LFS got me

socalracer

Member
so far i haven't really been ripped off or actually followed any advice of the lfs that was detrimental but yesterday i bought a red coris wrasse for 17 bucks which i knew was about right, but when i asked some general questions about the fish, the worker told me they were reef safe and they were easy to care for.....when i got home i found out i need to feed it 3 times a day it can get aggressive towards fish and that it will most likely eat my hermits and snails....... just venting anyone have good experiences w/ this fish in a reef set up( i don't have a reef set up but wanted to move in that direction) o ya i also added a red linkia starfish, a maroon clown, and a purple psuedochromi
 

120reefer

Member
They are ONLY reef safe when very very small unfortunately.... they actually burrow at night so you should have a LS bed.. not CC hopefullly
they get about 6-8 inches in captive, and they primarily feed on crustatians in the wild..... sooo reef safe.. :thinking: maybe for a little bit. Beautiful fish when its an adult tho...
 

cjml

Member
I have a beautiful coris wrasse-she is a big eater and I have seen her nip at my snails -she doesn't bother my corals-but she does have a healthy appetite-I feed once a day-sometimes twice-she needs meaty foods-krill-mysis-blood worms- and we feed guppies a couple of times a week. She also eats everything else I feed -formula 1 & 2 & other frozen foods. But she has to be fed daily or she will find something to eat! Little hermits or little snails! I think she has more of an appetite then my bird wrasse! So we do frequent water changes because we do feed these guys daily. Thats sand on her head-she had just come out of hiding!


 

cjml

Member
:happyfish Yes you have to have a good sand bed-coris wrasses sleep in the sand and go there to hide when scared-so do the pink lined wrasses-my blue nose does not- he sleeps behind a rock. I do not have alot of coral but what I do have they do not bother-but I have seen my coris go after my big brittle star. But she is so beautiful-if you have a juvenile it will change in color as it matures. :happyfish
 

socalracer

Member
do have a ls bed, CJML u still have hernits and snails, so i am guessing as long as the fish doesn't get hungry for the most part i should be sort of ok... i hope i9 can make it work b/c i like the fish in both juv/adult colors
 

socalracer

Member
it is a juv and when i first added it burrowed in the sand for the first 12 hours now it is very active and seems to make a nice addition as long as it doesn't turn into a crustacean killer......also will it mess w/ larger crabs i.e sally lightfoot
 

cjml

Member
My coris doesn't bother my snails or crabs as long as I feed her daily. When she was in a growing spurt she seemed to eat a snail or 2-but we really like her so we replaced the snails! LOL!! And yes if she gets scared-like when we do our water changes she goes under the sand for awhile-then shes back out looking to eat-wrasses are definitely big eaters but like I said I have 3 and I have not seen them bother my corals-maybe I don't have any they like! But as you can see she is a beautiful fish-and she likes swimming room. So it may be a little more work for you to feed daily and do more water changes-depending on what else you have in your tank. :happyfish :happyfish
 

poniegirl

Active Member
Originally Posted by cjml
I have a beautiful coris wrasse-she is a big eater and I have seen her nip at my snails -she doesn't bother my corals-but she does have a healthy appetite-I feed once a day-sometimes twice-she needs meaty foods-krill-mysis-blood worms- and we feed guppies a couple of times a week. She also eats everything else I feed -formula 1 & 2 & other frozen foods. But she has to be fed daily or she will find something to eat! Little hermits or little snails! I think she has more of an appetite then my bird wrasse! So we do frequent water changes because we do feed these guys daily. Thats sand on her head-she had just come out of hiding!
Your bird is stunning!
 

cjml

Member
Thankyou!-I need to get a better picture of my bird wrasse he really is pretty--and quite fat!! Big eater!! :happyfish :happyfish
 

socalracer

Member
currently i have A MAROON CLOWN, TOMATO CLOWN, flame hawk, pur. psuedochromi, blue devil damsel, and the wrasse i already usually feed the fish twice a day so daily feedings aren't a big deal, this however is my first "moderately difficult" fish according most websites they also say they need to be fed 3 times a day? ive only had my tank up for about 4 months so that is why i've been trying to keep easy fish
 

cjml

Member
I don't know if all wrasses hide in the sand - I know my coris and my pinklined wrasses do-but like I said my bird wrasse does not. I do not think you have to feed your coris 3 times a day-as long as you feed her good meaty stuff daily. Mine have done fine with just daily feedings-sometimes I will feed flake in the evening -never do I feed 3 times a day-that would be way too many water changes!! Give her a chance-can you get a picture? Wrasses do have strong personalities...... :happyfish :happyfish
 

saltn00b

Active Member
hey cj how long have you had three wrasses? in what size tank? the usual rule of thumb i have noticed has always been one wrasse per tank because they are prone to fight each other??
 

yupi1982

Member
The Red Coris is from the Wrasses species but is from the Coris family , this one is the only one that is reef safe....your LFS was right and pointed you on the right direction the only thing is that you need to buy it while is in its juvenile stage so he can learn that hermit crabs,shrips and such are his friends and that the all are part of the ecosystem...but if you buy it in its Adult stage he wont care and most likely will eat your clean up crew !!it is about taking the 50/50 % chance as well you know!!

i bouth one 8 months ago he was juvenile and is now changing...weirdly he is 6 inches large and still hasn't grow to its adult stage!!
vever bother my shrimps or hermit crabs and ,never touches my corals !!
about the sand bed ...yes you will need at least 5 inches of sand bed because the red coris wakes up at 7 am eats and then birrues himself untill night time !!
Here you go ...a video of my Coris !!!

http://media.putfile.com/REEF-TANK-8-2-2006
Dont ask about my trigger being in my reef i bought hime very small and again he has learned no to eat his fellow friends......i just took the risk 4 months ago.
anyways...they all been there for about a year!!!
ENJOY !!!
att
Yupi1982
 

fishy7

Active Member
Originally Posted by 120reefer
They are ONLY reef safe when very very small unfortunately.... they actually burrow at night so you should have a LS bed.. not CC hopefullly
they get about 6-8 inches in captive, and they primarily feed on crustatians in the wild..... sooo reef safe.. :thinking: maybe for a little bit. Beautiful fish when its an adult tho...
Hey 120 do you think they will eat a mantis?
 

saltn00b

Active Member
yupi i wouldnt necessarily consider that success in 'teaching them that the inverts are tankmates' . you should wait until they are fully mature and observe the eating habits at that time. i think you are jumping the gun with your assumptions, JMO
 

yupi1982

Member
Originally Posted by saltn00b
yupi i wouldnt necessarily consider that success in 'teaching them that the inverts are tankmates' . you should wait until they are fully mature and observe the eating habits at that time. i think you are jumping the gun with your assumptions, JMO
...Not having assumptions ..Just giving my opinion my friend
 

xdave

Active Member
@ FISHY7, from a standing start, a Mantis shrimp can hit the speed of a 22 caliber bullet within 6". Not a lot of fish gonna catch that.
I will have to agree with the get the baby Coris idea. An adult doesn't need to be observed for his eating preferences, it's already well documented. An adult, particularly one caught as such, will do what he does in nature.
The only wierd part is a baby may grow up to be friends with the guys in your tank but if you add something new, like a crab of the same species you already have, he may just eat it without giving it a second thought. Then in the excitement, he may decided to eat his friends too.
 

yupi1982

Member
Originally Posted by xDave
@ FISHY7, from a standing start, a Mantis shrimp can hit the speed of a 22 caliber bullet within 6". Not a lot of fish gonna catch that.
I will have to agree with the get the baby Coris idea. An adult doesn't need to be observed for his eating preferences, it's already well documented. An adult, particularly one caught as such, will do what he does in nature.
The only wierd part is a baby may grow up to be friends with the guys in your tank but if you add something new, like a crab of the same species you already have, he may just eat it without giving it a second thought. Then in the excitement, he may decided to eat his friends too.

Good Point X DAVE never tought about that !!!
 
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