Fairy Wrasse Experience

[Troy F]

Have any of you kept fairy wrasses, Cirrhilabrus spp.? In particular C. cyanopleura or C. luteovittatus , the blue head fairy wrasse and yellow streaked fairy wrasse for the latter. At least those are my guesses of what is at Big Al's under the title "velvet wrasse". I'm concerned that it will be aggressive with my orchid dottyback. Current fish in my system are a 2" yellow tang, coral beauty, two chromis and pair of clowns. The tank is a 155gal full reef.

[naesco]

An excellent fish. A healthy one will be really inquisitive and eating agressively. Put it on hold for a few days if it just arrived in the store as they do not travel well.
Like all tangs, you really become attached to them.
The downside is real. They are jumpers so if you have an opening close it up or they will eventually go carpet surfing.
I do not know if they get along with a dottyback but your tank is large enough to incorporate both of them.
If you buy her, add her in darkness and keep the lights off for 24 hours.
It will give her a chance to unwind and get used to her surroundings.
Unless someone posts to the negative, buy it.

[Aquattro]

Troy, I have the solorensis species, and find it very peaceful. It did get beat up a lot by the tomato clown I had, and didn't get to eat much for a month until I got rid of the clown. I has landed on the cross brace twice, although I wa shome both times to push it back in the water. Other than that, I recommend them as a good community fish.

[smokinreefer]

i have a fairy wrasse as well.
very active, very peaceful. even towards fish of similar size. (green chromis, anthias, blenny)
i would think they should be fine together.

[Troy F]

Thanks for the tips guys. Shao, what type do you have? Brad, is yours as colorful as the pics and have you noticed it fading at all?

[Aquattro]

Troy, I can't say mine has lost any color. If anything, I would say it is more colorful than when I bought it. As an idea, the kids have named it "the rainbow fish" I can't really get a good pic, as it moves too quickly.

[BCOrchidGuy]

I had two of the blue sided fairy wrasse's, more red/crimson than blue but they were amazing looking, peaceful, they didn't bother my fire fish or anything else. I also had two of the yellow chromis wrasses, they were fun to watch, a bit more aggressive than the fairy wrasses.

[Troy F]

What happened to them Doug?

[BCOrchidGuy]

I added an Orange Shoulder Tang with out putting it in isolation and wiped out everything. I noticed the tang had some spots on it the day after I got it, and kept watching, my other tang developed some spots too so I treated the tank with Greenex, with in 24-48 hours I had lost most of my fish, by the time I got the tank ripped apart and caught the remaining fish and put them into isolation I had lost everything except a Solaris goby. At first I thought it was Ick but seeing how fast it spread and how quickly the fish died I have to assume it was Amyloodium or something worse.
I lost everyone of my fish except that solaris goby, oh and of course the Clarkii clowns I had in a seperate tank. I even had some tomato clowns in my refugium and lost them both quickly as well so what ever it was was virulent. Now I have a Sailfin tang and two Tomato clowns in isolation, and the two Clarkii's. I can't prove the Orange Shoulder brought this on but I had no sign of illness before I got it, and I hadn't added any new fish in over a month, so I am making the assumption that the new fish brought in a pathogen that wasn't apparent when I bought the fish. I called the store I bought it at and they said sorry but they doubt the fish caused the problems as they treat all their fish tanks with a bit of copper. They figure the illness was there before the new fish came in.
As far as the Fairy wrasses, they were simply beautiful fish, I may get more, or I may go with another small wrasse and just get a school of 6 or 8.....