Cash56
11/08/2006, 08:27 PM
Flasher Wrasse May Not Be the Best Choice
After initially becoming interested in the flasher wrasse, it may not be the best display choice.
For example;
While they flash for an instant photo shot, making a nice photo,
1) How long, do they flash?
3 to 5 seconds at a time, a poster stated. Fine for spit second photo capture, but, for 24/7 viewing?
2) How often do they flash?
After they settle in three days or so, they may not flash often, according to a poster.
3) Another poster seems to feel they are delicate shippers, and after an unsuccessful try or unsuccessful few trys, one poster has decided to do something else, as they tended to die easily, for them.
4) If the fish is not flashing, how great does it look? Not so great, pretty common, unspectacular, in the words of one observer/vendor, in conversation.
5) Effectively, one must ask, is the flasher wrasse, a nice looking flasher 1% to 3% of the time, and the rest of the time, a standard common, nothing much of a fish?
6) Why acquire a fish, that looks good 3% of the time, when you can get a spectacular, effectively flashing display 24/7 of the time, from the likes of a super Powder Blue Tang, Blue Regal Tang. pair of False Percula Clowns, pair of Neon Gobies, Magnificent Foxface Rabbitfish, Fire Blood Shrimp, or Skunk Cleaner Shrimp?
7) The flasher wrasses don't seem to do well in a normal, typical male - female pair.
The male may be so aggressive, only one normal female may be run to death from the male hyper attention.
So, even with two or more females, there is a bizarre torpedo speed tension of a male harassing all the females, chasing them back into hiding places. Changing the display from pleasing, to tension and stress.
A display of awe and beauty, an inspiration of a marine jewel box, rather than a flasher wrasse stress - tension arena, may be more pleasing, enjoyable.
8) While most descriptions say flasher wrasses wont harm reef invertebrates, it also states they like to eat pieces of shrimp, clams, meaty things, and will eat nuisance small snails.
So, as they grow, they won't ever do a torpedo speed dive and try a taste of expensive fire, skunk cleaner, or peppermint shrimp, or nice snail clean up crews, or clam displays?
Maybe, maybe not. Meat is meat. An expensive meal and aggravating loss of nice specimens, a loss that can't be definitely ruled out. Shrimp and snails are great displays, as well as great clean up and maintenance workers, that would be regrettable losses.
Net net:
Although not 100% definitely ruled out, the realization that the flasher wrasses main attraction only happens in a short flash, not 24/7 like other great looking specimens as discussed above, a question on shipment hardiness, a speed demon tension-stress toward females in the display, not the greatist of striking beauty displays when passive & not flashing which is their 'look' most of the time, possible cannibalization of other nice expensive inverts, etc., ...
the flasher wrasses acquisition is being put on hold, possibly terminated, in favor of the other 24/7 'non-flasher' wrasse, all-the-time flasher acquisitions, such as the few examples discussed above.
Best regards,
Cash
After initially becoming interested in the flasher wrasse, it may not be the best display choice.
For example;
While they flash for an instant photo shot, making a nice photo,
1) How long, do they flash?
3 to 5 seconds at a time, a poster stated. Fine for spit second photo capture, but, for 24/7 viewing?
2) How often do they flash?
After they settle in three days or so, they may not flash often, according to a poster.
3) Another poster seems to feel they are delicate shippers, and after an unsuccessful try or unsuccessful few trys, one poster has decided to do something else, as they tended to die easily, for them.
4) If the fish is not flashing, how great does it look? Not so great, pretty common, unspectacular, in the words of one observer/vendor, in conversation.
5) Effectively, one must ask, is the flasher wrasse, a nice looking flasher 1% to 3% of the time, and the rest of the time, a standard common, nothing much of a fish?
6) Why acquire a fish, that looks good 3% of the time, when you can get a spectacular, effectively flashing display 24/7 of the time, from the likes of a super Powder Blue Tang, Blue Regal Tang. pair of False Percula Clowns, pair of Neon Gobies, Magnificent Foxface Rabbitfish, Fire Blood Shrimp, or Skunk Cleaner Shrimp?
7) The flasher wrasses don't seem to do well in a normal, typical male - female pair.
The male may be so aggressive, only one normal female may be run to death from the male hyper attention.
So, even with two or more females, there is a bizarre torpedo speed tension of a male harassing all the females, chasing them back into hiding places. Changing the display from pleasing, to tension and stress.
A display of awe and beauty, an inspiration of a marine jewel box, rather than a flasher wrasse stress - tension arena, may be more pleasing, enjoyable.
8) While most descriptions say flasher wrasses wont harm reef invertebrates, it also states they like to eat pieces of shrimp, clams, meaty things, and will eat nuisance small snails.
So, as they grow, they won't ever do a torpedo speed dive and try a taste of expensive fire, skunk cleaner, or peppermint shrimp, or nice snail clean up crews, or clam displays?
Maybe, maybe not. Meat is meat. An expensive meal and aggravating loss of nice specimens, a loss that can't be definitely ruled out. Shrimp and snails are great displays, as well as great clean up and maintenance workers, that would be regrettable losses.
Net net:
Although not 100% definitely ruled out, the realization that the flasher wrasses main attraction only happens in a short flash, not 24/7 like other great looking specimens as discussed above, a question on shipment hardiness, a speed demon tension-stress toward females in the display, not the greatist of striking beauty displays when passive & not flashing which is their 'look' most of the time, possible cannibalization of other nice expensive inverts, etc., ...
the flasher wrasses acquisition is being put on hold, possibly terminated, in favor of the other 24/7 'non-flasher' wrasse, all-the-time flasher acquisitions, such as the few examples discussed above.
Best regards,
Cash