Melanarus Wrasse pair/trio

[smokythemattman@gmail.com]

I would like some more wrasse for my display. I love fish in pairs or groups. Has anyone had any experience with melanarus wrasse in pairs or even a trio? I would get them as juveniles and let them sort it out themselves who becomes male just curious if anyone has done this.

[sethsolomon]

So my experience with halichoeres wrasses is that if they have the same color, they will fight.  picked up a juvi malenarious and a dusky in my old 120g and they almost killed each other until I pulled one of them out.  So i would use some extreme caution when doing this if you move forward.  If you do Leopard wrasses, I can help you there if you want a harem of them. 

[smokythemattman@gmail.com]

On 4/2/2020 at 9:26 AM, sethsolomon said:

So my experience with halichoeres wrasses is that if they have the same color, they will fight.  picked up a juvi malenarious and a dusky in my old 120g and they almost killed each other until I pulled one of them out.  So i would use some extreme caution when doing this if you move forward.  If you do Leopard wrasses, I can help you there if you want a harem of them. 

Yeah thats been my fear is that it can be hit or miss. Were they fighting from the onset? I have multiple tanks so if they spar to much in qt I can separate. But my real fear is putting them into my display and then they fight. I had a blue star leopard wrasse once. By far one of my favorite fish. Lasted a while and disappeared I chocked it up to capture but who knows. I had kinda paused the leopard wrasse trio/harem because I havent been able to get more than 1 or 2 at a time from LA. Have any good ideas of where to source them? What kind of leopards have you had? 

Edited April 5, 2020 by smokythemattman@gmail.com

[sethsolomon]

7 minutes ago, smokythemattman@gmail.com said:

Yeah thats been my fear is that it can be hit or miss. Were they fighting from the onset? I have multiple tanks so if they spar to much in qt I can separate. But my real fear is putting them into my display and then they fight. I had a blue star leopard wrasse once. By far one of my favorite fish. Lasted a while and disappeared I chocked it up to capture but who knows. I had kinda paused the leopard wrasse trio/harem because I havent been able to get more than 1 or 2 at a time from LA. Have any good ideas of where to source them? What kind of leopards have you had? 

I have had almost every leopard wrasse out there minus a lapillis leopard.   Live aquaria is an awesome place to get multiple of the basic leopards.  you can even get a trio of Moyer's leopards right now.  you just want to make sure before you get leopards is to re up on your pods so you have a buffer zone for getting them to eat.  Florida Pets or Aquarium Depot are good places for that.

[smokythemattman@gmail.com]

Yeah I have liked the moyers there were 2 in DD earlier when I looked. What have you found to be the hardiest/easier to ween off of pods? 

[sethsolomon]

Honestly the easiest has been Kutier leopard wrasses. every single one I've ever had has always eaten frozen right out the gate. But of the common wrasses, the blue star or the regular leopard wrasse would be the easiest.

[smokythemattman@gmail.com]

Last ? Of my 20 ? series lol. Ever added ones to others that are established? Id assume as long as its adding a female itd be ok. 

[sethsolomon]

1 minute ago, smokythemattman@gmail.com said:

Last ? Of my 20 ? series lol. Ever added ones to others that are established? Id assume as long as its adding a female itd be ok. 

yah leopards in general will play nice if you add females. thats why if you have ~$700 laying around a trio of kutier leopards would be amazing!  you can easily get them as females and they are more mild in temperement.