Need some help choosing a wrasse for my 175

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gtdarock

Guest
Hey everyone ! Hope all is well.
I need some help choosing a wrasse for my 175. Something with nice colors and fast. Right now I have two perculas,a blonde naso,orbit bat and I just picked up a Queen yesterday
, I will post some pics soon. I never had a wrasse, but I know it would be great for my setup. The only one I got in mind is a Green bird, but the colors are not that great. Anyhelp would be great, thank you !
 
kjr_trig

kjr_trig

Active Member
I have a Sunset Wrasse (often called Banana or Lime Green as well) and a Harlequin Tusk in my 240. Both are wonderful fish, the Sunset is bolder, and more active (he is also bigger and been in the tank longer). The Sunset is considered one of, if not the hardiest Wrasse there is. The Tusk is a beauty also and less likely to be aggressive and a wonderful fish, mine is from the Indo Pacific, the Australian one are slightly prettier, but pricier.....The bird wrasses are great, Paddle Wrasse, and several others would be good choices.
Just my opinion, but I would avoid the Lunare as they can be very aggressive, I would also avoid the Coris Wrasses as they have worse survival records.
pics of my 2 at this link
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/320299/kjrs-240-fowlr
 
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gtdarock

Guest
Hey kjr, thanks for the reply. So either the Sunset or Tusk. I see that SWF.com have them on sale. I know they change colors, I was wondering from what color to what-?
 
kjr_trig

kjr_trig

Active Member
Originally Posted by GTDAROCK
http:///forum/post/2616342
Hey kjr, thanks for the reply. So either the Sunset or Tusk. I see that SWF.com have them on sale. I know they change colors, I was wondering from what color to what-?

The Sunset don't do a total morph like some wrasses, and some angels. They do get prettier and brighter as they get older, the male sunset takes on more of a blueish tint and the female more yellowish. THe tusk well develop the classic long blue teeth that make them look so ferocious (sp?) as adults, and their colors should become more bold as well I believe. Both would get about 7 inch or so in a 180 IMO.
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
Both of those will be strong choices. I probably won't be keeping another Tusk for a looong time, but I think I've just had some horrible luck.
I would also recommend avoiding the Lunare, but other then him, you really can't go wrong with a Thalassoma wrasse. The Cortez and Saddle Wrasse have beautiful colors. My personal picks are the Five-Stripe (Thalassoma quinquevittatum), Pavo or Ornate Wrasse (Thalassoma pavo, good luck finding that one, but the most beautiful IMO), or my personal bias the Goldbar Wrasse. The Goldbar is also Bob Fenner's pick for the genus for size and attitude reasons, but recently mine has been mouthy and likes getting into it with my Blueface angel and Hawaiian Puffer. I am considering replacement with the Five-Stripe.
 
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gtdarock

Guest
Hey Aqua ! How come no luck with a Tusk -? I was looking for pics on the wrasses you mention, but I can't find one. I do remember seeing the Gold Bar at my LFS. Its white right -? I know its nice, but I don't want anybody picking on my Queen I got yesterday. She is awesome
 
kjr_trig

kjr_trig

Active Member
Originally Posted by GTDAROCK
http:///forum/post/2616350
IC. Hmm..... not sure which one to get.

Based on what you said in the opening post...."fast with nice colors"....I would go with the Sunset, they zoom around the tank non-stop, a true acrobat of the water going in and out of tunnels and caves, the Tusk is also active but nowhere near as active or fast as the Thalassoma wrasses. To me it's like picking between a Queen and Emperor Angel, there is no bad choice

Either way, I would wait and let your Queen get nice and comfy first and let the fish reestablish a "pecking order", then add the wrasse.
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
I've had 3 tusks, 2 for myself and 1 for my parents. I lost my first one, a real beauty at 5.5" to my tank crash when I had an outbreak of Ich and possibly more disease. All the fish 10+, died within a weekend. My parents had an awesome 2" juvi that probably was the cutest thing next to a puppy. We lost him to jumping. And most recent I had the heartbreak of having to put down another Tusk. I am unsure if it was cyanide poisoning or copper poisoning, but he went from a happy and heathly fish to lying on side, waiting for death. Had got a number of infections, as well as tail fin loss. It was probably the most painful thing to see.
Here are some pics of the latter wrasses
Five Stripe Wrasse, aka Pinkface Wrasse:

Pavo Wrasse, aka Ornate Wrasse:

Goldbar Wrasse (this is mine):
 
G

gtdarock

Guest
Wow Aqua ! Nice pics. Now its even harder to choose

I will keep them in mind. Sorry about the loss of your Tusk, thats sad. My most painful death was a gold puffer I bought last month, it died the same night I got him. I paid 250. But I guess thats how the hobby goes. Hey Kjr, thanks for the advice with the Queen. I'll wait maybe a month or so,then get a wrasse.
The Queen is about 6in, she's been breathing a little heavy since I add her in last night.I think its because of my stupid Nitrates, I am trying to get it down.She ate fine last night. I asked Campbell, and he said its normal cuz of stress from the movement, but also the Nitrates. I am gonna add some Amquel + and do a water change tonight. I also remove the bio balls and replaced them with live rock. So I'm on the right track. Hey kjr, do you have a Queen-?
 
kjr_trig

kjr_trig

Active Member
Originally Posted by GTDAROCK
http:///forum/post/2616398
Wow Aqua ! Nice pics. Now its even harder to choose

I will keep them in mind. Sorry about the loss of your Tusk, thats sad. My most painful death was a gold puffer I bought last month, it died the same night I got him. I paid 250. But I guess thats how the hobby goes. Hey Kjr, thanks for the advice with the Queen. I'll wait maybe a month or so,then get a wrasse.
The Queen is about 6in, she's been breathing a little heavy since I add her in last night.I think its because of my stupid Nitrates, I am trying to get it down.She ate fine last night. I asked Campbell, and he said its normal cuz of stress from the movement, but also the Nitrates. I am gonna add some Amquel + and do a water change tonight. I also remove the bio balls and replaced them with live rock. So I'm on the right track. Hey kjr, do you have a Queen-?
Nope, I have 2 fish left to add to my 240 later on this Summer (maybe an eel at some point too), likely a Sohal Tang, and either a Masculosus or Emperor Angel, Queen is amazing too. I am leaning toward the Half Moon (Mas.)., as they are often considered the hardiest big angel. If there is one type of fish I have struggled with in my saltwater hobby experience, it has been angels
. So I figure the hardier reputation, the better off I might be.
 
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gtdarock

Guest
I hear ya KJR. I haven't had luck with them either, so I decided to get a big one. Every time I get a Juvi, they don't last that long. The Emperor is a good choice. How are your Nitrate readings-?
 
kjr_trig

kjr_trig

Active Member
Originally Posted by GTDAROCK
http:///forum/post/2616450
I hear ya KJR. I haven't had luck with them either, so I decided to get a big one. Every time I get a Juvi, they don't last that long. The Emperor is a good choice. How are your Nitrate readings-?

I have yet to have a single nitrate in my new tank...It's bizarre, either my test kit isn't working, or my live sand, live rock, and skimmer are really doing a good job.
The only 2 big angels I tried were in my previous tank, a Koran when our guy that was supposed to feed the fish while we were on vacation forgot for 3 days and the Porky Puffer ate him, and a Queen that had several health issues before perishing after 4 months. In this tank I have lost 2 fish, a Cream Angel in shipping and a Flame Angel that I blame myself on as I added more than I should have and stressed him....My Black Velvet and Coral Beauty are doing great though, hopefully my Angel issues are turning around.
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
My 125 has not had a single nitrate as well. Perhaps, it's the 300lbs of sand, the same skimmer as kjr (what are your gate valve/air settings by way, bud?) or an additional 40% in sump/refugium volume.
My angel sucess has been mixed as well. Lost a juvi Emporer, my little Potters, and a juvi Blue-Spotted
Sucesses have been my Blueface and big Potters. Planning on putting the Blueface into the big tank, and adding two uber-rare angels to the 125. Stay tuned for more details
 
prime311

prime311

Active Member
What are you using to test Nitrates? I have an API kit and its inaccurate at low levels. I had the water tested at my LFS using a nicer kit and I had some small amounts showing.
 
kjr_trig

kjr_trig

Active Member
Originally Posted by AquaKnight
http:///forum/post/2616521
My 125 has not had a single nitrate as well. Perhaps, it's the 300lbs of sand, the same skimmer as kjr (what are your gate valve/air settings by way, bud?) or an additional 40% in sump/refugium volume.
My angel sucess has been mixed as well. Lost a juvi Emporer, my little Potters, and a juvi Blue-Spotted
Sucesses have been my Blueface and big Potters. Planning on putting the Blueface into the big tank, and adding two uber-rare angels to the 125. Stay tuned for more details

Unfortunately the way my sump is, the gate is turned away from me....I had it pretty much wide open at first, I have since restricted the flow a bit, but not sure how much
I will crawl in and see later....The air valve I have figeted with a bit, but typically kind of low air intake....How about you?
 
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