All About Reef Safe Wrasses

It doesn't mean much yet, as it's only been less than 2 weeks, but my little one seems to be doing very well. She's picky about what she eats so I feed them a variety of frozen foods, flake and some pellets. I've ordered some blackworms and pods, which should be here in a couple of days. She gets along well with the other fish and swims and looks for food on the rocks all day.

 

My last fish for this tank - a Paracheilinus carpenteri (I believe - it looks like he only has one filament and I thought they have at least 2...). He's a little shy but he's active and eating. I have confidence that he'll be fine.

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Almost certain it's P. flavianalis.

 

Thank you! That's exactly what I thought it was but don't know enough to have been sure. I went back and forth between pics of both but there seemed to be a large variety that are labeled as P. Carpenteri (which I questioned).

 

Species
Anal Fin
Number of Filaments

P. carpenteri
Red on outer part
2 - 4

P. flavianalis
Entirely yellow
1 - 4

P. mccoskeri
Red on outer part
1

 

Thanks again. Now that I've been looking at this family I'll learn more about the details that distinguish one from another. I hope to one day get another Leopard also but I'm going to be very patient and let my tank become mature and set up my Biocube 29 again. I'll move my Goby and maybe my Clowns over there, then I'll have space.

 

I just acquired a Labout's Fairy Wrasse and have put him in my display.

Currently I have:


Flame Fairy Wrasse female turning or turned male
Golden Rhomboid Wrasse Super Male
Golden Rhomboid Wrasse Female
Yellowtail Tamarin Wrasse
Redtail Tamarin Wrasse
Diamond Tail Flasher Wrasse


The Flame Wrasse has been charging and nipping at the Labout's and sometimes the Rhomboid Wrasse male goes after the Labout's. The Labout's is larger than both by 1/2 inch to 1 inch. I had a similar experience with the Diamond Tail Flasher being harassed by the Rhomboid Wrasse female until the female Rhomboid got injured, Popeye, chasing the Diamond Tail. The Rhomboid Female has healed and could care less about The Diamond Tail now. I would like to avoid aggression if at all posible.

Can I do anything to ease aggression in the tank?

 

When adding new wrasses, you should always use an acclimation box for a few days; it can prevent this type of thing from happening.

Short of waiting it out, you could try to catch the worst aggressor. There's not much else to do I'm afraid.

A bit of a non-conventional solution, but adding more wrasses may also help to disperse the aggression. That's assuming the system could support such, of course.

 

I have an acclimation box makeshift critter carrier from petco with drilled holes.
I caught the Labout's by accident and 2 hours later he managed to get out, the door had a rock weigting it down but was not secure. I tried to use the acclimation box as a trap by turning off pumps and putting food in the box and every fish went into the box except the worst aggressor. The worst aggressor waited outside the box for the food to come out the holes. I am going to try a new box with out the holes to see if food stays in the box longer and be more enticing to the aggressor.

 

Still trying to catch the aggressive Flame. He is chasing other in the tank as well he never did that before. Every fish except the Flame and the Labout's went in the box yesterday.