Multiple wrasse in reef tank

[Warhawk937]

I love my melanarus wrasse, which is listed as reef safe with caution. There are a couple more wrasse I would like to get but am unsure how “reef safe” they are. A coris and leopard wrasse are both on the list however I am not sure if they are compatible with a softy/ lps reef or each other.  Looking for advice or your experience with this species.

[Humphrey]

Have a leopard and melanurus no problem. Leopard can be hard to acclimate then they are pretty hardy. Sometimes need live brine to get them going. Used to have 1 male and 1 female then the female turned male so I had to move him.  Still have both, and I have a Timor and a Red Lined Wrasse with the other leopard also and they’re fine. Leopards are super reef safe. You need to have a sand bed.

Red coris wrasse is a no go I think. They get big and mean. Not impossible but risky and big, big tank needed eventually.

Yellow coris wrasse is actually not a coris wrasse (they are halichoeres like a melanurus), and they’re pretty great. Similar to melanurus—corals not a risk, relatively low risk with snails, most shrimp but small shrimp a risk.

Need a lid...  must have lid... for either.

[Humphrey]

Could probably do all three. Little risk with the yellow but pretty low.  Leopard probably no risk other than difficult to get them going.

[Humphrey]

There are some great fairy wrasses instead of the coris...and they’d be less risk on compatibility.

Ruby head, blue head, yellow flanked, orange backed, exquisite are all great. Scott’s can be a little mean. Also pink margin is pretty sweet.

Sometime a social acclimation box can be used to test fish compatibility. Consider checking it out.  H

[Warhawk937]

thanks bud that is just the information I was looking for.  I see all sorts of fish that say compatible with caution and no explanation not worried about snails and crabs the melanarus wrasse took those out already.  can I keep multiple halichoeres  in the same tank?

[Humphrey]

You can put multiple but it’s best if they are added together.  How long has the melanurus been in there and how big is it?

If the melanurus is still a juvenile you can probably add another Halichoeres, but fairy wrasse 95% chance of success.  Leopard also very high chance of success.  Flasher wrasse also ok. I’d put the Halichoeres at 80% chance of success.

[Humphrey]

One more point...  I have heard people have success adding multiple halichoeres to an existing one...  so if you wanted to add 3 that might also work but that’s a hit to the fish load.

[Warhawk937]

Thanks I’ll probably just stick to fairy wrasse and a leopard wrasse when one ready for the challenge

[Humphrey]

Keith92 has a rosy headed which are cool.  Brian in centerville has the orange sided I think.  Very nice!

[Heinbaughb]

Like Humphrey said, I have the orange back fairy wrasse. It was been a great fish and adds a lot of color. Strangely, I have had a string of deaths to any cleaner or peppermint shrimp I add to my tank. I am not sure if I can point fingers to the fairy wrasse or cleaner wrasse as to why that may be happening.

[mtamorrow]

Just added a red head Solon fairy wrasse last weekend. Got it from DD. Very active, social, and eats like a horse!



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[Warhawk937]

sweet looks nice who is dd

[mtamorrow]

sweet looks nice who is dd

DD is Divers Den. It’s a division of LA (live aquaria).

DD follows a quarantine procedure that most places don’t. I have never lost a fish from DD or arrive sick or dead.




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[Jesterrace]

I love my melanarus wrasse, which is listed as reef safe with caution. There are a couple more wrasse I would like to get but am unsure how “reef safe” they are. A coris and leopard wrasse are both on the list however I am not sure if they are compatible with a softy/ lps reef or each other.  Looking for advice or your experience with this species.

Generally speaking the issues with wrasses are less about corals and more about whether or not they will munch on your inverts.  The Coris wrasse gets much larger and tends to be a bit more aggressive than the melanurus or leopard wrasse, so keep that in mind.  The trick with the Leopard Wrasses is that they are very delicate shippers and many do not make it through that process in one piece.  Easiest way to do it is to go to your LFS when they get Leopard Wrasses in and watch them feed them, the more voracious the eater, the better chance you have of getting a hardy and versatile specimen. 

[Jesterrace]

Just added a red head Solon fairy wrasse last weekend. Got it from DD. Very active, social, and eats like a horse!



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Glad yours is peaceful, mine snapped after a week or two and went after all my fish.  Arguably the most aggressive butthead I ever had in my tank (and that's saying something given the fact that I had an aggressive Flame Angel and Snowflake Occ Clownfish).  Here he is: