Which yellow fishy?

[brett559]

So I'm looking for a bright yellow fish to complete my stock list. Our town has a great LFS, run by a guy with 30+ years in the business who goes down to LA once a week and brings back primo fish. Basically, he's been very trustworthy so far.

After doing some research, I decided to give a yellow wrasse (also called yellow coris wrasse or canary wrasse) a try. When I told him to pick me up one, he said these fish are very prone to bacterial infections and he doesn't recommend them. He said that in his experience they just don't last very long or do very well. Now, I've asked around and many people have had good success with yellow wrasses, but he doesn't like them.

So I went to the store yesterday and I saw what, from far away, looked like my yellow wrasse. Turns out it was a yellow candy hogfish:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+35+1157&pcatid=1157

I'd never considered a hogfish, but after doing some research, they seem pretty cool: reef safe, not too big, fairy peaceful, lots of personality. And while it's got some pink in there, it's still a predominately yellow fish.

My LFS guy said all the yellow wrasses at the suppliers in LA had missing scales and looked in pretty bad shape - again, he said it's very hard to find a healthy yellow wrasse specimen. Long story short, he's recommending the hogfish. It's a nice specimen - didn't shy away when I looked at him, and I saw him eat well, actively going after frozen brine.

I took a little video of the fish I'd be getting (Ignore that lady cackling in the background. And yes, I'm getting that sweet orange-back wrasse as well).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDGK6Rn4_RI&feature=youtu.be

Any experience with hogfish? Since I trust my guy, I'm leaning towards the hog over the yellow wrasse. What say you?

 

[DivingTheWorld]

I've never had a hogfish, but I love my Yellow Coris Wrasse. Absolutely beautiful, very social and excellent eater!

Personally, I don't trust the advice of LFS's and I have some excellent ones nearby. I go by research research research (usually this site), and then buy when I find what I'm looking for.

 

[reeferstace]

I love my yellow coris! As a matter of fact, I love every yellow coris I have had over the years. I have never lost one due to infection. They have been great community dwellers in my reefs. They are very peaceful and eat whatever I feed. I love that they dive into the sand at bedtime.

 

[brett559]

Thanks for the input.

Tough decision.....

 

[Big Dog]

another vote for the YCW, always moving!

 

[lifeoffaith]

I'd go Midas Blenny, but you get both yellow and orange with them...

 

[Nina51]

my yellow coris wrasse is great! neon yellow, always out and about, eats like a pig. when i moved him from qt to dt, he hid for 2 solid months. i thought he was a goner but he popped up one day and he's been out ever since.

 

[jbvdhp]

To me, the posterchild yellow fish is a yellow tang.

I like long nosed BF, but have never kept one.

If you can't have a tang, I would say YCW or a Midas Blenny. My Midas is full of character.

 

[brett559]

I had a yellow tang, but sold him to make room for a purple tang. I have a nice CBB as well. Don't the Midas blennies hide all the time?

 

[evolved]

"Fairly peaceful" and "hogfish" rarely go together. They're usually quite bossy.

 

[BeanMachine]

Hogfish are nice, not too aggressive, but they might eat your shrimp or inverts eventually.

I have a pair of yellow canary wrasses (I don't like calling them coris, cause they are not). I got them both at the same time pretty small, one has since turned male. He's a bit on the aggressive side but nothing terrible. They cruise together all the time so might be worth it to grab two juvis like I did.

Another nice yellow fish is a yellow canary blenny. They are similar to a Midas blenny but more of an mid water column swimmer. Midas Blennys perch a lot.

 

[Tigerdragon]

Get a screen top wrasses are known to go carpet surfing

 

[d-man]

Yellow coris all the way.

 

[d-man]

I actually have 2 of them. They go through mating dance sporadically

 

[breadfan]

I have a pair of yellow candy hogfish and they are great. Very colorful and always out swimming. They eat everything I feed except broccoli.

Edit: I couldn't get a good photo with both my hogfish

 

[cakemanPA]

I had to re-home a yellow candy hogfish. It was constantly attacking my Mystery Wrasse.

 

[Jasanden]

With out a doubt the yellow coris great fish that doubles as pest control. I had the same experience as cakemanpa with my yellow candy hog. Real pita to everyone in the tank. The tank was a moderately stocked 270 gal mixed reef.

 

[Guygettnby]

Love my YCW! Bright color, very active, eats anything you offer, never bothered any other fish and best of all it's a great way to control pests...

 

[TigeBell]

I had to re-home a yellow candy hogfish. It was constantly attacking my Mystery Wrasse.

I had to rehome mine too. It decided that it wanted to go after every fish I had when I was running a 29 gallon tank. :hmm5:

 

[CoralsAddiction]

I have had both. Looks wise I like the hogfish more and it's just as active. However, the wrasse is more peaceful and generally gets larger than the hogfish. My hogfish did not like my Swissguard basslet but there was nothing serious between them two. The basslet stayed in caves for the most part like they do in the wild and the hogfish would patrol the tank. Back then I had a 40 breeder. The hogfish, once established and with good diet, colors up nicely. My vote is Hogfish. It's worth a try.