Stocking 125 with flasher wrasses

_Mackus_ · 10/10/2018, 10:42 AM

I've made use of the search function and have come up with a plan, but would like to get some personalized feedback and advice before moving forward with purchases.

I've got a 5 foot 125 gallon tank that will eventually be a mostly SPS mixed reef but has no coral currently. Tank is long established, but lost all my coral a couple years ago due to poor husbandry, but I've been real good lately, have completely battled back from an overwhelming algae problem, and am ready to add some more fish and eventually coral. I've got a pretty good amount of rockwork that is very porous for biological filtration, I've got a SRO-2000INT skimmer, and I have been doing 16 gallon water changes twice a week (though would like to eventually reduce to once a week if I can).

Current inhabitants:

Pair of ocellaris clowns
Flame angel
One spot foxface
Midas blenny

I'd like to add 2-6 flasher wrasses, adding them 1-2 at a time (only have 10 gal tank for tank transfer so probably can't QT more than 2 at a time) over the next few to several months.

And then at the end I'd like to add a kole tang as my last fish.

The flashers I'm looking at would all be males of different species chosen from:
McCoskers
Carpenter
Yellowfin
Filamented
Blue
Linespot
Royal

So my main question is how many wrasses can I add and if any would not make good candidates. I've tried to stay to the peaceful ones, also tend to be the cheaper ones so that's nice for the wallet.

Thanks in advance

_Mackus_ · 10/16/2018, 02:26 PM

I just bought a McCosker's and a Royal flasher wrasse to get my wrasse collection started.

I plan on using an acclimation box to keep them separate during the first 3 days of tank transfer method. I have ten gallon tanks for that, should I put each fish in an acclimation box or just one of them with the luckier one having free reign of the tank? Or is the acclimation box only necessary for when I complete tank transfer and am going to release the wrasses to my display?

_Mackus_ · 11/09/2018, 10:40 AM

Didn't get any feedback here, but figured I'd add my experience for anyone else's future reference.

The aforementioned McCosker's and Royal did not survive the shipping, sadly.

I did place a new order for 3 wrasses: a McCosker's, a Carpenter's, and a Yellowfin. I was planning on adding only 2 at a time but the prices were so low that I had to order 3 to get free shipping.

I did tank transfer for all 3 in the same 10 gallon tank(s). Also treated with Prazipro. They did not seem to have any problems with aggression at all during this process. I did not use acclimation boxes.

I released all 3 into my display early in the morning, again no acclimation boxes, and left the lights off for the entire day. The next day I had the lights come on at the normal time. All 3 wrasses are frequently out and about the tank. Some chasing, mostly between them and my clownfish pair, but overall it seems to be going quite well.

10/10/2018, 10:42 AM	#1
_Mackus_ Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 198	Stocking 125 with flasher wrasses I've made use of the search function and have come up with a plan, but would like to get some personalized feedback and advice before moving forward with purchases. I've got a 5 foot 125 gallon tank that will eventually be a mostly SPS mixed reef but has no coral currently. Tank is long established, but lost all my coral a couple years ago due to poor husbandry, but I've been real good lately, have completely battled back from an overwhelming algae problem, and am ready to add some more fish and eventually coral. I've got a pretty good amount of rockwork that is very porous for biological filtration, I've got a SRO-2000INT skimmer, and I have been doing 16 gallon water changes twice a week (though would like to eventually reduce to once a week if I can). Current inhabitants: Pair of ocellaris clowns Flame angel One spot foxface Midas blenny I'd like to add 2-6 flasher wrasses, adding them 1-2 at a time (only have 10 gal tank for tank transfer so probably can't QT more than 2 at a time) over the next few to several months. And then at the end I'd like to add a kole tang as my last fish. The flashers I'm looking at would all be males of different species chosen from: McCoskers Carpenter Yellowfin Filamented Blue Linespot Royal So my main question is how many wrasses can I add and if any would not make good candidates. I've tried to stay to the peaceful ones, also tend to be the cheaper ones so that's nice for the wallet. Thanks in advance Last edited by _Mackus_; 10/10/2018 at 10:48 AM.

10/16/2018, 02:26 PM	#2
_Mackus_ Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 198	I just bought a McCosker's and a Royal flasher wrasse to get my wrasse collection started. I plan on using an acclimation box to keep them separate during the first 3 days of tank transfer method. I have ten gallon tanks for that, should I put each fish in an acclimation box or just one of them with the luckier one having free reign of the tank? Or is the acclimation box only necessary for when I complete tank transfer and am going to release the wrasses to my display?

11/09/2018, 10:40 AM	#3
_Mackus_ Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 198	Didn't get any feedback here, but figured I'd add my experience for anyone else's future reference. The aforementioned McCosker's and Royal did not survive the shipping, sadly. I did place a new order for 3 wrasses: a McCosker's, a Carpenter's, and a Yellowfin. I was planning on adding only 2 at a time but the prices were so low that I had to order 3 to get free shipping. I did tank transfer for all 3 in the same 10 gallon tank(s). Also treated with Prazipro. They did not seem to have any problems with aggression at all during this process. I did not use acclimation boxes. I released all 3 into my display early in the morning, again no acclimation boxes, and left the lights off for the entire day. The next day I had the lights come on at the normal time. All 3 wrasses are frequently out and about the tank. Some chasing, mostly between them and my clownfish pair, but overall it seems to be going quite well.