Common misconceptions with Wrasses!

[i cant think]

Hey everyone, wrasses are an incredibly popular family (the Labrids) and as with all of the popular families they have a few misconceptions around them. So, why don’t we go through them - some of them do have some truth behind them!

Starting with the first one - They will outcompete Mandarins for pods.

This has some truth behind it. Now, many species of wrasse will feed on pods from the rockwork - this is mainly the Sand Sleeping genera. The most commonly kept sand sleeping genera are;
. Halichoeres - _____ Wrasse
. Pseudojuloides - Pencil Wrasse
. Anampses - Tamarin Wrasse
. Macropharyngodon - Leopard Wrasse
. Coris - (True) Coris Wrasse
. Novaculichthys - Dragon/Seaweed Wrasse
. Xenojulis - Gold Nugget Wrasse
Now, these genera do seemingly always scour the rockwork however if you watch closely they are only taking bites every few minutes. This is because unlike a Mandarin, they can wait for their next meal. Here is my Female ’White’ Leopard (Macropharyngodon meleagris) waiting for my Tiger Goby (Valenciennea wardii) to kick up any form of food - whether that’s pods or even just excess detritus!

Now, somewhat linked onto this one is another common misconception; ALL Wrasse need a sandbed.

Now there is partial truth behind this - The genera mentioned above do require a sandbed. However not ALL genera need one! If you want wrasses for a bare bottom tank look at these genera;
. Paracheilinus - Flasher Wrasse
. Cirrhilabrus - Fairy Wrasse
. Pseudocheilinops - Pink Streak Wrasse (or as I call them, Pinkies)
. Pseudocheilinus - Lined Wrasse
. Wetmorella - Possum Wrasse
. Thalassoma - Paddlefin Wrasse
. Labroides - Cleaner Wrasse
Now, at night or when startled these guys often go into the rockwork they will create a mucous cocoon - don’t worry if you wake up and see a random area of slime appear under a rock, it’s probably where your wrasse was sleeping!
Here’s one of my rock sleepers - my Diamond Tail Flasher male (Paracheilinus attenuatus).

Now, of the rock sleeping genera I have mentioned, I recommend for larger tanks (3-4 feet in length) sticking to Paracheilinus, Labroides and Cirrhilabrus and for smaller tanks sticking with Pseudocheilinops and Wetmorella. The other 2 genera are known for being more boisterous - Pseudocheilinus should only really be kept as a frag tank species due to their behaviour.

@Slocke will love the next miconseption is with the names of some of the wrasses in the Halichoeres genus.
They are not Coris wrasses!
This is specifically aimed at the Halichoeres chrysus and the Halichoeres chloropterus (photoed below).

These 2 species are in the genus Halichoeres - now, Chloropterus is somewhat closely related to Coris batuensis which as you may be able to tell is a true Coris species as it is in the Coris genus.
I won’t drag too far on with this as Slocke has done a whole thread on this misconception!

So, the final common misconception is… You can only have one male!

This one also has some truth behind it - you can only have one male of closely related species is the general rule you should follow when you’re new to mixing wrasses.
However you can have males of distantly related species - even if they’re in the same genera! I have 14-15 wrasses in my 5’ 180G (700l) tank and of those, only 2-3 are actually female. Below are 3 of my wrasses and all are male, in the above photos (albeit I rehomed my chloropterus) all but the Leopard Wrasse are males too. I do however find if you mix male wrasses always make sure to have plenty of caves and dart holes that larger species can’t get into.

So, I hope you enjoyed this! Any more questions you feel could be misconceptions and feel free to ask about them

 

[Slocke]

. Halichoeres - _____ Wrasse

Pig wrasse! Or salty pig wrasse!

 

[Reef Wizard]

This needs to be an article IMO Nice read

 

[i cant think]

This needs to be an article IMO Nice read

I did debate whether to do it as an article or not

 

[crazyfishmom]

I agree, should be an article. Great read and useful information. I am quickly become a wrasse lover and trying to obtain as much info as possible!

 

[kevgib67]

Hey everyone, wrasses are an incredibly popular family (the Labrids) and as with all of the popular families they have a few misconceptions around them. So, why don’t we go through them - some of them do have some truth behind them!

Starting with the first one - They will outcompete Mandarins for pods.

This has some truth behind it. Now, many species of wrasse will feed on pods from the rockwork - this is mainly the Sand Sleeping genera. The most commonly kept sand sleeping genera are;
. Halichoeres - _____ Wrasse
. Pseudojuloides - Pencil Wrasse
. Anampses - Tamarin Wrasse
. Macropharyngodon - Leopard Wrasse
. Coris - (True) Coris Wrasse
. Novaculichthys - Dragon/Seaweed Wrasse
. Xenojulis - Gold Nugget Wrasse
Now, these genera do seemingly always scour the rockwork however if you watch closely they are only taking bites every few minutes. This is because unlike a Mandarin, they can wait for their next meal. Here is my Female ’White’ Leopard (Macropharyngodon meleagris) waiting for my Tiger Goby (Valenciennea wardii) to kick up any form of food - whether that’s pods or even just excess detritus!

Now, somewhat linked onto this one is another common misconception; ALL Wrasse need a sandbed.

Now there is partial truth behind this - The genera mentioned above do require a sandbed. However not ALL genera need one! If you want wrasses for a bare bottom tank look at these genera;
. Paracheilinus - Flasher Wrasse
. Cirrhilabrus - Fairy Wrasse
. Pseudocheilinops - Pink Streak Wrasse (or as I call them, Pinkies)
. Pseudocheilinus - Lined Wrasse
. Wetmorella - Possum Wrasse
. Thalassoma - Paddlefin Wrasse
. Labroides - Cleaner Wrasse
Now, at night or when startled these guys often go into the rockwork they will create a mucous cocoon - don’t worry if you wake up and see a random area of slime appear under a rock, it’s probably where your wrasse was sleeping!
Here’s one of my rock sleepers - my Diamond Tail Flasher male (Paracheilinus attenuatus).

Now, of the rock sleeping genera I have mentioned, I recommend for larger tanks (3-4 feet in length) sticking to Paracheilinus, Labroides and Cirrhilabrus and for smaller tanks sticking with Pseudocheilinops and Wetmorella. The other 2 genera are known for being more boisterous - Pseudocheilinus should only really be kept as a frag tank species due to their behaviour.

@Slocke will love the next miconseption is with the names of some of the wrasses in the Halichoeres genus.
They are not Coris wrasses!
This is specifically aimed at the Halichoeres chrysus and the Halichoeres chloropterus (photoed below).

These 2 species are in the genus Halichoeres - now, Chloropterus is somewhat closely related to Coris batuensis which as you may be able to tell is a true Coris species as it is in the Coris genus.
I won’t drag too far on with this as Slocke has done a whole thread on this misconception!

So, the final common misconception is… You can only have one male!

This one also has some truth behind it - you can only have one male of closely related species is the general rule you should follow when you’re new to mixing wrasses.
However you can have males of distantly related species - even if they’re in the same genera! I have 14-15 wrasses in my 5’ 180G (700l) tank and of those, only 2-3 are actually female. Below are 3 of my wrasses and all are male, in the above photos (albeit I rehomed my chloropterus) all but the Leopard Wrasse are males too. I do however find if you mix male wrasses always make sure to have plenty of caves and dart holes that larger species can’t get into.

So, I hope you enjoyed this! Any more questions you feel could be misconceptions and feel free to ask about them

Hey everyone, wrasses are an incredibly popular family (the Labrids) and as with all of the popular families they have a few misconceptions around them. So, why don’t we go through them - some of them do have some truth behind them!

Starting with the first one - They will outcompete Mandarins for pods.

This has some truth behind it. Now, many species of wrasse will feed on pods from the rockwork - this is mainly the Sand Sleeping genera. The most commonly kept sand sleeping genera are;
. Halichoeres - _____ Wrasse
. Pseudojuloides - Pencil Wrasse
. Anampses - Tamarin Wrasse
. Macropharyngodon - Leopard Wrasse
. Coris - (True) Coris Wrasse
. Novaculichthys - Dragon/Seaweed Wrasse
. Xenojulis - Gold Nugget Wrasse
Now, these genera do seemingly always scour the rockwork however if you watch closely they are only taking bites every few minutes. This is because unlike a Mandarin, they can wait for their next meal. Here is my Female ’White’ Leopard (Macropharyngodon meleagris) waiting for my Tiger Goby (Valenciennea wardii) to kick up any form of food - whether that’s pods or even just excess detritus!

Now, somewhat linked onto this one is another common misconception; ALL Wrasse need a sandbed.

Now there is partial truth behind this - The genera mentioned above do require a sandbed. However not ALL genera need one! If you want wrasses for a bare bottom tank look at these genera;
. Paracheilinus - Flasher Wrasse
. Cirrhilabrus - Fairy Wrasse
. Pseudocheilinops - Pink Streak Wrasse (or as I call them, Pinkies)
. Pseudocheilinus - Lined Wrasse
. Wetmorella - Possum Wrasse
. Thalassoma - Paddlefin Wrasse
. Labroides - Cleaner Wrasse
Now, at night or when startled these guys often go into the rockwork they will create a mucous cocoon - don’t worry if you wake up and see a random area of slime appear under a rock, it’s probably where your wrasse was sleeping!
Here’s one of my rock sleepers - my Diamond Tail Flasher male (Paracheilinus attenuatus).

Now, of the rock sleeping genera I have mentioned, I recommend for larger tanks (3-4 feet in length) sticking to Paracheilinus, Labroides and Cirrhilabrus and for smaller tanks sticking with Pseudocheilinops and Wetmorella. The other 2 genera are known for being more boisterous - Pseudocheilinus should only really be kept as a frag tank species due to their behaviour.

@Slocke will love the next miconseption is with the names of some of the wrasses in the Halichoeres genus.
They are not Coris wrasses!
This is specifically aimed at the Halichoeres chrysus and the Halichoeres chloropterus (photoed below).

These 2 species are in the genus Halichoeres - now, Chloropterus is somewhat closely related to Coris batuensis which as you may be able to tell is a true Coris species as it is in the Coris genus.
I won’t drag too far on with this as Slocke has done a whole thread on this misconception!

So, the final common misconception is… You can only have one male!

This one also has some truth behind it - you can only have one male of closely related species is the general rule you should follow when you’re new to mixing wrasses.
However you can have males of distantly related species - even if they’re in the same genera! I have 14-15 wrasses in my 5’ 180G (700l) tank and of those, only 2-3 are actually female. Below are 3 of my wrasses and all are male, in the above photos (albeit I rehomed my chloropterus) all but the Leopard Wrasse are males too. I do however find if you mix male wrasses always make sure to have plenty of caves and dart holes that larger species can’t get into.

So, I hope you enjoyed this! Any more questions you feel could be misconceptions and feel free to ask about them

Great info, I think you need to remove the t from @i cant think !

 

[Outlaw Corals]

I think another big misconception is that certain Wrasses will eat flat worms, and my personal experience that is not the case, i’ve had just about all of the wrasses that are supposed to eat flat worm, and they turned out to be totally useless,

 

[felda001]

I think another big misconception is that certain Wrasses will eat flat worms, and my personal experience that is not the case, i’ve had just about all of the wrasses that are supposed to eat flat worm, and they turned out to be totally useless,

I think it's a fish by fish basis. I didn't have a flatworm in the tank until I lost my wrasse. He ate every one like they were candy

 

[cjtabares]

. Paracheilinus - Flasher Wrasse
. Cirrhilabrus - Fairy Wrasse
Now, of the rock sleeping genera I have mentioned, I recommend for larger tanks (3-4 feet in length) sticking to Paracheilinus, Labroides and Cirrhilabrus and for smaller tanks sticking with Pseudocheilinops and Wetmorella. The other 2 genera are known for being more boisterous - Pseudocheilinus should only really be kept as a frag tank species due to their behaviour.

So would you not put any fairy or flasher wrasse in a 45gal,24x24x18” tank?

 

[i cant think]

So would you not put any fairy or flasher wrasse in a 45gal,24x24x18” tank?

A smaller species of fairy would potentially work - something like Lubbocki or Exquisitus would work.

 

[cjtabares]

A smaller species of fairy would potentially work - something like Lubbocki or Exquisitus would work.

Ok, thank you. Do you think a Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis, rosy scale wrasse would work? I was looking at one in a LFS and they said it would be ok.

 

[JoJosReef]

Ok, thank you. Do you think a Cirrhilabrus rubrisquamis, rosy scale wrasse would work? I was looking at one in a LFS and they said it would be ok.

I think those would lead to trouble. Here is a decent guide. But remember than length of tank should be weighted over gallons since these wrasses like to display and dart around.

For a 24" x 24", I would personally stick to Halichoeres or a Macropharyngodon. For a fairy, I would probably pick a C. isosceles, depending on the other tankmates (must be peaceful). A pair of pink streaks would be great as an alternative or additional.

 

[cjtabares]

I think those would lead to trouble. Here is a decent guide. But remember than length of tank should be weighted over gallons since these wrasses like to display and dart around.

For a 24" x 24", I would personally stick to Halichoeres or a Macropharyngodon. For a fairy, I would probably pick a C. isosceles, depending on the other tankmates (must be peaceful). A pair of pink streaks would be great as an alternative or additional.

I really love the footprint of the tank, I think the depth looks nice, but I have found the dimensions to limit some fish choices compared to a more traditional 40 or 55 gal tank gallon.

 

[JoJosReef]

I really love the footprint of the tank, I think the depth looks nice, but I have found the dimensions to limit some fish choices compared to a more traditional 40 or 55 gal tank gallon.

With the tank being that deep, a leopard would happily swim around inspecting rocks all day long, and some leopards are stunning.

 

[cjtabares]

With the tank being that deep, a leopard would happily swim around inspecting rocks all day long, and some leopards are stunning.

I already have a mandarin in the tank, wanted it give it as little competition for pods as possible. I would have preferred a leopard wrasse, but my son’s favorite fish is the mandarin, so I got it.

 

[cjtabares]

Double post.

 

[JoJosReef]

I already have a mandarin in the tank, wanted it give it as little competition for pods as possible. I would have preferred a leopard wrasse, but my son’s favorite fish is the mandarin, so I got it.

See misconception #1 at top of this thread

Although in a 45gal, I'd probably want all the pods possible for the mandarin. Fairy might be your best bet. Personally, I would get a C. isosceles or a C. brunneus. The isosceles can be a stunning centerpiece fish if your tank is peaceful enough. A terminal male brunneus has very interesting colors.

 

[cjtabares]

See misconception #1 at top of this thread

Although in a 45gal, I'd probably want all the pods possible for the mandarin. Fairy might be your best bet. Personally, I would get a C. isosceles or a C. brunneus. The isosceles can be a stunning centerpiece fish if your tank is peaceful enough. A terminal male brunneus has very interesting colors.

Yeah, I know. I am still a little concerned about pods just for the mandarin, might try to cultivate pods. I was leaning towards a small fairy. Will take a look at the 2 listed, don’t plan on any aggressive fish.

 

[kyreefville]

One lfs suggested yellow corris. Didn’t see it on list. I have a 54 corner.

 

[Slocke]

One lfs suggested yellow corris. Didn’t see it on list. I have a 54 corner.

Not Coris wrasse! This is becoming my biggest pet peeve...

This is Halichoeres chrysus. A small, reef safe, and very peaceful wrasse known for being beautiful, eating pests, and as a good community member. Credit @JoJosReef This is Halichoeres chloropterus. A larger and more aggressive wrasse but still fairly reef safe and good for bigger tanks and...

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