Pencil Wrasse

J

jsc4354

New member
A LFS close by has a pencil wrasse for sale which I cannot seem to find much info on. I was wondering if this is because they are hard to come by or if they are not reef safe.

The common names I have found so far are pencil wrasse, Black Hat Slender Wrasse and royal wrasse. The scientific name is Pseudojuloides severnsi.

If anyone knows I would like to know if they are reef safe for starters and if they are aggressive. Also, when I say reef safe... will not touch shrimp, crabs, corals and clams.

Thanks,
John C.
 
They are nice looking fish. I would suggest that you don't buy it unless it is eating in the lfs. I took a chance on one and he never ate anything for me and starved to death. Some people have no problem getting them to eat but i did for some reason. I have a black leapord wrasse that I'm have the same problem with.

You would need sand in the tank as well. Mine spent a lot if time in the sand. I would say its reef safe as well.
 
Everything I have ever heard is that they are doomed in aquariums...Ive heard of people having them for a month or 2...doing great...and then they just die for no reason at all. Beautiful fish... but better left in the ocean...
 
Thanks for the heads up. I knew I was going to get some advice against getting it. Being that it is so colorful and around $30-40. I figured for this price if there was nothing to stop me from buying it then I would have heard or seen this fish more often.

Thx,
John C.
 
Yeah, they do bad. I used to work at an LFS and I tried to order a couple of them. It is hard enough to get them to come in alive, much less keep them. I never could get the one that came in to eat.
 
They are very finicky. I had one doing well in a 72 gallon QT for three months when I decided to move one of its tank mates into my display tank. I kept digging it up on accident trying to find the other fish. I guess I stressed it out because it stayed buried for 4 days after that and them came out and died.
 
the hawaiian ones are also very strange. I can usually get them to eat, but even in a week or so they just randomly die. They definitely do better in a very mature reef tank. Holding or QT tanks result in almost immediate death.
 
John,

I can only say that I have one for years and that he is a modell citizen, The only requirement they have is a really deep sand bed where they can dig in during the night. They eat all froozen foods, be aware of the jumping activities!!
 
Peter,

I actually contacted you by PM before I purchased mine to get some advise on it. You seem to be the exception here with getting them to eat and survive. Mine showed interest one time in the mysis shrimp but never touched it again. As the weeks went on he got skinnier and skinnier. He obvisouly wasn't being sustained on the pods like my mandarine goby is.
 
Well I currently do not have a deep sand bed only 1"-2" but I have a diamond watchman goby. He has sculpted my sandbed to create a 0" to 3" sandbed not sure if this is deep enough. Also, I would have to determine what the goby's eating habits are once the lights are off to make sure he does not disturb the wrasse while sleeping. I do know if he is hiding during the day the goby would most likely disturb him.

Either way, I contacted the LFS and found out they do not update their livestock on their website. So, the wrasse has been sold and the LFS told me that they get more. I only want one if I know they have kept it in their tanks for atleast a couple weeks and its eating as well.

John C.
 
I had one of these briefly...it was one of those poorly-researched impulse buys, and my experiences were pretty much in-line with everyone elses. For the longest time, I would never see him for days, and then he would do a few laps, but never ate. Then, suddenly, I saw him more, and he actually ate some mysis. Then about 3 weeks into his time in my tank, he disappeared for good. Beautiful fish, but I won't be getting another.

jds
 
After the twin spot goby this seems the be the second fish where quality available here and in the US seems to be substantial different. Sorry for you guys, but that seems to be the price for having all this Vanatu and Marshal Island fish available which never make it to Europe :(
 
I have lost one fish because I did not pay close enough attention in the store to see something was wrong. So, I will have to look at some other wrasses as I do not want to loose another fish and not the ones from Vanuatu. Those are a little out of my price range. Maybe later down the road when the tank is better established. Right now I have four lubbocks and will have to see what to mix in with them. Another wrasse that has caught my eye is the painted fairy wrasse both color variations are nice.

To everyone thanks again for the input. After hearing your experiences you have kept me from possibly loosing another fish.

Thanks,
John C.
 
Watch the Lubbucks...mine was the most aggressive wrasse I had! it used to chase my solorsenis around the tank all the time! They are pretty...just more aggressive then some of the other wrasses...
 
I've read some mixed reviews some say they are agressive while some not. I will tell you they are aggressive eaters from what i've seen.

John C.
 
Indeed it is...I've had it in my display for about 2-3 weeks now.

jds

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8708458#post8708458 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by w3ish3ng
bureau13
sorry for off topic but what is the fish in your avater? a blue line angel?
Click to expand...
 
jsc4354 said:
A LFS close by has a pencil wrasse for sale which I cannot seem to find much info on. I was wondering if this is because they are hard to come by or if they are not reef safe.

The common names I have found so far are pencil wrasse, Black Hat Slender Wrasse and royal wrasse. The scientific name is Pseudojuloides severnsi.

If anyone knows I would like to know if they are reef safe for starters and if they are aggressive. Also, when I say reef safe... will not touch shrimp, crabs, corals and clams.

Thanks,
John C.
Click to expand...

I got a pencil wrasse yesterday and I haven't seen it since, it has been 12 hours.
 
Yeah...I had a royal in Qt for 3 months to make sure he was eating well. Everything seemed to be going fine so I moved him to my DT. He went into the sand and never reemerged. Gorgeous fish but probably not cut out for tank life based on the consensus here.
 
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