Wrasse addiction

[stacy22]

Thanks to seeing Jin's tank I have developed a crush on fairy/flasher wrasses. I currently have 3 McCoskers (two of which I believe to be males) and a blue-sided fairy wrasse. I have noticed that almost all wrasses for sale locally or online seem to be male.

My tank is 150g. Other inhabitants include lavendar tang, tomini tang, 2 chromis, 3 scissortails, a LB blenny, a scooter dragonet, and a flametail blenny. (I think that's it).

My question is, can I mix males of several species or will that cause problems with aggression? OR, should I hold out and try to find females? I am interested in adding maybe 3-4 more wrasses total. Perhaps I should just stop with what I have?

 

[budsreef]

Stacy, I'm in the same situation with my 120G. I have a male McCosker's and a male Filamented Flasher Wrasse which get along just fine. I will get some female McCosker's one of these days and would like to get one of two more male flasher or fairy wrasses or possibley a male and several female Carpenter's. I also have two Yellow Coris Wrasses and that get along with everyone just fine.

 

[FutureInterest]

Almost all my wrasses are males and I have 16 in there. They all get along really well.

This doesn't always work for everyone though. Keep in mind that some fairies are more aggressive than others.

Here's a great link on just flasher wrasses from the guy that inspired me to keep tons of wrasses: Tanaka-san.

http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=81151">http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=81151</a>

I've attached one of the photos from his tank. He actually doesn't keep any corals as its solely about the wrasses and he finds that they look even more beautiful with just plain rock in the tank.
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class="gc-images" title="wrasse-room_112.jpg[/IMG] style="max-width:300px" /></a> </fieldset>

 

[budsreef]

Stacy, what kind of top do you have to keep them from jumping? I lost a beautiful male wrasse that jumped from the tank. Since then I've made a top out of netting.

 

[stacy22]

I have two layers of pond-netting over eggcrate. Although it's all black, I don't really like the way it looks. I may do the pond-netting with a window screen trick sometime soon. So far, I have had no jumping issues with any wrasses. I know it's not a matter of "if" but of "when". I hope I can contain them.

 

[stacy22]

Thanks for the link, Jin. I have read some of Tanaka's stuff but had not seen this. His wrasse collection is amazing!

 

[budsreef]

I made mine with the screen kit and 1/4" pond netting. The kit was called "brown" but looks black and the netting is black. I really didn't think I would like it black but it actually looks great. Much improved over the egg crate!

stacy22;306610 wrote: I have two layers of pond-netting over eggcrate. Although it's all black, I don't really like the way it looks. I may do the pond-netting with a window screen trick sometime soon. So far, I have had no jumping issues with any wrasses. I know it's not a matter of "if" but of "when". I hope I can contain them.

 

[FutureInterest]

there's a place you can order the clear stuff from. Can't find the link though... :sad: I did a search on RC to find it before.

 

[budsreef]

Jin, I really wanted the clear, but the black actually disappears over the tank. Every now and then I do a double-take because I think it is sagged uner the water but it's right where it is supposed to be.

FutureInterest;306617 wrote: there's a place you can order the clear stuff from. Can't find the link though... :sad: I did a search on RC to find it before.

 

[bobz]

Beautiful!

 

[stacy22]

Joe (sailfish) brought his par meter over Wednesday. He checked my values without any cover vs. with the eggcrate/netting. There was, of course, some drop in par. It was not near as much, however, as I thought. I bet the clear that Jin's talking about might be even better. Bud's right though....the black just kind of disappears from view.


Now I just need to find a part-time job to supplement my income. Translated that means "Wrasse Money" I'm thinking a nice harem of flames and perhaps a Lineatus.

 

[gaguy68]

i wanna overload my tank with wrasses and just beef up my waterchanges, etc... i love a nice wrasse

 

[dakota9]

lost one wrasse due to jumping. Egg crate alone seemed to fix the problem. How does the black egg crate hold up to the heat of the lighting, even with T-5s it seems like it would get very hot.

PS.........

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/member.php?u=1048">[IMG]http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/images/customavatars/avatar1048_17.gif" alt="" /></a>
[IMG]http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/images/arcmember.jpg alt="" />ARC Member

Posts: 4,464
City: Roswell
State: Ga
Occupation: gigolo
Other Interests: spluenking

Jin, wasn't this a risky career move?

 

[kirru]

So you have been lured in to the addiction of wrasse keeping. I'm happy to say that I am too. lol the two I have are awesome and soon to add some more.

aren't they amazing?

 

[stacy22]

lost one wrasse due to jumping. Egg crate alone seemed to fix the problem. How does the black egg crate hold up to the heat of the lighting, even with T-5s it seems like it would get very hot. quote]

Dakota, my eggcrate is parked under 2 400W halides. They get warm to the touch but not hot.

 

[stacy22]

Kirru;306657 wrote: So you have been lured in to the addiction of wrasse keeping. I'm happy to say that I am too. lol the two I have are awesome and soon to add some more.

aren't they amazing?

ABSOLUTELY! I love them.

 

[dakota9]

Dakota, my eggcrate is parked under 2 400W halides. They get warm to the touch but not hot.[/QUOTE]

I find this fact amazing! Seems like it would be a molten mess! I'll file this fact for future reference! I've heard of center braces melting on tanks under MH lighting...... Thinkin that might be an urban fish myth</em> now.

 

[stacy22]

You will just have to come see for yourself!

 

[stacy22]

Barbara;306644 wrote: Stacy, my flames will let me pet them. Any time I stick my fingers in the tank they swim right up and I can stroke their back with my index finger. All of my wrasses are hand fed, so when I have to catch one, I simply stick the fish trap in the tank, drop some food in and then I catch all of them within 1 minute. It's more trouble sorting out the ones I didn't want to catch and putting them back than it is catching one! I love them.

Barbara, how many flames do you have? Are they your only wrasses?

 

[cfrank84]

Can u mix fairy wrasses with flashers?