View Full Version : Mixing melanurus wrasses with other wrasses?
Jettareefer
12/24/2014, 09:23 AM
Kinda of a redundant title but I usually hangout in the Sps keepers forum. My question is I have a large melanurus which is a big teddy bear except to hermit crabs but I would like to add a few more wrasses (possum wrasse, a fairy wrasse, and maybe a radiant wrasse). I was wondering if anyone's had first hand experience on this topic? My tank Info's in my sig below. My tank has lots of swimming room I only have about 60lbs of LR but has a ton hiding places and a shallow sand bed.
Vinny Kreyling
12/24/2014, 11:08 AM
I was told to forget it. & I have a 6 footer.
hogfanreefer
12/24/2014, 11:49 AM
I have 2 fairy wrasse, 2 flasher wrasse an another Halichoeres wrasse with one...all added after him. Use an acclimation box and I bet you have no trouble.
DavidinGA
12/24/2014, 03:14 PM
I have a Melanarus and red coris and had a yellow coris in my 210gal. Melanarus is a model citizen, yellow was the same, but the red coris is a beast always toppling rocks and corals and you can forget keeping most mobile inverts....
cakemanPA
12/24/2014, 03:28 PM
I have a Melanarus and red coris and had a yellow coris in my 210gal. Melanarus is a model citizen, yellow was the same, but the red coris is a beast always toppling rocks and corals and you can forget keeping most mobile inverts....
Unfortunately that is the common truth about the Red Coris. One of my favorite wrasses
PeterHall
12/24/2014, 04:56 PM
My melanarus doesn't touch hermit crabs. Weird. At my lfs they had a melanarus with a leopard wrasse in a holding tank who never even looked at each. But who knows long term.
lhm nole
12/25/2014, 12:19 AM
Melanarus with flames no issues over 2 years together
ga_gant
12/25/2014, 06:05 AM
I tried this and it didn't work out in my set-up. Had an established yellow coris and tried to add a smaller melanarus. The melanarus was cool for the first couple days then he stated to relentlessly chase the yellow. I had to take the melanarus back to the lfs. My tank size is very similar to yours.
eatbreakfast
12/25/2014, 07:52 AM
Any wrasse can be pushy toward a new wrasse addition, even though in most cases it should work out. Using a social acclimation box can help lessen any incidents of aggression towards newcomers.
slief
12/25/2014, 08:11 PM
I think it really boils down to tank size and foraging space. I've got a large Melanurus, a 6 line, a Leopard Wrasse and several other fairy wrasses in my 480G display. I have no issues what so ever. They all get alone fine and are never aggressive towards each other or any other fish in the tank. But I do have a big well established system with an awful lot of live rock and plenty of food.
Chief Reef
12/25/2014, 09:31 PM
tried it in my 40breeder with a leopard and had to remove the melanurus, kept harrasing her everytime he caught sight, which was alot in a tank that small.
Mind you he was in first, and the leopard wrasse was much smaller. Leopard's a Model specimen though been out and about eating from day one with no issues to adjusting to frozen food or timezones,and i like her coloration better...so she gets the tank.
Edit: I should also note i gave him about a week before i decided the behavior wasnt going to just Calm down after awhile and removed him.
evolved
01/02/2015, 01:45 PM
If you use an acclimation box, you'd probably find success. The radiant is the most risky (same genus), but the others have a high chance of success.
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