Wanting to Add one (or two) more wrasses to my tank

[Manc57]

Hi! Newish tank up and running since late August. I have (for now) gotten things stable with weekly WC and consistent testing and minor corrections. Have been able to keep things alive and growing. Looking to add one or two more wrasses to the following community

Display is 39" x 22" x 19" currently housing - Striped Blenny, Yellow Wrasse, (1) Mocha Clown, Neon Damsel, Hi Fin Red Banded Goby, Candy Cane Pistol, various turbo, Cerith, Trochus and nassarius snails. Corals are Hammer(s) (1) small monti, (1) small Micromussa, (1) small chalice and about 18 different zoa frag plugs.

Like the smaller more colorful wrasses and don't wanna break the bank. Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[Peace River]

@SaltyT - thoughts on wrasses to add?

 

[OrchidMiss]

@OrionN too

 

[Tcook]

C. bathyphilus, the hooded flame wrasse, is quite colorful and a mellow wrasse. The pintail is another nicely colored wrasse but the can be a little spastic and would probably be too much for your tank.

 

[OrionN]

I would add a Lubbock and a Pintail. They should stay relatively small and should do OK in a 3 foot tank.If this is what you want to do, add the Pintail first. He is more timid than the Lubbock

 

[OrchidMiss]

I would add a Lubbock and a Pintail. They should stay relatively small and should do OK in a 3 foot tank.If this is what you want to do, add the Pintail first. He is more timid than the Lubbock
View attachment 3011303View attachment 3011306

Stunning specimens!

 

[i cant think]

Honestly, I disagree with the Lubbocki in a 3’ tank. My pair run all over my 4’ tank when displaying and they display regularly every night and sometimes even 2-3 times a day.

As for wrasses, why is it just the Cirrhilabrus genus that was mentioned, the existing wrasse is rather peaceful and will allow other genera. Yet everyone’s sticking to Cirrhilabrus…
Get a couple unusual guys in there. look through these genera and then we can sort through them and see which ones are the best fit in your tank;
- Halichoeres
- Cirrhilabrus
- Macropharyngodon
- Smaller Anampses
- Pseudojuloides

Here’s a small starting list for you;
Cirrhilabrus bathyphilus*_
Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa_
Cirrhilabrus lunatus_
Cirrhilabrus shutmani*_
Cirrhilabrus exquisitus_
Cirrhilabrus hygroxerus_
Cirrhilabrus rubriventralis_
Cirrhilabrus rubeus_
Cirrhilabrus africanus_
Macropharyngodon negrosensis^~_
Macropharyngodon bipartitus^~_
Macropharyngodon meleagris^~_
Macropharyngodon viviennae*~_
Macropharyngodon choati*^~_
Halichoeres iridis^~_
Halichoeres cosmetus_
Halichoeres biocellatus_
Halichoeres argus_
Halichoeres leucurus_
Halichoeres melanochir~_
Halichoeres timorensis_
Halichoeres binotopsis_
Halichoeres pallidus_
Halichoeres richmondi_
Halichoeres rubricephalus~_
Halichoeres lapillus^~_
Anampses melanurus~_
Anampses lineatus~_
Pseudojuloides atavai*•~_
Pseudojuloides kaleidos•~_
Pseudojuloides mesostigma•~_
Pseudojuloides severnsi•~_
Pseudojuloides erythops*•~_

Key;
* = This may break your budget however their looks could be worth it.
^ = These may need a specialised care just whilst they settle in.
• = These guys may do best in a tank you build around them.
~ = These guys don’t always ship too well
_ = These don’t QT all that well and should be brought Pre-QTed.

 

[findingsimple]

That starting list doesn’t have any that qt very well

I was looking at some of these myself, so good to know

 

[i cant think]

That starting list doesn’t have any that qt very well

I was looking at some of these myself, so good to know

IMHO, no wrasse is easy to get through QT. They generally suffer badly with Copper.

 

[findingsimple]

IMHO, no wrasse is easy to get through QT. They generally suffer badly with Copper.

Double good to know.

My LFS is getting me in a collection of fairy and flasher (I’m not 100% sure which ones except a few on your list sounded familiar ) over the next month or so

I’m keen to QT, have two tanks set up and ready but just learned you can’t actually buy any copper products (or most fish meds) in AUS so I think I’m going to struggle doing proper qt anyway. But if an eye opener really and why I know few that qt

 

[i cant think]

Double good to know.

My LFS is getting me in a collection of fairy and flasher (I’m not 100% sure which ones except a few on your list sounded familiar ) over the next month or so

I’m keen to QT, have two tanks set up and ready but just learned you can’t actually buy any copper products (or most fish meds) in AUS so I think I’m going to struggle doing proper qt anyway. But if an eye opener really and why I know few that qt

Over here in the UK we have a similar issue and actually so few of us do QT.
I don’t know what your LFSs are like but if the majority of their fish look clean and healthy you should get away with just “dumping them in”

 

[OrionN]

Honestly, I disagree with the Lubbocki in a 3’ tank. My pair run all over my 4’ tank when displaying and they display regularly every night and sometimes even 2-3 times a day.

As for wrasses, why is it just the Cirrhilabrus genus that was mentioned, the existing wrasse is rather peaceful and will allow other genera. Yet everyone’s sticking to Cirrhilabrus…
Get a couple unusual guys in there. look through these genera and then we can sort through them and see which ones are the best fit in your tank;
- Halichoeres
- Cirrhilabrus
- Macropharyngodon
- Smaller Anampses
- Pseudojuloides

Here’s a small starting list for you;
Cirrhilabrus bathyphilus*_
Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa_
Cirrhilabrus lunatus_
Cirrhilabrus shutmani*_
Cirrhilabrus exquisitus_
Cirrhilabrus hygroxerus_
Cirrhilabrus rubriventralis_
Cirrhilabrus rubeus_
Cirrhilabrus africanus_
Macropharyngodon negrosensis^~_
Macropharyngodon bipartitus^~_
Macropharyngodon meleagris^~_
Macropharyngodon viviennae*~_
Macropharyngodon choati*^~_
Halichoeres iridis^~_
Halichoeres cosmetus_
Halichoeres biocellatus_
Halichoeres argus_
Halichoeres leucurus_
Halichoeres melanochir~_
Halichoeres timorensis_
Halichoeres binotopsis_
Halichoeres pallidus_
Halichoeres richmondi_
Halichoeres rubricephalus~_
Halichoeres lapillus^~_
Anampses melanurus~_
Anampses lineatus~_
Pseudojuloides atavai*•~_
Pseudojuloides kaleidos•~_
Pseudojuloides mesostigma•~_
Pseudojuloides severnsi•~_
Pseudojuloides erythops*•~_

Key;
* = This may break your budget however their looks could be worth it.
^ = These may need a specialised care just whilst they settle in.
• = These guys may do best in a tank you build around them.
~ = These guys don’t always ship too well
_ = These don’t QT all that well and should be brought Pre-QTed.

Two male chasing each other isn’t the same as displaying. I think 3 feet is the minimal size for the tee wrasse I recommended.
the tank is in the smaller size than almost everything else other than Possum wrasse and Pink streak wrasse. Both of my two wrasse above were juveniles when I got them and they never get larger than about 2.5 inches. They got plenty of food and in a 320 gallons tank. They are absolutely the smallest fairy wrasses I keep.
unfortunately I was not able to get another juvenile for these two species.
IMO I keep harems of leopards and the Meleagris and the Black leopards, which is the smallest of the leopards, get a little too big for a 36 inches tank.

Non fairy wrasse wise, a H. biocellatus may do fine in that your tank.

 

[Manc57]

WOW. Woke up to so many great suggestions. My QT ability is limited, so probably going the route of pre conditioned pre QT'd stock from a Dr Reef or other vendor that offers this service. My general take away is that I have plenty of options and two different wrasses added to my display (with the more timid added first) is certainly do-able.

Thanks very much for all the help. It is appreciated.

 

[i cant think]

Two male chasing each other isn’t the same as displaying. I think 3 feet is the minimal size for the tee wrasse I recommended.
the tank is in the smaller size than almost everything else other than Possum wrasse and Pink streak wrasse. Both of my two wrasse above were juveniles when I got them and they never get larger than about 2.5 inches. They got plenty of food and in a 320 gallons tank. They are absolutely the smallest fairy wrasses I keep.
unfortunately I was not able to get another juvenile for these two species.
IMO I keep harems of leopards and the Meleagris and the Black leopards, which is the smallest of the leopards, get a little too big for a 36 inches tank.

Non fairy wrasse wise, a H. biocellatus may do fine in that your tank.

I would say “chasing” is a bit of an extreme word for my two. Here’s the best photo I have, they tend to just display to eachother and generally go in circles every so often darting round the tank.

I will admit they aren’t like a pair unlike what you have however even then, if it was chasing they would likely chase eachother until one is dead or very stressed out which they dont.
As for getting over 2.5 inches, my two are both 3 inch, and I have certainly had an isosceles hit 4 inch.