Wrasse recommendation?
 

I'm starting the planning for adding fish into the upgrade and am loking for a few opinions. I'd like a REALLY nice colorful wrasse that is invert safe (emeralds, pom poms, fire shrimp, etc).

What are your fav's?

Fairies
 

Solar and aussie scotts are my faves. Also had a ruby head that was kick**s

I like the mystery wrasse and flasher wrasses. However, I've given up on wrasses as both my mystery wrasses jumped and so did my flasher. I only have 1" of space that is possible for them to jump, but they all found that 1"

+1 on dez's choices. I have both in my tank. my favorite is got to be the mystery. Try to steer away form any of the line wrasses as they can be aggressive.

Not sure about the mystery but I do like flasher wrasses. I guess it all depends on the individual wrasse but to be honest I know of a mystery that killed a jawfish and that same wrasse took out cleaner shrimp that were in a tank before he was introduced.

Mystery wrasses are awesome, but they can become territorial monsters when they get established. If you get one, make sure you add it after all your other wrasses.

I heart labouti wrasses

Mystery wrasse will also more than likely take out your shrimp(mine did).....leopard or melenarus (or similar)?... Both beautiful fish with the added bonus of pest control

+1 on the melarus. I'm definitely going to get one in my next tank.

Rhomboid wrasse :-D

Many wrasses to chose from, but stay away from the Thalossoma species. Most are not reef safe and most get aggressive when mature. My Lunare Wrasse is a beautiful fish but easily the biggest PITA in my tanks.

Mystery wrasse ,Blue sided fairy wrasse, Melanurus wrasse, Wetmorella wrasse, Solarensis wrasse ,Scotts wrasse and Exquisite fairy wrasse are all great and they are all jumpers. I have picked up my Mystery wrasse off the floor twice and resuscitated it twice. It has also eaten 4 cleaner shrimp as well. Believe they get taste for them when they get bigger. I would be leary of the Melanurus wrasse as well I have heard they eat shrimp too.

Chris

There are so many to choose from but Ireally like the colours on our Blue Star Leopard wrasse. :biggrin:

Thanks for the input guys. Many beauties in there! I should also mention that I already have a McKoskers, and plan on getting a 6 line. I really like the style on the Melanarus, and Mystery. The Leapards are nice too. I'll have to do a little reading on all of my fav's when I have a chance.

I just ordered up a couple of marine fish books... hope they have good sections on wrasses, angels and anthias. I need to choose a wrasse, and angel, and a group of anthias that will work for my tank... hopefully!

Definetly leaning towards either a Melanarus, Ruby Head, or a Blue Star Leopard. BEAUTIES! We'll see what ends up available first... once I'm ready.

I have a Melanurus in my tank and a trio of McCosker's Flasher Wrasses. Melanurus aren't always reef-safe, mine leaves my Peppermint shrimp and Emerald Crabs alone, but has feasted on a few snails. The McCosker's are worry-free.

Well if ya wanna be technical .....nothing in this hobby is written is stone when it comes to fishy behavior:wink:..... Lots posts mentioning the fairy wrasse group and while for the most part they are reef safe, I watched mine(lineatus) attack a peppermint shrimp...... So far my melenarus has been a good boy.... Hope he stays that way

Hawaiian flame wrasses are a favourite of mine (although haven't quite managed to pony up the $$$ for a pair yet .. one day though!)

plus 10 on this one. They are beautiful!

Melanurus are commonly known to be a threat to invertebrates though.

dont ya just love the internet and its mass cluster f of info?.....:wink:

I tend not to trust most websites that sell fish with their descriptions of fish.....when I went to buy mine most of the research from forum posts were positive and only the odd person had issues with them.....heres a pretty good article from reefkeeping magazine

http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/curren...-fish-profile-

That's how I do a lot of my own research on species that I'm not familiar with, or even with species I'm on the fence about. I am familiar with the Melanurus having kept a few over the years. The one I have now is definitely pugnacious, and the boss of the tank. So far she has left the conchs alone, but has eaten almost all my snails. Now that I said she's left the Peppermint alone, I actually haven't seen it for a few days now. I think she's worth it though because she's good at keeping the bristleworm population under control, and I like to think she helps with coral parasites, but maybe I just haven't had any issues lately...? She is always picking away at the corals, and her belly is always bulging.

the whiteline / mystery is my favourite. they eat like pigs and have great personality

here's mine edit: he's of australian / vanuatu origin

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...eBarWrasse.jpg

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/d...BarWrasse2.jpg

+1 on the mystery - great little guys and they eat pellets and recently started eating mysis. Gorgeous once they start fattening up - espcially once they display open their fins. He's always picking at the rocks which leads me to believe they might eat flatworms and other bugs should they ever make their way into my tank.

Carpenters flasher wrasse has been a great addition to my mixed reef. Freindly and nice colours and does not bug anything

All I know is don't buy an 8 Line Wrasse... As I recently found out...ate both my Fire Shrimp and a beautiful Gold Coral Banded Shrimp.

Deeply saddened.

I actually had every intention of buying a six line, but have had it pointed out to me that they become fery aggressive later in life... especially to other wrasses. I'm out!

I'm pretty sure that I'm going to go with a Melanarus. Maybe a Ruby head. And I'll keep the Mckoskers that I already have.

agreed, but they are energetic jumpers ...