will this wrasse be OK?

[m3rcury]

i have a 40 breeder and my lfs has a beautiful Halichoeres iridis. i've also seen it called a tricolor wrasse. there is a profile here: http://www.saltcorner.com/sections/zoo/fish/wrasses/halichoeres/Hiridis.htm

too big for my tank? right now there are a coral beauty and a flame hawk in the tank with various corals, hermits, and snails.

 

[wrasse777]

When its smaller it will be fine but I would worry as it grows. Wrasse's are swimmers and with your tank being a breeder I don't know if it would have the swimming room it will require.

 

[KDodds]

The Iridis Wrasse can easily reach 5". IMO, a 40 is too small for the Halichoeres, even the smallest like H. melanurus. I've done a fair amount of research on the genus while planning out the stock for my 450, and H. iridis is still on my stocking list, along with H. ornatissimus, which is already in.

 

[m3rcury]

maybe someone could help explain fish size relative to tank size. the listtle blurb about the iridis wrasse indicates it will grow to 4". i've also read that a royal gramma grows to 4". the general consensus when i've asked before is that the royal gramma would be ok in my tank. do wrasses require more room?

 

[RichConley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7550630#post7550630 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by KDodds
The Iridis Wrasse can easily reach 5". IMO, a 40 is too small for the Halichoeres, even the smallest like H. melanurus. I've done a fair amount of research on the genus while planning out the stock for my 450, and H. iridis is still on my stocking list, along with H. ornatissimus, which is already in.

H. Melanarus gets MUCH larger than H. iridis. About 2" longer, and easily 2-3x the body mass.

I've got an iridis in my 58. He seems to be fine. Hes not a big swimmer, spends most of his days picking at the rocks lookign for food.

 

[KDodds]

Are you sure you don't mean H. ornatissimus, which does get that large? IME, H. melanurus usually tops out just under 5".

 

[Amphiprion]

It may have a slightly greater body mass (but it is almost negligible), but H. melanurus only attains a fraction of an inch larger than H. iridis. On the other hand, H. ornatissimus is much larger--like you said KDodds, I think this is the fish Rich meant to type.

 

[jaymz101]

regardless of what youve heard, size does not matter.....

Activity does. A 4" active wrasse needs much more room to roam than a 4" inactive basslet than a 4" hawkfish or blenny which mainly sit in one spot all day.

 

[m3rcury]

so, does that mean the iridis wrasse is a very active fish?

 

[jaymz101]

This is comparable to why you can keep a 10" lionfish in say 100gals but not a 10" member of the jack family. One is simply more active than the other.

 

[RichConley]

the H. Iridis is NOT a big swimmer. I have one, he swims, but a LOT LESS than my 4" fairy wrasses. He acts like a leapord wrasse. Swims around, looking for grub, picking at the rocks.

As to melanurus, yeah, 5, 5 1/2 ish. I'm 100% sure its a melanurus. The iridis will get to 4. Melanurus is MUCH broader bodied than H. Iridis. Look at them from the top. The melanurus probably has twice the body mass.


You have a coral beauty. FME, dwarf angels do a LOT more swimming than my melanurus and iridis. If you think the Coral beauty is fine, the iridis will be.

 

[KDodds]

See, now that's real funny because, IME, Halichoeres are as active, or moreso, than Pseudocheilinus or Bodianus, but less than Paracheilinus and Cirrhilabrus.

 

[m3rcury]

so what do i do here? is the consensus yes or no seems like this is a borderline fish for a 40 breeder?