Which wrasse should I add?
 

Ok wrasse peoples.... My six line of many years has sadly passed. Sadly as he was perfect in my tank and had a great personality. But as Much as he tolerated all my fish... He would not accept other wrasses. So with that chapter over a new one begins.

New wrasse. Needed.

I am looking for your opinions on the nicest wrasse for around the $50 mark or less.

I can't bring myself to go anymore as you can never predict how well a fish will do... And I hate losing money!

So please help me out with some suggestions.

Thanks.

A melonarous is great. Color pattern and pest remover

I'm particularly fond of fairy wrasses. Some are expensive but not all. Some of my favourite fairy wrasses have been less than the $50 mark - Cirrhilabrus rubiventralis, the long fin fairy wrasse is a small one that when available is usually pretty inexpensive (I don't see it often is the only problem), and Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura, the blue sided fairy wrasse, is another underrated wrasse in my opinion.

Also the canary wrasse, or yellow coris wrasse (not an actual Coris species wrasse, I don't really like that common name), Halichoeres crysus, is a stunningly bright colour of yellow, is also a workhorse that will rid your tank of flatworms, is one that is usually pretty inexpensive. I love these guys too but I have lost every single one of mine to jumping, they are very determined to find the floor - so be sure you have some cover or canopy to lessen the odds of that.

Anyone have a Potters Wrasse?

Adding wrasse is putting your money at risk!!

Because you just can't stop adding more in.. They are so addictive.

Orange back, yellow side, red margin, Koi, yellow fin Fairy wrasse are all good choices under or around $50 mark.

yet, there are the premium ones like flame, rhomboid, lineatus. etc etc.

Leopards aren't easy to keep at all. but, since you don't have any wrasse in the system right now, it may be a good time to try one out.

Leopard are shy and finicky eaters, so it's best to add it in before any other wrasses.

Ah. May be a bad choice for me. I'm looking for wrasses easily adaptable to an established system. Potter is very nice but not looking for a "challenging " fish.

Red Margin Fairy!!! Nice fish. I think that is the current front runner.

I'd replace a six line with another six line, but maybe add another wrasse at the same time. This might help to open doors for other wrasses as they come up.

Otherwise, I would really be patient and find the exact one you like the best. If you can only have one, it's worth the wait. It took me almost a full year to find a non-finicky leopard wrasse, and he eats pellets.

I added a solar wrasse to my system a few months ago and he has worked out well.

Just curious ... Why would you replace a six line with the same? You never know how the next will be. Some say adding a sixer is the worst thing they did. Not all behave as well as mine did!

McKoskers Flasher Wrasse.

I do. I love it. It's my favourite fish. I highly, highly, highly recommend hem, with the caveat that they are not the easiest. If you find one that eats at the store, you'll be in decent shape.

So my assumption would be... Do not order one... Wait until one comes in?


Ken a blue world is supposedly doing an order and the prices were good... But maybe not safe bet. The order probably won't happen anyways based on past offers.

get a black leopard , they stay small ,easy to adapt to food compared to other leoprds and are very docile...plus they rarely jump:)


i have 7 wrasses and hes my first and still fave

hard to find though but i only paid 30 for mine:)

AI always has them but $90 here is more than I'll spend!

$30 in Calgary.... Might have to make a trip....

AI is the only store I've seen a potters wrasse in and it was ordered in for someone and it wasn't cheep. They are not a wrasse you see available very often, they are pricey and sell quickly.

$90? I thought the black leopards were cheaper then that (around $50) I'll have to double check. Red coral had some black leopards in awhile ago but I can't remember the exact price but it was around $40-50.

Pretty sure the tank said $90. I considered a potters cause ken has a prIce list for $30 posted in his order thread.

I would say that they're only a bit more difficult than other leopards (only because they aren't shipped properly. The need to be shipped with sand!) but they have all the same afflictions that other leopards suffer from. If they're not eating, it's usually an internal parasite and you can usually treat them.

I've ordered two. The first one I had for about 2 or 3 weeks. It was eating just fine until one day it was acting super weird and decided to bury itself in the sand, only to never return. The second is the one I have now and it's a fat bastard.

If you order them, you'll probably be OK, but you'll need to be ready to deal with anything that pops up, namely internal parasites. Unlike other fish, this is one fish that I would not QT if possible. They need to get into the main tank quick. If they are suffering from obvious afflictions, QT and treat. If they're not eating its probably internal parasites.

There is a good RC thread on leopard wrasses. I think I'm the only one there with a Potter's (at least last year I was) and I was having more success than the other leopards.

Nailed it

ok then.... I may end up with a black leopard from Codfather. :lol:


AND... after showing my wife what she requested... colourful wrasses... she likes the McCosker Flasher Wrasse. Nice nice fish.

Any ideas what they run for in Edmonton? LFS?

I'd have another McKosker Flasher wrasse really pretty and got on fine with everything in my small setup until it decided to keel over! :cry:

and got mine from Steve at Red coral when he was little oceans

Picked up a McCoskers Flasher Wrasse at Red Coral for $35. Good price for a nice little wrasse.

Time to acclimate.


Thanks Steve. Here's to hoping he fits in!

My mkoskers took a leap today. nobody in there had any intrest in him either.

Crappy. I lost my lawnmower Saturday to the floor. I have a tall canopy and while I was doing maintenance he jumped. I found him later. Much later.

I never lost any others to jumping in the four years since building a top.

The flasher wrasse was a good choice , ive had a mccorskers and a blue fin flasher , peacefull and attractive to boot .

Acting sketchy now that he's in. Went right for the corner and tried to hide in the sand. That what I should expect?

Yes it's exactly how they behave. In fact it is quite normal if he disappears for about 3 weeks. Mine did this too and then he will start to venture out a little at a time.

Very cool fish. I had a McCoskers and Blue flasher in the past as well.

Flasher wrasses can be little drama queens when you first add them to the tank, they will lay on the bottom looking like you just killed them...... until you notice their eyes follow every movement you make :lol:

I've killed three this month trying to get one settled. Not the easiest wrasse to adapt to a tank :(

I have been offered one that has been in tank for six months and is eating well. If the individual can catch the wrasse he said I can come grab it. That should be a better fIsh to try.

Spend a little more and go for a mystery wrasse. Beautiful, active, and best of all, mysterious. :lol: