Wrasse stocking (reef safe)
- Thread starter Bixby'sMenagerie
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OP
OP
But I want mandariiiiins. I don't want them getting outcompeted by the wrasses. It's a big tank but I can't dump pods in it everyday.I always keep a halichoeres wrasse in my tanks for this reason - great coral pest control
LOL totally get it. Sounds like the six line and Mel may have to be evicted before the mandarins move in. There’s lots of beautiful fairies and flashers to take their place. Some of my personal favorite fairies are pintails, exquisites, rhomboids, and hoodeds. Throw in a few flashers like McCoskers, Linespot, and Filamented and you’ll have a peaceful wrasse gang with lots of color and movement… and they’ll leave your pods for your mandarins
Considering you have a melanurus and a sixline, you really can’t have many wrasses at all.
I would ditch the Melanurus and sixline. Then I’d get a couple of other peaceful wrasses. I assume you like the sixline due to its pattern?
Why not hunt yourself one of these brutes?
Trade in the sixline and get the smaller 10x more peaceful Pseudocheilinops ataenia. That is assuming you have a low activity tank currently, these guys do terribly with aggression and need to be added into a lower stocking tank to then establish into a higher stocking tank.
Then to replace the melanurus, get yourself a smaller more peaceful Halichoeres. I know that these can outcompete mandarins however, generally these guys don’t peck the rocks nearly as much. I would personally get a Halichoeres leucoxanthus, this was my female (I know it’s not the best photo).
And then for some more up in the water column activity, get yourself a Cirrhilabrus species. I personally love Cirrhilabrus lubbocki - I have both variants of this species and they have gotten along for the previous two years
You can see 4 from my wrasse gang in my 4’ tank in this photo and the two lubbocki’s are that ‘line’ of purple. The indo variant is on the left and the Cebu is on the right.
OP
OP
I only got the 6 line because I figured hed be able to hold his own with the mela (he is). Current plan is to ditch both and keep the Lubbock's, then add fairys and flashers to keep it simple. This is a peaceful tank and I'd like it to remain so.Considering you have a melanurus and a sixline, you really can’t have many wrasses at all.
I would ditch the Melanurus and sixline. Then I’d get a couple of other peaceful wrasses. I assume you like the sixline due to its pattern?
Why not hunt yourself one of these brutes?
View attachment 3000954
Trade in the sixline and get the smaller 10x more peaceful Pseudocheilinops ataenia. That is assuming you have a low activity tank currently, these guys do terribly with aggression and need to be added into a lower stocking tank to then establish into a higher stocking tank.
Then to replace the melanurus, get yourself a smaller more peaceful Halichoeres. I know that these can outcompete mandarins however, generally these guys don’t peck the rocks nearly as much. I would personally get a Halichoeres leucoxanthus, this was my female (I know it’s not the best photo).
View attachment 3000955
And then for some more up in the water column activity, get yourself a Cirrhilabrus species. I personally love Cirrhilabrus lubbocki - I have both variants of this species and they have gotten along for the previous two years
You can see 4 from my wrasse gang in my 4’ tank in this photo and the two lubbocki’s are that ‘line’ of purple. The indo variant is on the left and the Cebu is on the right.
View attachment 3000956
Last edited:
OP
OP
Update, The 6 line has been removed to a friend's tank, the melanarus is in a food coma from finding the trap first, seeing him go to bed mid day was hilarious. While grabbing water today one of the fish Id been waiting on (qt at the lfs) I picked this guy up and was Identified on here as an orange back fairy. This guy seems the definition of peaceful so far. Currently also letting a trio of pintail fairies sit at the other lfs in town, 1 being a "supermale tricolor sailfin." I understand this is just a subjective hobby term but any thought on these guys? Still 2 weeks before i pick them up.
Update, The 6 line has been removed to a friend's tank, the melanarus is in a food coma from finding the trap first, seeing him go to bed mid day was hilarious. While grabbing water today one of the fish Id been waiting on (qt at the lfs) I picked this guy up and was Identified on here as an orange back fairy. This guy seems the definition of peaceful so far. Currently also letting a trio of pintail fairies sit at the other lfs in town, 1 being a "supermale tricolor sailfin." I understand this is just a subjective hobby term but any thought on these guys? Still 2 weeks before i pick them up.Considering you have a melanurus and a sixline, you really can’t have many wrasses at all.
I would ditch the Melanurus and sixline. Then I’d get a couple of other peaceful wrasses. I assume you like the sixline due to its pattern?
Why not hunt yourself one of these brutes?
View attachment 3000954
Trade in the sixline and get the smaller 10x more peaceful Pseudocheilinops ataenia. That is assuming you have a low activity tank currently, these guys do terribly with aggression and need to be added into a lower stocking tank to then establish into a higher stocking tank.
Then to replace the melanurus, get yourself a smaller more peaceful Halichoeres. I know that these can outcompete mandarins however, generally these guys don’t peck the rocks nearly as much. I would personally get a Halichoeres leucoxanthus, this was my female (I know it’s not the best photo).
View attachment 3000955
And then for some more up in the water column activity, get yourself a Cirrhilabrus species. I personally love Cirrhilabrus lubbocki - I have both variants of this species and they have gotten along for the previous two years
You can see 4 from my wrasse gang in my 4’ tank in this photo and the two lubbocki’s are that ‘line’ of purple. The indo variant is on the left and the Cebu is on the right.
View attachment 3000956
I would only get one of the females, that trio will likely wind up as 3 males anyway unfortunately.
OP
OP
To clarify of the other 2 (besides the super) one is male, 1 female. So
Just the female
Just the supermale
Just the supe and fem
Or male and fem?
I would just get the female, that way you have her the longest time you can and she will transition to male eventually anyway.
OP
OP
Okay then so now we have a Lubbock's, orange back, and a female pintail. Will update when new wrasses arrive in town for advice.
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