Matt, I have a fish question for you ( Wrasses)

[jusreefin]

I am going to re do my Rock scape and CL this weekend. In the process I am going to catch all my fish and take them to John's. I want the tank to have mainly all Wrasses with the exception of my Algea Blenny and Mandarian Goby ( he has been with me for 5+ years now).

I want to go with Carpt. and Flasher Wrasses as well as a Mystery wrasse and maybe a Yellow Coris. My question is this.

What species ( comman names please ) of Carpt. and Flashers can co exhist with eachother as well as the Mystery and Coris? I plan on adding them all at the same time. It is a 180g Pennisula style tank 54x30x25.

TIA
Peace
Rob

 

[jusreefin]

here is what I was thinking of getting

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod ... CatId=1397
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod ... pCatId=355
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod ... CatId=1402
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod ... CatId=1400
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod ... pCatId=329

 

[RasBobre]

Rob - I have a Scotts Fairy Wrasse in a sushi restaraunt and it is a very hardy fish. It's a ferocious eater, keeping ground with the yellow tangs when I add nori on a clip.

The only negative thing about it is that it doesn't look like the photos of all the Scott's that I have seen.

I recall someone saying at the WMC to add a mirror on the side of a tank and the wrasses will keep their colors better.

 

[jusreefin]

Thanks Robert!

Now if Matt would check out the thread!

where are all my MARS folks!

 

[Anonymous]

Rob,
The two species of flasher wrasses should co-exist just fine. These should definitely be added to the tank before any other wrasse. They are super timid.

The two Cirrhilabrus spp. should get along just fine with each other, even if they're both males. If they are both males, it's preferable to add both at the same time. If one is much larger than the other, add the smaller first. From what I've gathered the red-finned is a little bit more passive than the Scott's, but both are very peaceful in general.

Hmmm, a mystery wrasse? That's a real monkey wrench. They don't like other wrasses too much. The Cirrhilabrus should be okay if added first, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if it started seriously harassing the flashers and the yellow 'coris'. Flashers don't tolerate bullying very well at all either, they just hide and starve.

A yellow 'coris' (Halichoeres chrysus) should work just fine as well. If you get it very small, it could be added before the flashers even. If it's big enough you could add it after the fairies. Their aggression falls somewhere right in between fairies and flashers IME.

You could always add other Halichoeres spp. as well, such as a radiant wrasse. Great fish.

Another wrasse genus to check out would be the Wetmorella or arrowhead wrasses. They are completely peaceful and would fit in well.

A long shot, but I've had good luck with a nice fish called the Cuban Hog, Bodianus pulchellus. Check out some images on google, they're awesome. Very cool fish, and IME gets along well if added after all these fish. A harlequin tuskfish is another peaceful option if you're comfortable losing all your small snails and shrimp.

Do keep in mind that all these fish will do a very good job of eating your mandarin's food. The mystery and yellow 'coris' will really do a number. The fairies and flashers to a lesser extent, but they will also.

Sorry if this is all terribly confusing to read. Hope this helps.

 

[jusreefin]

Wow I have a lot of research to do. I was reading a thread of someone that has all the same fish I want in one tank with the exception of the carpenters.

As far as the pod eating goes that is not a concern for me. My mandarian will eat prepared foods and with Reed Maricultres tiger pods I have no worries.

 

[Anonymous]

Wow I have a lot of research to do. I was reading a thread of someone that has all the same fish I want in one tank with the exception of the carpenters.

As far as the pod eating goes that is not a concern for me. My mandarian will eat prepared foods and with Reed Maricultres tiger pods I have no worries.

Ah, that's good about the mandarin.

Well, it's always a crapshoot. I can never say this fish will or won't act this way to another fish. It's always "they tend to" or "in general". I would just not be surprised if one day it flew off the handle a bit.

For instance, I was incredibly surprised to see a couple fish getting along in Marc Daniel's 300 gallon that I would never have thought could co-exist (a couple small wrasses and one mean ass species of dottyback). My advice would be to not try that exact scenario in a small tank, but it is definitely working for him. Given enough space and hiding places, anything can work of course.

I do wonder about this tank you're talking about though....how long have the fish been together? How big of a tank is it? How large is the mystery wrasse? All important things to consider. Mystery wrasses get surprisingly big, and they tend to get nastier when they mature. As well as get a taste for shrimp.

 

[jusreefin]

My mandarian has been with me for 4-5 years now

Ouch, I like shrimp so I may have to rethink the Mystery, and of course that is the fish I have wanted the most and have wanted one for years now!

I hear ya, this whole hobby is a crap shoot sometimes.

The thread I was reading was well over a year old and they were all in a 120g tank. The mystery was added last. The order they added the fish was as follows

1st-carpenter,arrowhead,lubbock,flame
2nd- Scott's, Labout
last but not least the Mystery was added.

Do you have any links about the arrowheads? I cannot find anything. Also any wrasse books you suggest? I need to find out how to tell males from females. My new fish stock plan maybe changing the more I read. Right now I only have the mandarian and Algea blenny so the tank needs some fish life soon

I love Tangs but there is too much risk with them nipping at my LPS. Wrasses seemed like the most peaceful colorful fish to go with.
Thanks for all your help

 

[Anonymous]

My mandarian has been with me for 4-5 years now

Ouch, I like shrimp so I may have to rethink the Mystery, and of course that is the fish I have wanted the most and have wanted one for years now!

I hear ya, this whole hobby is a crap shoot sometimes.

The thread I was reading was well over a year old and they were all in a 120g tank. The mystery was added last. The order they added the fish was as follows

1st-carpenter,arrowhead,lubbock,flame
2nd- Scott's, Labout
last but not least the Mystery was added.

Do you have any links about the arrowheads? I cannot find anything. Also any wrasse books you suggest? I need to find out how to tell males from females. My new fish stock plan maybe changing the more I read. Right now I only have the mandarian and Algea blenny so the tank needs some fish life soon

I love Tangs but there is too much risk with them nipping at my LPS. Wrasses seemed like the most peaceful colorful fish to go with.
Thanks for all your help

A couple good resources:
Fairy and Rainbow Wrasses and their relatives by Rudie H Kuiter
Reef Aquarium Fishes by Scott Michael
For Wetmorella:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/oct2004/fish.htm
Hiroyuki Tanaka should be coming out with a book specifically on Fairy and Flashers soon as well, with some nice shot comparisons of male vs. female.

 

[jusreefin]

Ok Matt my plan for all Warsses is not looking too good. I don't want to cover the top of my tank and most are jumpers. Can you recommend a list of fish for a 180g that will get along well with each other and not bother my corals? I don't want any clownfish as I have no Anenomes and they alwasy want to host and stress my LPS corals. My tank is looking dull with no fish and I cannot decide for the life of me. I just need some ideas I guess to get the brain cells flowing

Peace
Rob

 

[Anonymous]

Ok Matt my plan for all Warsses is not looking too good. I don't want to cover the top of my tank and most are jumpers. Can you recommend a list of fish for a 180g that will get along well with each other and not bother my corals? I don't want any clownfish as I have no Anenomes and they alwasy want to host and stress my LPS corals. My tank is looking dull with no fish and I cannot decide for the life of me. I just need some ideas I guess to get the brain cells flowing

Peace
Rob

What about using eggcrate to cover the tank? Or perhaps an enclosed canopy? Just about any fish has the capability of leaping out, wrasses (and dottys) are just really prone to it.

I imagine you're asking me because you don't want the usual yellow tang-royal gramma-clownfish tank, so here are some not too common fishies that I like:

Sunburst anthias, Serranocirrhites latus

Midas Blenny, Ecsenius midas

Fangtail Blenny, Meiacanthus atrodorsalis
Pic kinda speaks for itself. Careful they're venomous...

Ornate Angel, Genicanthus bellus (reefsafe, and you can pair them easily. This is a female.)

Scolopsis fernatus

Chromis retrofasciata (I've always wanted a group of these, just never had a chance. They only get 2")

There are some cool butterflies that would leave your LPS corals alone. Chaetodon kleini, Heniochus acuminatus (NOT diphreutes), any of the Hemitaurichthys spp.

A cool show fish that would really set your tank apart: Xanthichthys auromarginatus, blue jaw trigger. Pic speaks for itself.

HTH.

 

[Anonymous]

Gotta love the male blue throat

If eggcrate is too unsightly for you Rob, I have 1/4" clear vinyl netting you could use, if you made a frame for it. It's the netting collectors use for hand nets

 

[jusreefin]

Matt, i could not resist and broke down and got a Filemented Flasher Wrasse. I am going to get a Carpenters as well. The Fil. is a sweet fish and not shy at all like most of them. Would I be OK adding a Candy Hogfish and copperbanded butterfly??

 

[Anonymous]

Get more flashers!!! Seriously, they are way more interesting and will do better in groups. Especially if you plan on adding a candy hog. I can't promise you anything with that guy. Some are mean, some are little angels.

The CBB shouldn't pose any threat whatsoever.

 

[jusreefin]

Get more flashers!!! Seriously, they are way more interesting and will do better in groups. Especially if you plan on adding a candy hog. I can't promise you anything with that guy. Some are mean, some are little angels.

The CBB shouldn't pose any threat whatsoever.

I will be adding a Carpenters Flasher as well. Can I add multiple Carpenters and Filimented flashers? Are there any other Flasher wrasse? I also added a yellow coris to help with pest

 

[Anonymous]

IMO the yellow coris could become a problem for the flashers. Just my experience though, dunno if it's a set in stone thing.

 

[jusreefin]

So far the flashers rules the roost. I have never seen a flasher that is so how do I say not shy? He comes right up to the tank when I go by. When I put the coris in the flasher went right up introduced himself and let him know who the boss was

 

[Anonymous]

So far the flashers rules the roost. I have never seen a flasher that is so how do I say not shy? He comes right up to the tank when I go by. When I put the coris in the flasher went right up introduced himself and let him know who the boss was

Yeah. That's my experience too. Gresham, haven't you kept tanks of H. chrysus (I hate saying 'yellow coris') and flashers together before? Seem to recall seeing some. IME H. chrysus is completely peaceful even with passive fish.

 

[jusreefin]

Get more flashers!!! Seriously, they are way more interesting and will do better in groups. Especially if you plan on adding a candy hog. I can't promise you anything with that guy. Some are mean, some are little angels.

The CBB shouldn't pose any threat whatsoever.

I will be adding a Carpenters Flasher as well. Can I add multiple Carpenters and Filimented flashers? Are there any other Flasher wrasse? I also added a yellow coris to help with pest

I think you missed this one Matt

 

[Justin74]

So what kind of fish do you have so far Rob?

-Justin