Sand dwelling wrasses X bare bottom tank?

[A. Grandis]

Hi, I've been looking to add some colors to my tank and found many sand dwelling wrasses that I would be able to have, but the tank is a bare bottom.

I've read that some people reported having those type of wrasses in bare bottom tanks without problems.

Does anyone have any experiences with it? For how long?
I don't want to add sand nor even a container with sand.
Just have to hope that they will get used to the bare bottom and sleep in the rocks or something.

Please let me know your experiences with that, would you?

Thanks,
Grandis.

 

[hybrid]

i wouldn't recommend it they'll constantly be diving at the bottom glass in search of sand and that will bring stress & most likely injuries to their mouths and jaw stick with fairys & flashers

 

[hybrid]

i wouldn't even qt any halichoeres species with out sand

 

[A. Grandis]

Thanks for the replies!!

I'm hoping to find someone that is actually keeping those wrasses without sand, but...

How much sand you guys normally have for sand dwelling wrasses, please?
About an inch?

Grandis.

 

[downbeach]

Have you looked at the Fairy or Flasher wrasses? These are some of the most colorful fish for the aquarium, and don't need a sand bed.

 

[arkaeus]

Grandis, I have to say I also favor Flashers. When company comes over they are amazed at the show. My only regret is that I would have added a few females. This is my linespot flasher, he flashes every evening and the closer to dusk the more it happens. Were you wanting types of leopard wrasses?

He was moving very fast, srry about it being blurry.

 

[A. Grandis]

Thanks arkaeus and downbeach!
Nice pics!!!

I have some tiny black pest snails and wonder if Flasher wrasses would take care of that.
I know that yellow wrasses and other sand dwelling wrasses would.

Thanks again,
Grandis.

 

[A. Grandis]

A six line would be just great for it's availability around here and size.

I just saw a great one at my LFS yesterday, but I'm worried about my Liopropoma rubre and the assessor because people say the six line can be a bit aggressive after a while.
The tank is just a 75gal. and the fishes are doing great for many years without any problems.

Should I get the six line then?

I'll keep the flasher wrasses in mind for my new 125gal to come!!

Grandis.

 

[downbeach]

Here is a great write up, and an article worth reading if you're considering wrasses.

Another possibility would be to temporarily place a container of sand in the tank for the wrasse, see it it will take care of your "pests", and after a while simply remove it. I use a container of sand in my QT for these wrasses, and simply place the lid on the container before it emerges from the sand in the morning, or after dark once it has buried itself, and move the whole container to it's next home.

Here is the Glad container I use:

 

[evolved]

I have some tiny black pest snails and wonder if Flasher wrasses would take care of that.
I know that yellow wrasses and other sand dwelling wrasses would. It's only the sand-sleepers which can sometimes help in the pest department.

Unfortunately, no. Paracheilinus won't help you there.

A six line would be just great for it's availability around here and size.

I just saw a great one at my LFS yesterday, but I'm worried about my Liopropoma rubre and the assessor because people say the six line can be a bit aggressive after a while.
The tank is just a 75gal. and the fishes are doing great for many years without any problems.

Should I get the six line then?

I'll keep the flasher wrasses in mind for my new 125gal to come!!

Grandis.

I would NOT consider any Pseudocheilinus wrasse in this situation; you're most likely to end up with a bully and aggression issues.

Here is a great write up,

:thumbsup:

 

[38bill]

Not saying its the way to go but I have been keeping sand dwelling wrasse in a bare bottom for years. I currently have 4 Halichoeres and a female Leopard wrasse (M. bipartitus). The Leopard is the newest resident at just over a year but the others are all over two years in my care. Never had one hit the bottom glass but they have bounced off the screen over the tank more than once. I do have a lot of live rock so there are plenty of holes to hide in but my H. chrysus prefers to sleep inside a piece of pvc pipe under the rocks.

 

[A. Grandis]

Hello downbeach and evolved!!.
Thanks very much for the help!! I'll be reading the articles tonight for sure!!

I'm having the opportunity to buy a Pseudojuloides severnsi eating/looking very good for more than a month. I don't know if the P. severnsi would take care of the pest snails.
I know that a yellow wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus) would.
Do you think I could get both in the tank without problems?
I can order the yellow wrasse (H. chrysus). Some people call that golden wrasse.

If I can get the two together, my problem is solved.
The reason I'm getting the P. severnsi is because I just loved the fish as soon as I saw it.

I'm thinking to get like 2 inches of aragonite sugar sand in the tank by tomorrow just for the wrasses, if that's the case!!!!!!

Thanks 38bill!! Something to consider.

Thanks again for the great help!!!!
Please let me know your opinion on that!!

I'm definitely considering nice wrasses for my new tank!!

Grandis.

 

[A. Grandis]

Double post.

 

[downbeach]

I firmly believe in using a <acronym title="Deep Sand Bed">DSB</acronym>, it's a major part of biological filtration in an aquarium. But for this to work, you will need the right substrate (aragonite), of the right size (sugar sized oolite), and the right depth (3+"), so I would go another inch. But, in order to keep it healthy, you also need to add the right microfauna to activate it(see below). Here is a good article about it, and its use:

Ron Shimek's Website...Deep Sand Beds

Here is the sand I used:

CaribSea Aragamax Aquarium Sand

and activated it with this:

: : : : Indo-Pacific Sea Farms : : : :

If you go this route, as mentioned in the article, you should avoid certain sand sifting animals. This will expand on Dr. Shimek's explanation:

Sandbed Death: Innocent Killers - Marine Engineers | Marine Engineers

 

[A. Grandis]

I've had lots of experiences with substrates, plenums, etc...
They all work when you know what you're doing.
Berlin system works just as fine.
They are only different approaches to keep our systems.

Has been a great while since I didn't read anything from Dr. Shimek.
Hope he is doing well.
Thanks again.

Grandis.

 

[A. Grandis]

Just an update:
Got the P. severnsi in the tank today after a successful quarantine.
Added the sand to the bottom after removing all the detritus (about 1 1/2 inch deep).
I'll be adding a little more sand next week...
Fish is doing so good and starting to eat pellets, not flakes though.
It didn't care for the snails.
Wish me luck!

Grandis.

 

[A. Grandis]

Fish ate a bit of flakes and pellets...
Very active and friendly.
Hopefully it will survive for years to come.

Grandis.

 

[A. Grandis]

Fish is eating like a pig!!! Pellets, flakes and microorganisms from the tank.
I wonder if after a while, when worms and other present organisms from the system are gone if the wrasse will still be doing as well with artificial fish foods.
Very healthy and active now!!! Smart fish, like most wrasses.
Peaceful in the tank and colors are great.
What else can I hope for?
It never tried to jump from the tank.
Yes, I'm sure it's a male P. severnsi!
The truth will come with time...

Grandis.

 

[A. Grandis]

One more thing... yep, it didn't take care of the pest snails!
I'll get a yellow wrasse for that.

Grandis.

 

[A. Grandis]

Alright...

Fish is missing since Monday, the 24th (3 days).
I have to believe it's dead, if there is no chances for a wrasse to be in the substrate for that long... Plus, during the feeding time it should come out to eat, I guess.
The fish just can't jump from the tank and I've checked all that.
Even the overflow is well covered.
I've tried to find it under the sand very slowly with my fingers, but nothing.
I couldn't check some of the parts in the back, though.
There is not even visible remaining of the fish. Mystery!!!

It was eating really well everything I've offered to it. That was the only wrasse in the tank and there was no problems whatsoever with any of the other fishes. The fish was so smart and sweet!! Beautiful colors and perfect behavior swimming all over the place and precise with it's sleeping/waking up time. No diseases that I could see since when it was at the store.
Other fishes and my zoas are just like before, like nothing major happened in the system. It's just too hard for me to move my rocks around and look for any remains. No sense to mess up with my rocks if everything is running without problems. It's like the fish just evaporated from the tank... Really weird!!
My tank is 5 years + old.

I wouldn't recommend even trying the fish after my experience.
I'll talk to the store about it and tell them not to order them anymore.
The key to maintain the species in captivity is still missing...

Sad end. :sad1:

Grandis.