Wrasse and Emporer Angelfish

[stratmaster]

Hello all,
I'm new here, so a greetings to everyone. Would my Sunset Wrasse I have in my 100 gallon tank at the moment get along with an Emporer angelfish? I've really wanted one for quite a while, but was afraid to take the plunge because I've heard they're not so hardy. The Wrasse has had the tank to himself for quite some time. What do you guys say?
Steve

 

[crypt keeper]

emps angels not hardy? Thast a new one. These fish are bullet proof once established and they get acclimated quickly IME. Just get a decent sized one. 3 or 4 inch range. Stay away from the smaller ones. watching them change is awesome.

 

[stratmaster]

I suppose it comes with experience I guess about owning one, the guy at my local fish store recommended I stay away from Emps. He said they don't do well and they're best left in the reefs. I am actually not so much concerned about the Emp itself, but am concerned about how it will get along with the Wrasse. Any ideas?
Steve

 

[crypt keeper]

it will be fine. it will ignore it. all fish have their chases but it wont like attack it. the guy at your local fish store is an idiot. these fish are common in our hobby and thrive. good mixed diet of meat and veggies and sponges. mix in perfect water and a caring not lazy person to care for it and the fish is a perfect home aquarium fish. ihave one. he is awesome.

 

[stratmaster]

Yeah I'm so excited I just hope there won't be any fighting between the Emp and Wrasse. Should I start out with a juvi or an adult? Or does it not matter?
Also is 100 gallon big enough for it?
Steve

 

[crypt keeper]

from what I have read and been told adults are harder to acclimate. I would get a 3 inch or larger one that hasnt fully changed over. make sure you qt him and get him eating. Once they start to eat they are unstoppable. I would dose the qt with prazipro just in case flukes or an internal parasite may exist. 100 gallon tank would be fine for about a year if bought at the 3 to 4 inch range. Then it will need a bigger tank. So will your wrasse. The longer the tank the better. in like a 7 foot 240 they would be fine for many many years

 

[stratmaster]

The 100 gallon I have is skinny and long so I think it should be good for quite a while. It's about 7 ft long and not to tall which is what I heard, that wrasse prefer length instead of height. That's why I went for a length instead of width. I guess we'll see how it works out.

 

[oceanboy13]

crypt knows what he's talking about so you can trust him...my gf and i have an emp and a queen we love them to death there reall pretty and like he said a juvi would b better besides wats more then watching ur fish grow into something amazing...and besides the teenager stage is prolly my favorite part

 

[stratmaster]

Oh yeah man I'm not doubting anyone. You guys would know better then me. Saltwater is still a fresh hobby to me at the moment, I've delt with fresh for years but only really have been in salt the last three years. Like ya said watching the change is one of the most amazing things I bet.
I just don't know why anyone would say they're delicate and hard to adapt, maybe just bad experiences or they just suck at taking care of marine life?
Anyway I'll keep you guys updated as to if I purchase one, I just do not want any bloodshed from the Wrasse or Angel.
What's the biggest you can get the Juvi's? The bigger the better probably considering my Wrasse is getting close to 8 inches.
Steve

 

[crypt keeper]

I would pick up a 4 to 5 inch one. He will be big enough the wrasse wont eat him and still have its juvi colors. You wont have to wait as long for it to change over.
I would place it in a qt set up before. Get him adapted and eating. Make sure no diseases show up. Get him to eat make sure he is eating like a pig. They all are monsters then place him in the 100. They require pristine water and try not to net catch him. Use a jug or cup. You dont want to sratch his eye and allow it to develop an eye problem.

 

[stdreb27]

The imperator isn't going to be a huge issue if you get a Juvi. He'll be fine in that tank for a while. (personally I'd go bigger tank when he is an adult) But as far as that wrasse, it can be kind of a crap shoot. I had a lunar and an imperator in a 180 for while (till my tank cracked) and had no issues. However, I've seen larger wrasses harass everything in the tank in even larger setups. It really depends on the temperament of your fish. It also helps if they have enough room to not be looking at eachother the whole time. (think of it as the car trip, you and your brother sitting in the back seat. You're gonna fight, but give the siblings some space and it won't be as much of an issue)
That being said, the imperator is no cupcake either. They can hold their own with most aggresive fish.
What you really want to ask yourself is,
Do you have anything in there now?
How aggressive are those fish?
And do you see any issues between them and the wrasse?
Personally I'd try it, and have.

 

[kjr_trig]

I would say Emperors are a challenging fish for a beginner as your LFS said, I would say any "large" angel can be a challenge for a beginner. Once established they are very hardy, but that is the case with most fish.
I have a Sunset Wrasse with an Emperor Angel. My tank is much larger, and these 2 fish getting along are the least of my worries. I would get an Emperor small enough that your Wrasse will not view him as a threat. I think this could work in your tank, I'm curious the exact dimensions of your tank?

 

[sean48183]

The wrasse will for sure give the emperor a hard time. Being as he is the only one in the tank he probably thinks of that as his territory. Rearranging the rocks will help. I added a 7" emperor (here he was RIP)

that my 6" lunar ripped up so bad he lost an eye. The emperor developed some type of parasite and maybe the lunar was eating the parasites but he literally would dart in at warp speed and take a peice of fin and be off. Emperor didn't stand a chance and it was a $150 mistake. If your going to try it Qt for an extended period of time to make sure he gets eating and gets healthy. Also if you get a juvenile be prepared for him to never fully change. There was a guy on another site who documented his emperor over a 3 year period and the fish never fully changed. Got stuck some where in between.

 

[crypt keeper]

uhhhh emps change over. Something was wrong or it wasnt at the correct size to change over. They dont just grow 10 inches and look like juvis.

 

[kjr_trig]

Originally Posted by crypt keeper
http:///forum/post/3094286
uhhhh emps change over. Something was wrong or it wasnt at the correct size to change over. They dont just grow 10 inches and look like juvis.
Actually, that can, and has happened often in captivity, I suspect it is diet related.
Sean, having owned both a Lunare and a Sunset Wrasse I can safely say the Lunare (aka Lunatic Wrasse) is far more aggressive than the Sunset. They are fairly closely related, but the Sunset I have only gets angry when someone steals his food, my Lunare was....well, a Lunatic. Lunare have a horrible rep for a good reason.

 

[rcreations]

Actually I read that happens quite a bit, a juvi emperor not change in captivity. That's why it's good to get one that is just starting to change, that has a little yellow on top or some of the horizontal lines starting to form.

 

[sean48183]

Crypt Keeper the problem is getting them to 10 inches from 3 inch juvi status. These guys are SLOW growers. If you get an inch or 2 a year you will be lucky. There is just no way in a tank to produce the amount of sponge these guys would eat in the wild. So basically after about 3 years you have about a 7 inch emp with still juvi colors. I have never tried it I am just going on what this guy documented. I bought mine with adult colors.

 

[sean48183]

Oh and KJR -I was not aware that sunsets were less docile then lunatic wrasses so there may not a be a problem there. Next time I add a fish my lunar is going in the sump for a couple days.

 

[crypt keeper]

Originally Posted by sean48183
http:///forum/post/3096116
Crypt Keeper the problem is getting them to 10 inches from 3 inch juvi status. These guys are SLOW growers. If you get an inch or 2 a year you will be lucky. There is just no way in a tank to produce the amount of sponge these guys would eat in the wild. So basically after about 3 years you have about a 7 inch emp with still juvi colors. I have never tried it I am just going on what this guy documented. I bought mine with adult colors.
I must be doing something correctly then. My angel has grown an inch in the past 5 months I have had him and his colors are starting to change drastically. Yellow is coming in on his tail. I feed angel forumla with sponges everyday.

 

[xeniaman]

Crypt, does your lfs carry this angel formula, or do you order it online? Shipping for frozen foods is rediculous, and I can't find it anywhere around here