he would have hit the wall doing 70 or 80 mph but a friend took him.