Wrasses and Coral

[FishAddict87]

Hello,

Over the years, I have been a very fish heavy type of person but I have since gradually gotten more into corals. I am looking to purchase a few wrasses as I recently lost my yellow coris wrasse because he jumped when I was feeding and I didnt notice. Poor little bugger as I had him for 2 years. I am curious to know if anyone knows any wrasses that wont steal food from my corals lol. Its an odd question but my tang doesnt and my melanurus wrasse does once in a while but for the most part doesnt. The yellow coris was bad with this. Are there fairy/flasher wrasses that only eat out of the water column? Thanks in advance.

 

[blazend]

Not really as wrasses scavenge the tank all day for food. They go to where the food is.

But you could get yourself a leopard wrasse or any wrasse in that family. They are picky eaters and wont steal from corals but will only eat a select diet right away.

 

[evolved]

Are there fairy/flasher wrasses that only eat out of the water column?

Fairy/flasher do, in fact, only feed from the water column, and wouldn't present this issue.

 

[Waters40]

I have to fight all of my fish to keep them away from coral during feeding (leopard wrasse included). I just use whatever I have available to me to keep them away while the coral eats...it is a constant battle lol. Cleaner shrimps are even worse.

 

[chefbill]

I have to fight all of my fish to keep them away from coral during feeding (leopard wrasse included). I just use whatever I have available to me to keep them away while the coral eats...it is a constant battle lol.

Same experience here. My McCosker's doesn't feed off of the bottom, ever. My other 3, well, they are thieving monsters. Melanurus, Dusky and Yellow Coris all need to be shooed away for 5 or 10 minutes, until my LPS are done swallowing. This means only 1 colony gets fed at a time. I either squirt the wrasse with a turkey baster, or use some 20 inch tongs to herd them away. The dusky I need to bump to get him to back down. Has no fear at dinner time. Other times, any fast movement near the tank causes him to go sand diving.

So IME I'd go with fairies or flashers, opposed to Halichoeres.