Beauty or utility: Why do you keep wrasses?

[Screwby]

Tank is still a baby, but here is my six line and friends, lol.

 

[jetor]

Our yellow coris wrasse is both beauty and utility, he is always on the hunt. Turns into a sand torpedo when I clean the glass

 

[Jesterrace]

IMHO you forgot to add personality to the other two. I honestly think that the individual personalities and character traits of wrasses are as much fun as their beauty and utility. My current Red-Lined Wrasse follows around my Coral Beauty to gobble up algae scrapings when I clean the glass and he is the smallest of the bunch but not afraid in anyway, shape or form to stick up for himself if the other fish get pushy from time to time. My Pencil Wrasse is the ultimate food thief and leads other fishes on chases around the tank at feeding time. I will always have a Wrasse of some kind as long as I have a saltwater tank.

 

[Jesterrace]

I have been contemplating one as i have a lot of hammers and torches but want ro get the right kind that balances utility and beauty. Suggestions would be great!
(45 gal red sea with two clowns and a fire fish)

Red Lined or Yellow Coris would probably be best. Melanurus are by far the most adept pest hunters but they will pick off your other inverts like no other (ie snails and hermits). Red Lined and Yellow Coris tend to be better behaved with snails and hermits (they will still pick them off occasionally).

 

[Jesterrace]

Many wrasse are simply gorgeous and provide color/shape/personality you cannot find anywhere else. If you have an open lid, beware though! Many love to leap out to their death.

Very true. My wife opened the lid to feed the other day and spooked my pencil wrasse. It jumped out and hit my wife in the shoulder, bounced off her shoulder and landed on my entry way tile floor. She scooped him up and put him back in the tank and thankfully he has been fine ever since.

 

[BraindeadBiologist]

Red Lined or Yellow Coris would probably be best. Melanurus are by far the most adept pest hunters but they will pick off your other inverts like no other (ie snails and hermits). Red Lined and Yellow Coris tend to be better behaved with snails and hermits (they will still pick them off occasionally).

Thank you that's really helpful!

 

[LRT]

Both Beautiful worker fish and everyone should have at least one. My only regret is choosing the mystery wrasse. If I could do it over again. I'd definetely go with a wrasse compatible selection and fill my tank with as many wrasse I could safely get away with lol.

 

[lonepalm99]

I keep them primarily for their looks and personality. They add a lot of color and movement to a tank. The fact that they are beneficial is a bonus.

 

[b breef]

I love the activity they add to the tank.

 

[WirelessMike]

Wrasses are beautiful...and they're useful! Tell us about why you keep wrasses (or would keep a wrasse). Do you enjoy the colors and patterns? What utility functions have you found that your wrasses perform in your aquarium? Is there a specific species of wrasse that you would like to have but haven't added to your aquarium yet? Let's talk more about wrasses in the discussion below!

Paracheilinus piscilineatus. Photo by Kevin Kohen.


Learn more about a few types of wrasses in these recent R2R articles:

• The Genus Halichoeres: The “Wrasses”
• Pseudocheilinops ataenia: The wrasse with bug eyes
• The Fairies of the Genus Cirrhilabrus
• Genus Paracheilinus: The Flasher Wrasses

Both! They are awesome at their job and a blast to watch in the tank. Six line is by far my favorite.

 

[shakacuz]

i have a YCW. always pecking around mostly getting pods as i do not believe i have any pests

 

[Brautumn]

I have definitely been a wrasse fan with not only their color but constantly picking at the rocks for something yummy. I have a mix of black leopard , ornate leopard, star leopard, 2 meleagris leopard, moyeri leopard, pencil wrasse, blue flasher, yellow/purple wrasse, yellow possum wrasse. Will be acquiring soon pintail, filamental, choates and thinking on others.

 

[OrionN]

I let the pictures do the talking.

 

[Devaji]

for me wrasses are the best SW fish personality, beauty and function!
I was trying to make a wrasse dominated system but I just sold off the tanks to travel a bit.

 

[i cant think]

I let the pictures do the talking.

The Nuptial display of an Anampses neoguinaicus is stunning through photos but I bet in person it’s even more of a sight to behold!

 

[OrionN]

The Nuptial display of an Anampses neoguinaicus is stunning through photos but I bet in person it’s even more of a sight to behold!

One of my favorite wrasse. I got her/him when she was just about 2 inches.

 

[i cant think]

Neoguinaicus is one wrasse I’d love in the future along with roseafascia but that’s a while away unfortunately.