Newbie question - lunar wrasse compatibility

[vince-1961]

I acquired a used 220g set up. Been up and running for about 2 months now, so things are starting to settle down. Tank came with 3 large, adult fish: a lunar wrasse, a niger triggerfish and a damsel of some sort (dark blue or black with a dorsal white spot.) The lunar wrasse is 6 inches long.
Previously, (for the entertainment of children), I added "Nemo & Dori" and they are doing fine. With my clean up crew, just last week, I added a red basslet, a mandarin goby and 3 green chromis, all very small. The goby and the basslet are fine, although the basslet rarely comes out of the rocks.
All three green chromis are just simply gone. No fish, no carceasses, no skeletal remains. I figure the lunar wrasse must've killed or eaten them.
So, I have two questions:
1) Is the lunar wrasse going to attack any fish that likes to swim out in the open and is smaller tham him?
2) If so, what can I get?
TIA.
Vince.

 

[prime311]

The Lunar Wrasse and Niger Trigger are both candidates to take out smaller fish. Even he Damsels can be incredibly aggressive for their size. You'll need to stick to larger aggressive fish. Groupers, large Puffers, large Eels, large Angels, Maroon Clowns, and other aggressive wrasse and triggers.

 

[zoogrl03]

I have had a 72 gal. set up for about 8 months now and after my initail 3 damsels the lunare was my first added fish. He is the most entertaining of the tank, but after being in the tank for six months he decided to eat my sally lightfoot and sand sifting star. I have heard that you have to luck out with a lunare..some are docile and some are crazy psycho fish that eat everything!! If I could go back i wouldn't have got him, but he is the entertainer of my tank and i have come to love him even though he is an aggressive tormenter to the little guys in the tank!

 

[aquaknight]

I find you have to be very careful adding fish around an already established lunare. If you can, put the fish into some type of container for a couple hours so the lunare can see the new fish, but not get to it. Then kill the lights for a couple more hours, then release the fish and extend the lights out period for the next day in the tank. In the next morning/afternoon, wait till you can see the new fish, and the lunare, out crusing the tank, before you turn the lights back on.
If you just plob the fish in, the lunare will think it's just food, sometimes even a fish you think is large enough to be safe.

 

[vince-1961]

Well, folks, that just kinda bites the big one. This fish came with the tank and it's fun to watch, very active, very colorful ....... and incompatible with what I had in mind. Grr.
He's probably the culprit responsible for my two new brittle stars' multiple amputations.
I sent pics of it to my LFS, asking if he'd trade me something for it. Haven't heard back from him yet.

 

[stanlalee]

Originally Posted by vince-1961
http:///forum/post/2794251
I acquired a used 220g set up. Been up and running for about 2 months now, so things are starting to settle down. Tank came with 3 large, adult fish: a lunar wrasse, a niger triggerfish and a damsel of some sort (dark blue or black with a dorsal white spot.) The lunar wrasse is 6 inches long.
Previously, (for the entertainment of children), I added "Nemo & Dori" and they are doing fine. With my clean up crew, just last week, I added a red basslet, a mandarin goby and 3 green chromis, all very small. The goby and the basslet are fine, although the basslet rarely comes out of the rocks.
All three green chromis are just simply gone. No fish, no carceasses, no skeletal remains. I figure the lunar wrasse must've killed or eaten them.
So, I have two questions:
1) Is the lunar wrasse going to attack any fish that likes to swim out in the open and is smaller tham him?
2) If so, what can I get?
TIA.
Vince.
nothing you added so far should be added after the fish you have. the clean up crew is just lunch food and they will usually clear out crabs, snails and shrimp with ease or at least pick on and kill them for fun. NO small or community fish should be introduced after a Lunare wrasse (arguably no fish PERIOD should be added after a lunare). Compatable fish to add with the fish you started with would be along the lines of large angels, groupers, larger aggressive tangs (you got the wimpiest one although larger show size specimens would be suitable), giant hawkfish, larger puffers, moray eels and it wouldn't be unusual for a lunare with a bad attitude to have the upper hand with any one of them. you have to decide if you want a community tank or an aggressive fish tank. I'm really suprised all your new additions are "fine". I would expect a 6" Lunare wrasse to harrass and eventually kill EVERY fish you added so far thru the stress of harrassment and downright murderation.
with that said I find the lunare MUCH more interesting than anything you added and would keep him at all cost, adding one or two larger compatible fish. I'd be forced to set up a new community tank for the other fish your interested in. Lunare wrasse was one of the first non damsel fish I got back in the mid 90's (where I didn't know what the hell I was doing period) and is by far my FAVORITE fish to watch swim about they just have all the traits you could have to not own one (cant keep in a small tank, cant keep with peaceful fish, cant keep with small fish, cant keep with clean up crews, cant keep with a shallow sand bed). too many cants but if I had a 220g I could definately work one into a scheme I like (aggressive reef with non coral eating aggressive fish: lunare, large hawkfish, grouper, large tang, eel).

 

[vince-1961]

Hmm. You make it sound like I ought to start adding a bunch of babies of the variety I go offshore fishing for .... barracuda, mackeral, cobia, grouper, black sea bass, snapper, grunts, etc... It probably would not be too difficult to catch them and keep them alive. It would certainly be fun....and the fish would be free (except for cost of operating the boat)!
I suppose that could be interesting, but it wouldn't be very colorful, nor would be be very balanced.
What do owners of aggresive tanks do for a clean up crew?

 

[stanlalee]

Originally Posted by vince-1961
http:///forum/post/2797736
What do owners of aggresive tanks do for a clean up crew?
lol. putting your hand in there could be hazzardous (seriously, triggers especially should keep an eye on while your hands in there). being easy on the high intensity light schedule (if you have it) if not needed helps a little too. the clean up crew is you and the things below make it easier or less frequently required. I left out a protein skimmer as the need for a good one is a given.

 

[vince-1961]

I think I've pretty much decided against an aggressive FOWLR. While it may be fun at feeding time, methinks I'll go for color and biodiversity.
Hope my LFS will trade fish.
What's a 6" lunar wrasse worth?
a 5" niger Trigger?
a 4" black colored damsel with a dorsal white spot and some flourescent blue lines?

 

[stanlalee]

Originally Posted by vince-1961
http:///forum/post/2797985
I think I've pretty much decided against an aggressive FOWLR. While it may be fun at feeding time, methinks I'll go for color and biodiversity.
Hope my LFS will trade fish.
What's a 6" lunar wrasse worth?
a 5" niger Trigger?
a 4" black colored damsel with a dorsal white spot and some flourescent blue lines?

well trade ins only get half of what you would pay (think wholesale how they get fish anyway). lunare wrasse are pretty cheap, I would say a 6" would go for about $50-60 so expect half that. Nigers are fairly cheap to, if you get $20 consider yourself lucky. Many pet stores wont even take the damsels for free as 4" damsels are a hard sale due to their anti social behavior and how their looks and color degrade by the time they get that large.

 

[vince-1961]

I sold the lunar wrasse and the niger triggerfish to a young man who I happened to meet at the LFS for $50 total. Catching that wrasse was hard!
Since they are gone, lots of life has come out from hiding places. I like this better.

 

[stdreb27]

LOL I hope you warned him. I had a lunar wrasse in my 180, he was a spectacular fish. But they are MEAN. I think 50 for both of those fish is excellent. Personally I'd think your trigger ate em...

 

[prime311]

Glad to hear its working out for you Vince

 

[drtito]

I had 1 before my crash that never brothred a thing. But the 1 I have now ate my C.U.C. and killed/stressed every other fish in the tank but my lone surviver(damsel named O.T.S.S.) who was there before the luner wrassel.

 

[vince-1961]

I gotta ask .... What's O.T.S.S. stand for?
The guy who bought them wanted the aggressiveness. The wrasse took a bite out of the bag he was placed in, the dummy, so I quickly gave the buyer one of my $1.50 buckets from Wal-Mart.
It's amazing how much the behaviour of remaining life in the DT has changed with those two fish gone!
(And yes, I think they did eat most of my clean up crew.)

 

[pastor b.]

Dear hobbyist,I had a lunar wrasse once with a fire fish,damsels,a grouper and a yellow tang. Before I knew it,the lunar wrasse tare the body of my fire fish in half,as the head of the fire fish floated to the bottom of the aquarium

.It wasn't long after that ,I brought it back to the lfs . lunar wrasses are very aggressive ,and belong with aggressive tank mates .My harlequin tusk is not as aggressive as the lunar was .But my corris wrasse can be destructive .It likes to overturn rocks in search for things to eat . Enjoy the hobby....

 

[drtito]

Originally Posted by vince-1961
http:///forum/post/2812496
I gotta ask .... What's O.T.S.S. stand for?
The guy who bought them wanted the aggressiveness. The wrasse took a bite out of the bag he was placed in, the dummy, so I quickly gave the buyer one of my $1.50 buckets from Wal-Mart.
It's amazing how much the behaviour of remaining life in the DT has changed with those two fish gone!
(And yes, I think they did eat most of my clean up crew.)

O.T.S.S. stands for only the strong survive....as this damsel was the only fish that survived my lights and glass falling in to my tank(freak accendent). Every thing died save him it was 100 degrees+ in there. tuff damsel.
Ya I noticed too. I had to remove my warssel and now it seems to be a calmer tank. and Now I have to buy a new clean up crew. I think I will try snails and shrimp this time.

 

[vince-1961]

Now that the aggressive fish are gone, I have ordered the following, to go with the existing damsel, mandarin goby, red basslet, blue hippo tang (Dori) and false clown (Nemo) and what is left of my clean up crew:
1 midas blenny
1 yellow tang
3 green chromis
1 neon goby
1 royal gramma
1 firefish goby
10 blue legged crabs
2 peppermint shrimp
15 sand fleas
2 brittle star fish (1 of the previous 2 survived the lunare wrasse)
1000 pods.
plus 1 ricordea to go with the frogsprawn and the disappearing xenia. (it just vanished)