The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[Mschmidt]

We can teach you the ways of the wrasse

Oh I know that.

Plenty to learn here! I started out thinking wrasses were overrated minnows. Now shooting for a wrasse dominant tank!

I've been Leary of the temperament. But now it's that I have no lids and don't want to lose another to the floor or overflow.

 

[JoJosReef]

I never had much interest in them either because anytime I went to an LFS, they only had maybe a bird wrasse or a lunar wrasse or something like that which I couldn't have anyway. So I kind of dismissed them all not even being aware of how many cool ones there are.

My leopard is an absolute delight. Can't imagine how I thought they were boring when I began reefing. I want a huge tank now so I can get a ton of wrasses. Will have to wait though, full plate these days. Menawhile, planning, scheming, overfeeding nems

 

[CBonito]

My leopard is an absolute delight. Can't imagine how I thought they were boring when I began reefing. I want a huge tank now so I can get a ton of wrasses. Will have to wait though, full plate these days. Menawhile, planning, scheming, overfeeding nems

I almost bought a couple fairies the other day, but I'm refraining. I think I might have regretted doing so as the tank (and the fish) need a bit of time in between ads. If I find a leopard that I can't resist I'll buy it. But I am going to hold out until I see the right one. I'm probably going to look now like a moron. lol

I would love to have a blue star, but there are a couple others. I just got my refugium plumbed in last night and I have to make water today. I want to get the system itself as solid as possible before adding any more fish as I intend to have a lot going on in my tank and want a strong biome.

 

[jkcoral]

My leopard takes up a very small spot next to my setosa. I have no idea if she'd be bothered by another sand sleeper within a foot of her on all sides.

Might also be worth considering how the rockwork breaks up the sand bed into different "sleeping quarters". Does that make sense?

Nice open brain down there in the bottom right!

 

[JoJosReef]

Nice open brain down there in the bottom right!

It keeps growing! It was just a bit bigger than the button scoly to the left of it when I first got it. Now I might have to think about where to move it for more space.

 

[CBonito]

It keeps growing! It was just a bit bigger than the button scoly to the left of it when I first got it. Now I might have to think about where to move it for more space.

There's a really nice variety of everything in there and everything is well placed and balanced. Really nice tank.

 

[blecki]

Is he tearing fins on the Christmas Wrasse or is he simply just chasing her around every so often?

I've noticed one nip and it's mostly healed; I don't actually know who did it. There's other much more stereotypically aggressive fish in there that could be doing it when I'm not looking, like a purple dottyback and a yellow tail damsel, and a trio of very horny green chromis. They seem to have settled into a schedule where the xmas wrasse only comes out after the canary wrasse goes to bed. The xmas wrasse is still incredibly shy and easily spooked to the point in fleeing in terror is any other fish even looks at her - including the cleaner wrasse. But progress. I've been feeding everyone at one end of the tank then while they are distracted feeding her at the other. Hopefully she grows fast. I can't imagine she'll have any issues once she's the largest wrasse in the tank.

The canary wrasse though is starting to get his headgear. Still too faint to pick up in pictures but he's definitely in the transition to male now which might be why he's being such an *******.

 

[JoJosReef]

Anyone know what a juvenile/female C. brunneus looks like? My QT guy says he never sees females, and I'm wondering if it's because they are hard to ID.

 

[AZReef13]

Anyone know what a juvenile/female C. brunneus looks like? My QT guy says he never sees females, and I'm wondering if it's because they are hard to ID.

I have been trying to find that out myself...

 

[JoJosReef]

I have been trying to find that out myself...

This is one of the pictures that pops up in a google images search

So I wonder if it's simply falsely ID'd and discarded. Would love to photodocument one from juvenile through terminal phase male like @OrionN does.

 

[Slocke]

Anyone know what a juvenile/female C. brunneus looks like? My QT guy says he never sees females, and I'm wondering if it's because they are hard to ID.

I’m going to hazard a guess and say a C burneus female is pink on the back, paler on the belly, with lateral lines.

 

[JoJosReef]

I’m going to hazard a guess and say a C burneus female is pink on the back paler on the belly with lateral lines.

I asked for a quote on a QT'd 2" male. Hopefully that means it is still a young one. The babi rang up at $250, which was a bit (ok, a lot) over what I can swing right now.

 

[Slocke]

I’m going to hazard a guess and say a C burneus female is pink on the back, paler on the belly, with lateral lines.

This was supposed to be a joke because all fairy and flasher wrasse look like this as females.

I asked for a quote on a QT'd 2" male. Hopefully that means it is still a young one. The babi rang up at $250, which was a bit (ok, a lot) over what I can swing right now.

It’s a cute wrasse but it’s not worth that. I saw a full grown Garnoti today. You got yourself quite the fish @tbrown it is an impressive fish full grown.

 

[tbrown]

It’s a cute wrasse but it’s not worth that. I saw a full grown Garnoti today. You got yourself quite the fish @tbrown it is an impressive fish full grown.

And she's growing fast!

 

[Slocke]

I think I may have mentioned adding a second much larger A meleagrides if I find one but it seems even public aquariums with giant tanks that have several don’t get males. Weird how some wrasse go male real easy and others don’t.

 

[i cant think]

I think I may have mentioned adding a second much larger A meleagrides if I find one but it seems even public aquariums with giant tanks that have several don’t get males. Weird how some wrasse go male real easy and others don’t.

I know someone who has 2 females in their tank and yet, not one of them has changed and they’ve been on there for a good 2-3 years now. Neither were bought at a young age I think both were 3” when bought.

 

[i cant think]

This is one of the pictures that pops up in a google images search

So I wonder if it's simply falsely ID'd and discarded. Would love to photodocument one from juvenile through terminal phase male like @OrionN does.

I believe that is a female, if not a transitional male. I think they have a slightly redder look - not red like an isosceles female - more like a hygroxerus female.

I’d personally love a dark Cirrhilabrus species to watch go through the transition phase (my dream one would be hygroxerus).

 

[i cant think]

today I’ll be doing some wrasse photos, any ideas who you may want to see from the (slightly more common) collection?

Obviously, the diamond tail will be photoed!

 

[JoJosReef]

I believe that is a female, if not a transitional male. I think they have a slightly redder look - not red like an isosceles female - more like a hygroxerus female.

I’d personally love a dark Cirrhilabrus species to watch go through the transition phase (my dream one would be hygroxerus).

Right now discussing with QT guy between the C. brunneus and the M. negrosensis. I'd also like to see the transition of a brunneus, but seems like females are much harder to come by. Do you think distributors are less likely to offer them due to difficulty in IDing them?

 

[i cant think]

Right now discussing with QT guy between the C. brunneus and the M. negrosensis. I'd also like to see the transition of a brunneus, but seems like females are much harder to come by. Do you think distributors are less likely to offer them due to difficulty in IDing them?

Honestly, it’s more likely because people don’t want female wrasses in general as they’re ‘dull’ and ‘boring’ instead of being due to difficulty of IDing them.