Lunare Wrasse

[gnashty]

I bought a Lunare Wrasse the other day and i read they are reef safe with the exception of snails/crabs/shrimp, he is a small guy about 4", very active and is doing really well, eating everything i put in. I knew the dangers before i put him in but did it anyway. I have a medium size CUC, mostly astrea snails and red legs, and 3 mexican turbo snails, and a cleaner shrimp and emerald crab.

Who has one and what is your experience with them eating inverts? I noticed a couple empty snail shells yesterday but that could have been from the hermits, I beefed up my CUC the same day I got him

He is super active, picks at the rockwork all day - the other fish keep him out of their territory but i noticed all my fish picking at the rockwork helping "clean up" shortly after the wrasse started doing it, they havent done that in months!

 

[gnashty]

wow - how big was he? this guy is one of the smallest fish in the tank and my other fish are fairly aggressive and have been keeping him in check. man....hope i didnt make a bad decision, still trying to catch my coral nipping foxface

 

[drnecropolis]

Mine was upwards of 8" or so.. One of the happiest days ever was when I got it out of the tank..

 

[gnashty]

great.....guess ill be catching 2 fish this week

 

[gnashty]

do all wrasse show this type of behavior? I really like the look of them....

 

[lilrobb]

Yellow Coris and Sixline don't - I love 'em...

 

[cbrjenkins]

I had one, loved that fish. Until he took out my entire clean up crew in two days, and took out my diamond goby. I hope you have better luck with yours. Also, six lines are good with the exception you dont put them with other wrasses, I found this out the hard way!

 

[gnashty]

how are they killing your guys fish? harrassment to stress mode to reduced health to death? or straight up and continous beatings til death?

i am so surprised at so many people that responded with these stories. a little wierder, i bought 10 hermits and 25 snails along with the wrasse at the same time at a very reputable LFS and nobody said a word...they know i have a reef...could have thought it was for a different tank. my fault either way for the failure of proper research before shopping.

still doing well, not hurting anyone, anything.....for now. Guess I will start trying to get him out this weekend. I have a fish Trap which just caught my Foxface yesterday!! first time i seen it work. although the wrasse is much smaller and watching a fish trap all day/night is boring...i think i will try the 2 liter bottle trick...how does it go again? cut off top, invert it, seal it, put food in and wait?

I really want a Christmas wrasse - they are good?

 

[jennm]

When they get larger they will kill fish. They will pick off your clean up critters one by one, and then when that's exhausted, they'll look elsewhere.

We have a large one (traded in) at the shop that was in a FOWLR, but it started picking on the large Sailfin tang and the porcupine puffer - hence he had to go.

Nice fish - very colorful and active - but NOT a reef fish. They pick up their prey and smash it on the rocks (and potentially corals). Fun to watch but not when they are tearing up your precious reef.

Jenn

 

[gnashty]

my bad for thinking a wrasse was a wrasse was a wrasse......I would really like a banana wrasse

help me understand wrasse pricing, why do they range from $20 - $200+++??? I assume the more expensive are rarer and harder to keep?

 

[gnashty]

FINALLY CAUGHT THIS GUY!!! he was tearing thru my CUC and i noticed he was trying to smash my damsel against the rocks so the trap went back in. I have the reef gently fish trap that requires somebody to be present to catch em to pull the string and had been trying it off and on for a couple weeks....

i swear my gf is a fish whisperer, this is the 2nd time she caught a fish for me in the fish trap. everytime i leave the house and the trap is in the tank she catches one!

I took him immediately to Creation Reef where i got him and they took him back on consignment for me......whew, nightmare is over.:yay:

 

[jennm]

gnashty;504485 wrote: my bad for thinking a wrasse was a wrasse was a wrasse......I would really like a banana wrasse

help me understand wrasse pricing, why do they range from $20 - $200+++??? I assume the more expensive are rarer and harder to keep?

Banana wrasse (Thalassoma lutescens) will do the same stuff as the Lunare, Thalassoma lunare).

Stick with Cirrhilabrus or Halichoeres or Paracheilinus genus.

If you like the look of the lutescens, try a Halichoeres chrysus. Super large specimens might get a bit happy with your snails and hermits, but most specimens I've kept are just fine. We have one in the 65 at the shop and I kept my first one over 20 years ago. Still one of my faves.

Jenn

 

[tdam]

so what you're saying jen, is that lunar wrasses are just bad? i was think of getting one for my FOWLR tank. where i have tangs and a porcupine puffer. not recommended?

 

[miami dolfan]

I have something similar which I think to be nicer than the Lunare...It's a Rainbow Wrasse. They look alike, but I don't think they're as agressive.

 

[jennm]

I believe there is a club member by that screen name.

The Rainbow Wrasse aka Mexican Rock Wrasse has the same diet/disposition as the Lunare but I don't think it gets quite as large.

Jenn

 

[miami dolfan]

Thanks for the info, Jenn. So far,(knock on wood) I haven't had any issues with it. Hopefully, I won't. It's cool to see it change colors so frequently.