Fire fish and Wrasses?

lzkamp · 04/04/2018, 07:43 AM

So after a 10 year hiatus I have come back to the hobby. We have setup a 46 gallon bowfront tank, and are planning a mixed reef tank. If all goes well in a year we will bump it up to 100+. I was thrilled that the forums were still here!

The first fish we added was a helfrichs firefish. We also have a fire shrimp and cleanup crew of various snails. I need advice on a peaceful tank mate that would be an active swimmer. Any suggestions? I am only looking to add two more fish tops. I truly believe less is more. ( we tried a dwarf angel per lfs advice, he was a snail killer and sps picker much to our dismay. It has been removed. )

The LFS has an orange backed wrasse that we think is pretty but some of my searches on compatibility have led me to believe fairy wrasses are incompatible with fire fish. Has anyone had experience with this? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Crooked Reef · 04/04/2018, 07:57 AM

I have housed a Lubbock's fairy wrasse with a firefish with no issues in the past, also a Vrolik’s wrasse. I currently have a dusky wrasse, an angular flasher and a McCoskers flasher with one as well without issue, but those are not fairy wrasses.

Uncle99 · 04/04/2018, 08:39 AM

Royal gramma?
Peaceful, colourful and hardy.
House one with my fire fish, 17 months, no problems, mixed reef, live rock, 70g

thegrun · 04/04/2018, 08:41 AM

It may not be applicable since my tank is a 120 but my Purple Firefish does fine with his 6 wrasse tankmates (3-Flame Wrasses, 1- Yellow Choris Wrasse, 1- Pintail Wrasse, 1- Brunneus Wrasse), no issues at all.

lzkamp · 04/04/2018, 10:45 AM

Thank you all, it helps to hear that others have had it work. It didn’t make sense to me that flashers were ok and fairies not lol.

Crooked Reef · 04/04/2018, 11:10 AM

They are different species. Kind of like clownfish, some are more peaceful whereas a maroon will attack a buzzsaw. I haven’t seen any aggression though between wrasses and firefish though.

CindyK · 04/04/2018, 12:30 PM

My firefish and fairy wrasse have never had issues. I have more space in my 75 gal though.

04/04/2018, 07:43 AM	#1
lzkamp Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Central Ohio Posts: 40	Fire fish and Wrasses? So after a 10 year hiatus I have come back to the hobby. We have setup a 46 gallon bowfront tank, and are planning a mixed reef tank. If all goes well in a year we will bump it up to 100+. I was thrilled that the forums were still here! The first fish we added was a helfrichs firefish. We also have a fire shrimp and cleanup crew of various snails. I need advice on a peaceful tank mate that would be an active swimmer. Any suggestions? I am only looking to add two more fish tops. I truly believe less is more. ( we tried a dwarf angel per lfs advice, he was a snail killer and sps picker much to our dismay. It has been removed. ) The LFS has an orange backed wrasse that we think is pretty but some of my searches on compatibility have led me to believe fairy wrasses are incompatible with fire fish. Has anyone had experience with this? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

04/04/2018, 07:57 AM	#2
Crooked Reef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 1,765	I have housed a Lubbock's fairy wrasse with a firefish with no issues in the past, also a Vrolik’s wrasse. I currently have a dusky wrasse, an angular flasher and a McCoskers flasher with one as well without issue, but those are not fairy wrasses. __________________ “In wine there is wisdom; in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.” - Benjamin Franklin Current Tank Info: 90 gallon reef. Biocube 29 lionfish tank. Mantis tank.

04/04/2018, 11:10 AM	#6
Crooked Reef Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 1,765	They are different species. Kind of like clownfish, some are more peaceful whereas a maroon will attack a buzzsaw. I haven’t seen any aggression though between wrasses and firefish though. __________________ “In wine there is wisdom; in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.” - Benjamin Franklin Current Tank Info: 90 gallon reef. Biocube 29 lionfish tank. Mantis tank.

04/04/2018, 12:30 PM	#7
CindyK Registered Member Join Date: May 2016 Posts: 268	My firefish and fairy wrasse have never had issues. I have more space in my 75 gal though. __________________ Taking "there is no such thing as a stupid question" to a whole new level. Current Tank Info: 75 gal mixed reef under construction, 32 gal Biocube softies

04/04/2018, 08:39 AM	#3
Uncle99 Crab Free Zone Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,906	Royal gramma? Peaceful, colourful and hardy. House one with my fire fish, 17 months, no problems, mixed reef, live rock, 70g

04/04/2018, 08:41 AM	#4
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	It may not be applicable since my tank is a 120 but my Purple Firefish does fine with his 6 wrasse tankmates (3-Flame Wrasses, 1- Yellow Choris Wrasse, 1- Pintail Wrasse, 1- Brunneus Wrasse), no issues at all.

04/04/2018, 10:45 AM	#5
lzkamp Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Central Ohio Posts: 40	Thank you all, it helps to hear that others have had it work. It didn’t make sense to me that flashers were ok and fairies not lol.