All About Reef Safe Wrasses in Aquaria

[homer1475]

What about one like this?
https://www.marinedepot.com/Marine_..._Aquariums-Marine_Depot-MD8111-FIMISC-vi.html

 

[evolved]

What about one like this?
https://www.marinedepot.com/Marine_..._Aquariums-Marine_Depot-MD8111-FIMISC-vi.html

Personally I just wouldn't use anything with a clear bottom. White starboard can address that, however.

 

[homer1475]

Yeah I read earlier in the thread why no clear bottom, didn't even think of it when I saw the box.

I do have some white starboard laying around..... Thank you for the help.

 

[homer1475]

Went with the tanklimate instead.

BRS had it, and I do love those BRS points. Needed to get some carbon and a few other things anyways.

 

[rkpetersen]

White starboard can address that, however.

Is white preferable over black? Or is either fine as long as the bottom is opaque?

(If I were a fish I think I'd prefer the black bottom; less bright environment overall.)

 

[evolved]

Is white preferable over black? Or is either fine as long as the bottom is opaque?

The latter; color itself doesn't really matter.
But you're right - darker will reflect less light.

 

[nbd13]

Will a small male flame wrasse turn into a supermale over time? Or do you have to buy a supermale from the get go?

Thanks

 

[CoralWealth]

Will a small male flame wrasse turn into a supermale over time? Or do you have to buy a supermale from the get go?

Thanks

I wondered about this too about all different wrasse

 

[saltyhog]

Will a small male flame wrasse turn into a supermale over time? Or do you have to buy a supermale from the get go?

Thanks

Supermale is a term that really doesn't have much biological meaning. It's really a subjective moniker hobbyists use to describe a particularly colorful specimen. Best answer I can give you is a female/young male will almost always turn in to a terminal male in our tanks.

This is my present flame that I got as a 2" female almost a year ago.

 

[evolved]

Will a small male flame wrasse turn into a supermale over time?

Yes. But technically a terminal male, as noted below.

I wondered about this too about all different wrasse

Usually yes. Some species turn a bit easier than others, but for nearly all it's just a matter of time. Social hierarchy does play a role as well.

Supermale is a term that really doesn't have much biological meaning. It's really a subjective moniker hobbyists use to describe a particularly colorful specimen. Best answer I can give you is a female/young male will almost always turn in to a terminal male in our tanks.

This is my present flame that I got as a 2" female almost a year ago.

Very much agree. I've been known to refer to "supermale" as merely a marketing term.

 

[dsinsocal]

Again thank you both. Do you have any recommendations for an acclimation box? I cannot find the EA one on the web anywhere, and I'm not on the book of faces to ping them for one.

Their e-mail is: [email protected]

I asked him if he could make me a custom box (after buying their standard design and hating it, as I feared I would). He can make it for $65. Not sure why gluing a solid 2" piece to the top would cost an additional $15, but that's what he quoted. Maybe it was the handle? lol

This lid design will clear the plastic rim of the tank so you can open/close it to add fish, add pvc, feed, etc.

 

[dsinsocal]

Just Googling around, but the "Tanklimate" piques my interest. No idea about any of its flaws however.

I like the included dividers and frag rack.... watching the video closer, it looks like the lid opens the other direction too, meaning it will clear the rim... but might be awkward trying to access the inside of the box with an open lid between you and the box like that.

 

[dsinsocal]

What is the secret with Pygmy wrasses? I've had two of them and I think they both starved. They move/eat like seahorses. They're sooooo slow, and so timid that I would rarely see them actually catch a piece of food. By the time they spied a piece of food in the water column, slowly hovered over to it, inspected it, lined it up and then attempted to eat it in ultra-slow-motion, another fish would swim by and just snatch it.

 

[homer1475]

What is the secret with Pygmy wrasses? I've had two of them and I think they both starved. They move/eat like seahorses. They're sooooo slow, and so timid that I would rarely see them actually catch a piece of food. By the time they spied a piece of food in the water column, slowly hovered over to it, inspected it, lined it up and then attempted to eat it in ultra-slow-motion, another fish would swim by and just snatch it.

Interesting observation. I know they are a very timid fish, but had no idea they were that timid or slow. Being that timid and slow, I wonder if it will get along in my high flow tank very well?

I've been on the lookout for once since I started back up 5 years ago. I even have LA emailing me if they ever got one in stock. Nothing in 5 years, happen into the LFS the other day, and he had one that just came in! Great score as it is still in it's shipping bag, and hasn't hit the LFS's tanks yet.

 

[CoralWealth]

So I am adding a large labouts wrasse to my DT next week that already has a large leopard, yellow coris wrasse, carpenters wrasse, mccoskers wrasse, cleaners wrasse and linespot flasher wrasse.

I will be using an acclimation box in my 180 gallon DT. I shouldnt have any problems should I? I know they can be aggressive towards other fairy wrasse but I do not have any other fairy wrasse, wasnt sure about my other wrasse.

Also, will adding the Labouts wrasse stop me from adding any fairy or flasher wrasse in the future?

 

[rkpetersen]

So I am adding a large labouts wrasse to my DT next week that already has a large leopard, yellow coris wrasse, carpenters wrasse, mccoskers wrasse, cleaners wrasse and linespot flasher wrasse.

I will be using an acclimation box in my 180 gallon DT. I shouldnt have any problems should I? I know they can be aggressive towards other fairy wrasse but I do not have any other fairy wrasse, wasnt sure about my other wrasse.

Also, will adding the Labouts wrasse stop me from adding any fairy or flasher wrasse in the future?

This is a good chart to evaluate fairy wrasse compatibility: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/c...feriority-need-not-apply-1st-revision.322326/

 

[evolved]

What is the secret with Pygmy wrasses? I've had two of them and I think they both starved. They move/eat like seahorses. They're sooooo slow, and so timid that I would rarely see them actually catch a piece of food. By the time they spied a piece of food in the water column, slowly hovered over to it, inspected it, lined it up and then attempted to eat it in ultra-slow-motion, another fish would swim by and just snatch it.

They do tend to do better in smaller tanks with a good population of pops.

I will be using an acclimation box in my 180 gallon DT. I shouldnt have any problems should I? I know they can be aggressive towards other fairy wrasse but I do not have any other fairy wrasse, wasnt sure about my other wrasse.

Should be fine, yes.

Also, will adding the Labouts wrasse stop me from adding any fairy or flasher wrasse in the future?

Probably not; it will depend on the attitude of your particular individual. A minority of them can have a pretty bad attitude, but usually that's not the case.

 

[CoralWealth]

They do tend to do better in smaller tanks with a good population of pops.

Should be fine, yes.

Probably not; it will depend on the attitude of your particular individual. A minority of them can have a pretty bad attitude, but usually that's not the case.

Thanks!!

 

[dsinsocal]

Interesting observation. I know they are a very timid fish, but had no idea they were that timid or slow. Being that timid and slow, I wonder if it will get along in my high flow tank very well?

I've been on the lookout for once since I started back up 5 years ago. I even have LA emailing me if they ever got one in stock. Nothing in 5 years, happen into the LFS the other day, and he had one that just came in! Great score as it is still in it's shipping bag, and hasn't hit the LFS's tanks yet.

Your request to be e-mailed an in-stock notification must not have taken. They've had all variants of pygmies (Tanaka, White Band and Yellow Band) in stock at various times over the past couple of years. It's where I got both of mine. They also have them on Divers Den quite often as well.

The first one I got was a yellow band and I just thought he was special or something. I literally had to target feed him with the flow off, otherwise food would just hit him in the head and flow by. Even with the flow off, he was so methodical in lining up a single piece of food that other fish would just swim up and eat everything, and all the commotion would scare him back into the rocks. I got the Tanaka a few months later and it acted the same way, so I'm done with them.

For anyone looking at a pygmy, I would suggest a Pink Streak instead. Same body type, mild personality and tank habits as the Wetmorellas, but more way more social and enough common sense to actually eat when food presents itself. I LOVE mine. His name is "Tweek".

 

[Jcarvallo]

Hi,

I added a young female Wrasse, probably from the lubbocki group.
Its been 4 days and is not showing much interest in flakes. Showed mild interest with fish eggs (frozen eggs that I bougth fresh on the fish Shop).
The wrasse is pretty small compares with the other fishes of my tank.
No aggression so far.

Should I worry?

Regards