to wrasse or not to wrasse

[Integral9]

I don't know much about wrasses, but I'm considering getting one and would like any input this group has to offer. Also, any recommendations would be appreciated.

 

background: This is for my 55gal. It has a 20 gal sump / fuge setup and has been up for almost 2 years now. It was an upgrade from a 30 gal which was up about a year. So the total age of the system is about 3 years. I have had a Mandarin in the tank for a year and a half and I swear she is fattest (obese) Mandarin I've ever seen. What's more is she only eats pods. I've never seen her eat flake or the frozen mix I use. I know wrasses eat pods as well but also will dig in on flake and frozen food.

 

Concerns: One thing of serious concern of mine is that when I added by coral beauty, the firefish hid for 4 months. When he finally came back out, he was so thin I didn't think he was going to make it. He's filling up again, but still not his full healthy size that he used to be. He's also, not quite all there imo. ie. he misses food he deliberately goes after, like he's blind or something. I'm not sure if he can handle another tank mate above him in the pecking order. He was one of the first along with the perc and has been kicked down the pecking order with each new addition.

 

My other concern is my Tang and Angel. When I added my angel, the tang turned from a normal happy yellow front brown rear (he's kinda bright for a scopas but whatever) to a dark doo-doo brown and went after the angel like it was dinner time. Fortunately the angel found a small hole in a rock the tang couldn't fit through and eventually they became BFF. Whoohoo. I'm sure the wrasse can find a hole to hide in like the angel did, but I'm concerned about the angel having a similar reaction to the wrasse and being they are similar in size, the wrasse would not have an escape. I had a lemon peel angel once and I know how aggressive angels can be (it killed my jouv. hippo).

 

contents:

2 black percs (mated and living in BTA. Currently claiming about 1/2 the tank for their own, but allow the 'others' to swim by as long as they "keep it moving".)

1 purple firefish

1 coral beauty

1 scopas tang (yes he is healthy, but it took about 6 months)

1 mandarin dragnet (so fat, she's got rolls)

1 blood red cleaner shrimp (about to be mantis food)

1 mantis shrimp (on the fastrack out. but he's a wily bugger as he's stolen food out of my trap 3 times and evaded it entirely once {pulled the food through the hole in the back}).

 

Thank you.

[HowardofNOVA]

#1 Yellow Coris Wrasse, get a small one about 2-3" long and let it grow! Had one for years that got to be about 6" long and never bothered anything except the pods until it got about the 6" level and started to feed on the Nassarius Snails, but a beautiful fish that you will enjoy!!

[Integral9]

#1 Yellow Coris Wrasse, get a small one about 2-3" long and let it grow! Had one for years that got to be about 6" long and never bothered anything except the pods until it got about the 6" level and started to feed on the Nassarius Snails, but a beautiful fish that you will enjoy!!

 

Very beautiful. Thanks for the rec. Have you had any problems with others picking on him? Do wrasses fit into the pecking order or are more like the mandarin and get ignored for the most part.

[dbartco]

would be more worried that the wrasse would out compete the mandarin for food. Have a tight fitting lid with no room for the wrasse to jump out. Most not very aggressive towards other fish (except 6 ines as I've heard), but can nip small inverts.

 

Were you leaning towards one in particular?

[lanman]

I don't know much about wrasses, but I'm considering getting one and would like any input this group has to offer. Also, any recommendations would be appreciated.

 

background: This is for my 55gal. It has a 20 gal sump / fuge setup and has been up for almost 2 years now. It was an upgrade from a 30 gal which was up about a year. So the total age of the system is about 3 years. I have had a Mandarin in the tank for a year and a half and I swear she is fattest (obese) Mandarin I've ever seen. What's more is she only eats pods. I've never seen her eat flake or the frozen mix I use. I know wrasses eat pods as well but also will dig in on flake and frozen food.

 

Concerns: One thing of serious concern of mine is that when I added by coral beauty, the firefish hid for 4 months. When he finally came back out, he was so thin I didn't think he was going to make it. He's filling up again, but still not his full healthy size that he used to be. He's also, not quite all there imo. ie. he misses food he deliberately goes after, like he's blind or something. I'm not sure if he can handle another tank mate above him in the pecking order. He was one of the first along with the perc and has been kicked down the pecking order with each new addition.

 

My other concern is my Tang and Angel. When I added my angel, the tang turned from a normal happy yellow front brown rear (he's kinda bright for a scopas but whatever) to a dark doo-doo brown and went after the angel like it was dinner time. Fortunately the angel found a small hole in a rock the tang couldn't fit through and eventually they became BFF. Whoohoo. I'm sure the wrasse can find a hole to hide in like the angel did, but I'm concerned about the angel having a similar reaction to the wrasse and being they are similar in size, the wrasse would not have an escape. I had a lemon peel angel once and I know how aggressive angels can be (it killed my jouv. hippo).

 

contents:

2 black percs (mated and living in BTA. Currently claiming about 1/2 the tank for their own, but allow the 'others' to swim by as long as they "keep it moving".)

1 purple firefish

1 coral beauty

1 scopas tang (yes he is healthy, but it took about 6 months)

1 mandarin dragnet (so fat, she's got rolls)

1 blood red cleaner shrimp (about to be mantis food)

1 mantis shrimp (on the fastrack out. but he's a wily bugger as he's stolen food out of my trap 3 times and evaded it entirely once {pulled the food through the hole in the back}).

 

Thank you.

Splendid Leopard Wrasse (African leopard wrasse). This fish is the most ignored, and the most 'ignoring' fish in my aquarium. The other fish might as well not be there. And at night - he sleeps in the sand. Don't consider it if you don't have a 3" sand bed.

 

bob

[Almon]

I had a Lunare Wrasse for 10 years or so. Everybody else says they bother other inhabitants, but mine was very peaceful and never bothered anything.

 

I recently got this Fairy Wrasse a couple of months ago. He is really gorgeous and extremely peaceful with other fish. I've never seen him bother any corals or zoanthids.

[FishWife]

Melanurus does all for your tank that a sixline does, without the aggression. I have one now and he seems really sweet and peaceful, but that's in QT, since he's had to fight off some gram neg. bacteria. Others have enjoyed these tho, and they are BEAUTIFUL. This was the advice I got when I asked a similar question to yours months ago. Here's ours (male; females are much less colorful):

Edited April 30, 2008 by FishWife

[Integral9]

would be more worried that the wrasse would out compete the mandarin for food. Have a tight fitting lid with no room for the wrasse to jump out. Most not very aggressive towards other fish (except 6 ines as I've heard), but can nip small inverts.

 

Were you leaning towards one in particular?

 

My tank's canopy is close all the way around, except in the back. I was going to hang a denim cloth over the opening to close it in some more and block the light seepage. I havn't had any jumpers, ever. Kinda wierd. My purple firefish is supposed to be a jumper, but never has.

 

I'm liking the McCosker's right now, but there are so many out there and each time I see a new one, I'm like, "Oh Oh, I want that one". darned hobby has turned me into a 9 yr old.

 

Thanks for all the help and recs guys. I've decided not to wrasse for the moment. My tank is turning south as the mantis has eatin all my cleaners. The latest victim, my fire shrimp.... I'm all out of inverts now. Only thing left for him to eat is fish. :(

 

Once I get it out, I'll think about getting a wrasse again.

[FishWife]

Sorry to hear that. BTW, where did you get your mantis? We have a rubble sump on our oversized QT system and are thinking about getting one.