Talk to me About Wrasses

[Gill_bucket]

I love my mystery wrasse!!!!

 

[tcoral]

Gill_bucket how'd you get your wrasse to hold still long enough for that close-up! I tried to take pictures of mine and only ended up with blurs, lol

 

[forddna]

the purple, yellow, sail fin and powder are all zebramosas. at this point it will be tough to add any more from this family, 6 line wrasse have always turned into prcks in my tanks, carpenter wrasse are great in pairs M/F

I don't have the powder. He died. Besides that, they are Acanthurus, not Zebrasomas. And I'm not trying to add any more zebrasomas. I'm trying to add a wrasse.

 

[forddna]

Kind of in a hurry to get to work, but I will check out that link later, Tina. Thank you.

 

[tcoral]

Kind of in a hurry to get to work, but I will check out that link later, Tina. Thank you.

LOL, it's not as graceful as a flasher or fairy wrasse (I'd consider them like butterflies in the garden) but for personality and just the sheer quirkiness (and that there aren't that many out there) it's a great fish. It'll be looking at me in the tank and you can see the intelligence in it's eyes while you can see the wheels turning in it's head and it's changing colors all the while (it can change the density of it's spots too, to lots to not that many), plus it's black and white striped lips. It kinda has a shape of a bass, not a torpedo, LOL. I think the color changes are for camouflage (seen him blend in with coraline) and also communication (has gone from white to the red in that link to a green and in-between). Reminds me of the "horse of a different color" in the Wizard of Oz, LOL.

 

[Hookup]

I have:

Super-Male Flame Wrasse: Excellent colors... nice fish... get him big if you can... so he stays dominate. Nothing really special other than he's a bit pricey, a bit rare, and pretty fan-tab colors. I would recommend this fish for sure.

Red Velvet Wrasse: Excellent colors and the cost is quite reasonable at about 1/3rd of a Flame Wrasse (around here). It's a wrasse thing... if you like wrasses this is a good one for sure.

Exquisite Wrasse Maldives Variant: Watch your variants on these as the coloring differs quite a bit. Was my fav. I lost him due to carpet-surfing incident when I didn't re-cover the tank after feeding... very sad... I'm still on the hunt for one.

Melanairus Wrasse: Male is, IMO, a nicer color. It seems to be a more active wrasse in the tank than the above. Moving more often, hunting around for anything to eat. One of the BEST pest-control wrasses out there (I believe 6-line is better) and since there are no agression issues reported it's just a must-have wrasse in my opinion. Females have the same colors as juviniles. (I have a Female as I didn't want dominance issues with my super-male and velvet)


Leopard Wrasses: Potters Wrasse - IMO, the nicest coloring of all of them, but that's subjective.. All Leopard wrasses that ive observed had no issues (maybe 5 or 6 i've see from store to tanks) and I think with todays frozen foods (mysis/brine/cyclopese/etc) getting these to eat is not difficult. The intestinal worms are the issues and there are QT treatments for that now as well.

the thing about Leopard wrasses, to me, is that they move more "hunter like"... they curve around rock work... constantly on the hunt for quick snack... they are sleek, subtle and a true hunter... I really, really like my potters...

 

[BeanMachine]

I'm a wrasse lover as well.

I have in my reef tank- melanurus, yellow canary, blue streak cleaner, male blackspotted leopard, and a female hawaiin potters leopard. Be advised that many leopards don't make it in our tanks so add with caution. I've been lucky enough to have the blackspot for 2 years between a friend and I, and the potters about 9 months now.

All are peaceful. Yes, don't get a sixline, or a possum wrasse, or a coris species besides the yellow canary if you don't want them to eat your clean up crew. The melanurus wrasse from time to time will go for your CUC as well but mine and many others I've read to bother anything too much.

 

[NyReefNoob]

i have in my tank
pair redsea eightlines
pair flame wrasse's
yellow coris
and a melanarus and all get along fine and none have bothered any inverts in my tank

 

[btkrausen]

Check out pacific island aquatics..they just listed a ton of gorgeous fairy wrasses today, including a sub male and a pair of Earlei

 

[bradleyj]

Pacific Island Aquatics have been moving to the top, as far as finding fantastic fish. Dan and Kevin definately find the best ones out there.
I just got one of the submales.

 

[tcoral]

Check out pacific island aquatics..they just listed a ton of gorgeous fairy wrasses today, including a sub male and a pair of Earlei

Geez, over $1000 for a fish that likes to rug surf? I'd be scared to have it in my tank!

That scott's super male is pretty.

 

[aquaph8]

Pacific Island Aquatics have been moving to the top, as far as finding fantastic fish. Dan and Kevin definately find the best ones out there.
I just got one of the submales.

Nice, cant wait to see it Brad, congrats.

 

[Lynnmw1208]

I really like my carpenter's flasher wrasse. He flashes colors at his reflection and other fish sometimes. He is active, friendly and colorful. here's a pic

 

[snorvich]

I don't have the 6 line anymore. My snails are Astreas so they are cheap and replaceable. Would they totally wipe out my snails or may I just lose a couple?

My tank has a canopy with egg crate over it except for a few inches in the front for feeding access.

You will not be able to keep flasher or fairy wrasses with an egg crate top. Just cannot keep them in that way.

 

[btkrausen]

Pacific Island Aquatics have been moving to the top, as far as finding fantastic fish. Dan and Kevin definately find the best ones out there.
I just got one of the submales.

Nice Brad. I got the Lineatus Super Male Pair they had. Can't wait to get them next week.

 

[BeanMachine]

For you more experienced wrasse keepers. I am thinking about getting either a C. lineatus or a C. rhomboid. Are either any more difficult that the other to keep?

 

[btkrausen]

nah, they are both pretty easy to keep. They have problems with swimming bladders if they are collected incorrectly, but if you get a healthy one, they are a fairly easy fish to care for.

 

[NyReefNoob]

for me the C. rhomboid has never made it and ive tried it 3 times, my pockets took it's hit and wont be trying another, lint was no issue

 

[bradleyj]

I have had good luck with rhomboids, (knock on wood) I currently own 3 of them, all males now and all do well together. I bought 2 females for my male and they both turned male.

 

[bradleyj]

Nice Brad. I got the Lineatus Super Male Pair they had. Can't wait to get them next week.

Those were some sweet fish. Can't wait to see them.
If I didn't have 2 Labout's already I would jump on those also. They have great livestock.