Lunar wrasse

Lovefish77 · Apr 19, 2023

I am getting a lunar eraser and wanted to see if any precautions to take in a reef tak. I have softies, gorgonisns, lps and anemones.i also have a serpent star fish like 6" across.

Is it reef safe? Invert safe?
Lmk what you think pls.

Thanks

Slocke · Apr 19, 2023

Well an eraser should be fine but a lunar wrasse is not a reef safe wrasse unfortunately. This is assuming you mean Thalassoma lunare and not something more peaceful like Cirrhilabrus lunatus. All Thalassoma wrasse are generally boisterous and aggressive as well as eating small and medium inverts. It is however coral safe but I’d suggest a tank without inverts and that has tough semi aggressive or aggressive fish like tangs and angelfish with a wrasse like that.

Gtinnel · Apr 19, 2023

It is reef safe in the fact that it shouldn’t eat corals, it will however eat about any invert. They also have the annoying habit of moving things around in the tank.
I have a tank with just a lunar wrasse in it because he has so far killed any other fish I’ve added. He is a gorgeous fish but quite aggresssive.

Lovefish77 · Apr 19, 2023

Slocke said:
Well an eraser should be fine but a lunar wrasse is not a reef safe wrasse unfortunately. This is assuming you mean Thalassoma lunare and not something more peaceful like Cirrhilabrus lunatus. All Thalassoma wrasse are generally boisterous and aggressive as well as eating small and medium inverts. It is however coral safe but I’d suggest a tank without inverts and that has tough semi aggressive or aggressive fish like tangs and angelfish with a wrasse like that.

Thanks. So corals and anemones are fine, inverts are on the menu, right?

Slocke · Apr 19, 2023

Lovefish77 said:
Thanks. So corals and anemones are fine, inverts are on the menu, right?

Yep
Larger brittle stars and urchins should be safe and I’ve had luck with Mexican turbos and bigger trochus but otherwise they’ll probably be eaten.

Lovefish77 · Apr 20, 2023

Slocke said:
Yep
Larger brittle stars and urchins should be safe and I’ve had luck with Mexican turbos and bigger trochus but otherwise they’ll probably be eaten.

Ok got it. So only small inverts at risk.

Cichlid Dad · Apr 21, 2023

I have a lunar wrasse in my tank, model citizen. I have a coral banded shrimp in with him. Maybe I'm just pressing my luck

Lovefish77 · Apr 22, 2023

Thanks everyone..just got the wrasse and it is in the dump now. Just wanted to make sure it is actually a lunar wrasse.
Excuse the mediocre photos
Thx again for everyone who provided feedback

Gtinnel · Apr 22, 2023

Lovefish77 said:
Thanks everyone..just got the wrasse and it is in the dump now. Just wanted to make sure it is actually a lunar wrasse.
Excuse the mediocre photos
Thx again for everyone who provided feedback

It looks like a lunar wrasse to me

Seansea · Apr 22, 2023

Thats a lunar wrasse.

Had one in my 150 for severals years. Bought him small and he grew big and beautiful and are very interesting fish with alot of personality.

HOWEVER these are some of the most agressive tank destroying fish you can have. He was the last fish i could add because he killed anything i added including a large emporer anngel. All the fish that were in there when i added him he never messed with including small gobies but you will NEVER be able to add any other fish including triggers puffers and groupers. Even fish much larger are in danger. He will swim bye at lightning speed and take an eye out of your fish and just keep coming back. He also flipped really large rocks over by putting his tail under em and wacking em. Always searching for stuff underneath. Feeding your anenome is over. Even if you put a container over it he will knock it off and take food literally out of its stomach. He never ate corals but will flip over rocks they are on and they wont like that. Your asand bed will also be a mess as he boars down in sand all the time not just for sleep but for kicks.. and good luck catching him cuz they are pretty smart. Tried for years and caught every fish in my tank but him. I would add these last even to a big predator tank to be honest.

Lovefish77 · Apr 22, 2023

Gtinnel said:
It looks like a lunar wrasse to me

Thanks

Lovefish77 · Apr 22, 2023

Seansea said:
Thats a lunar wrasse.

Had one in my 150 for severals years. Bought him small and he grew big and beautiful and are very interesting fish with alot of personality.

HOWEVER these are some of the most agressive tank destroying fish you can have. He was the last fish i could add because he killed anything i added including a large emporer anngel. All the fish that were in there when i added him he never messed with including small gobies but you will NEVER be able to add any other fish including triggers puffers and groupers. Even fish much larger are in danger. He will swim bye at lightning speed and take an eye out of your fish and just keep coming back. He also flipped really large rocks over by putting his tail under em and wacking em. Always searching for stuff underneath. Feeding your anenome is over. Even if you put a container over it he will knock it off and take food literally out of its stomach. He never ate corals but will flip over rocks they are on and they wont like that. Your asand bed will also be a mess as he boars down in sand all the time not just for sleep but for kicks.. and good luck catching him cuz they are pretty smart. Tried for years and caught every fish in my tank but him. I would add these last even to a big predator tank to be honest.

I honestly dont plan on adding more fish (definitely no puffers or grouers will be added). The tank has only 4 med to large tangs 4-6" each. I had other wrasses before and no one grabs food from the anemones once they take hold of it (I feed large chunks like 1/2 " square pieces. I guess if it gets too big I will try to grab it
Thanks for detailed perspective

Seansea · Apr 22, 2023

Ok cool hope yours is a good citizen. They are really beautiful.for sure

Lovefish77 · Apr 22, 2023

@Seansea. Forgot to mention, I have no sandbed

Seansea · Apr 22, 2023

Good. That will keep sand from getting on everything. My melanarus i have now is a messy melvin too.

They are good at pest removal tho. My lunar use to mash even the biggest bristle worms. Once he got a rock over everything under it was devoured quickly.