Impulse buy moon wrasse!

daveybgttRC · 03/09/2008, 01:12 PM

Hey guys, first post on here but I've been hanging around for a while!

Had my tank set up for about 5 months now and all is going well, the tank is 300 litres/80 US gallons. Only had 4 fish until today, and these are a yellow tail blue damsel, common clown, pyjama wrasse, and a bicolor blenny, got a few hermit crabs but no other inverts, and a leather coral.

Anyway, I was at the LFS with the missus, looking at possible new additions, one of the guys who works there comes over, had a bit of a chat etc, tell him what I'm looking at, if they're reef safe/compatible etc when he tells me that the large blue fish (moon wrasse) would be suitable for my tank.

I was a bit dubious at first but was assured he would be ok, also the missus seemed to have her heart set on it so off I went, Â£30 lighter and with moon wrasse in tow. I've taken a few pics of my tank as it is now, and the fish in question, also managed to get a short video clip of him swimming around.

Now what I need to know is if he really is too big, he seems to be about 8-9" My tank seems to be very nicely balanced and I'm worried he's going to upset the applecart as it were, also I was told he was taking flakes, but I would assume he needs much larger food, prawns/mussels etc?

Any help and advice will be greatfully recieved, and if it comes to it I'll take him back tomorrow and hopefully swap him for the hawk fish I had my eye on!

Cheers everyone!

I'll edit in the youtube link when it's finished converting.

daveybgttRC · 03/09/2008, 01:16 PM

Youtube video

Mare100 · 03/09/2008, 02:19 PM

Hi Davey and Welcome!

I like your tank and your video. Thanks for sharing! We have a Moon Wrasse in our 55 gal. It started out as a Fish Only tank and he was the first inhabitant. Only about 3 inches long when we got him. He has grown into quite a huge guy over the past year. The tank has undergone some changes also with the addition of live rock and a few soft corals.

We are currently getting ready to convert that tank to a 90 gallon....mostly because we think he needs more room (along with a very big snowflake eel also).

He really is a great fish though. I've heard from some people that their moon wrasses got quite aggressive to new tank additions. Whenever we put someone new in there, he mostly just followed them around and tried to lay on them.

He does eat alot. Pretty much everything we feed the other fish. Mysis, brine, frozen reef mixes, krill, clam and the silversides that we feed the eel. So far, he hasn't bothered any of the corals that we have put in there. He likes to sleep at night in a cave in the Live Rock.

I love him and think he has great fish personality!

M

Aquarist007 · 03/09/2008, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by daveybgttRC
Hey guys, first post on here but I've been hanging around for a while!

Had my tank set up for about 5 months now and all is going well, the tank is 300 litres/80 US gallons. Only had 4 fish until today, and these are a yellow tail blue damsel, common clown, pyjama wrasse, and a bicolor blenny, got a few hermit crabs but no other inverts, and a leather coral.

Anyway, I was at the LFS with the missus, looking at possible new additions, one of the guys who works there comes over, had a bit of a chat etc, tell him what I'm looking at, if they're reef safe/compatible etc when he tells me that the large blue fish (moon wrasse) would be suitable for my tank.

I was a bit dubious at first but was assured he would be ok, also the missus seemed to have her heart set on it so off I went, Â£30 lighter and with moon wrasse in tow. I've taken a few pics of my tank as it is now, and the fish in question, also managed to get a short video clip of him swimming around.

Now what I need to know is if he really is too big, he seems to be about 8-9" My tank seems to be very nicely balanced and I'm worried he's going to upset the applecart as it were, also I was told he was taking flakes, but I would assume he needs much larger food, prawns/mussels etc?

Any help and advice will be greatfully recieved, and if it comes to it I'll take him back tomorrow and hopefully swap him for the hawk fish I had my eye on!

Cheers everyone!

I'll edit in the youtube link when it's finished converting.

To Reef Central

Aquarist007 · 03/09/2008, 02:23 PM

not only for the size but the fact that it is that mature means it probably has learned alot of bad habits re going after your inverts
Generally it is best to get a fish on a smaller size so you can keep it well fed and happy and it won't go after inverts or corals

Aquarist007 · 03/09/2008, 02:26 PM

Re impulse fish buys--they will always be around
Carry some protection in your back pocket and practise safe fish purchases

Marine fishes by Scott Michael---you can do a quick lookup on over 500 fishes

Norward · 03/09/2008, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by capn_hylinur
Marine fishes by Scott Michael---you can do a quick lookup on over 500 fishes

Even if you don't carry one, look in a copy sold or kept for reference in the store - my LFS has both! Excellent recommendation Cap'n.

Percula9 · 03/09/2008, 04:55 PM

Is that live grape caulerpa in your tank. If it is remove or it will take over your tank. If it's plastic never mind. I recently lost my Lunare Wrasse after 6 years. They are aggressive and grow large. I had to move him to a bigger tank at the school aquarium lab. He died there and made a huge mess. By the time we found him he was decomposing.

daveybgttRC · 03/10/2008, 07:14 AM

Cheers for the help, he looks a bit out of place so I'm going to take him back, hopefully it doesn't cause me or the fish too much grief! And yes, it is live caulerpa, I like the look of it though, I will cut it back if it becomes too problematic!

Aquarist007 · 03/10/2008, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by daveybgttRC
Cheers for the help, he looks a bit out of place so I'm going to take him back, hopefully it doesn't cause me or the fish too much grief! And yes, it is live caulerpa, I like the look of it though, I will cut it back if it becomes too problematic!

If it is in your tank it is already problematic

It is very evasive and does so quickly and you don't want it to go sexual on you:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...nftt/index.php

03/09/2008, 01:12 PM	#1
daveybgttRC Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 3	Impulse buy moon wrasse! Hey guys, first post on here but I've been hanging around for a while! Had my tank set up for about 5 months now and all is going well, the tank is 300 litres/80 US gallons. Only had 4 fish until today, and these are a yellow tail blue damsel, common clown, pyjama wrasse, and a bicolor blenny, got a few hermit crabs but no other inverts, and a leather coral. Anyway, I was at the LFS with the missus, looking at possible new additions, one of the guys who works there comes over, had a bit of a chat etc, tell him what I'm looking at, if they're reef safe/compatible etc when he tells me that the large blue fish (moon wrasse) would be suitable for my tank. I was a bit dubious at first but was assured he would be ok, also the missus seemed to have her heart set on it so off I went, Â£30 lighter and with moon wrasse in tow. I've taken a few pics of my tank as it is now, and the fish in question, also managed to get a short video clip of him swimming around. Now what I need to know is if he really is too big, he seems to be about 8-9" My tank seems to be very nicely balanced and I'm worried he's going to upset the applecart as it were, also I was told he was taking flakes, but I would assume he needs much larger food, prawns/mussels etc? Any help and advice will be greatfully recieved, and if it comes to it I'll take him back tomorrow and hopefully swap him for the hawk fish I had my eye on! Cheers everyone! I'll edit in the youtube link when it's finished converting.

03/09/2008, 02:19 PM	#3
Mare100 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Becket, MA Posts: 382	Hi Davey and Welcome! I like your tank and your video. Thanks for sharing! We have a Moon Wrasse in our 55 gal. It started out as a Fish Only tank and he was the first inhabitant. Only about 3 inches long when we got him. He has grown into quite a huge guy over the past year. The tank has undergone some changes also with the addition of live rock and a few soft corals. We are currently getting ready to convert that tank to a 90 gallon....mostly because we think he needs more room (along with a very big snowflake eel also). He really is a great fish though. I've heard from some people that their moon wrasses got quite aggressive to new tank additions. Whenever we put someone new in there, he mostly just followed them around and tried to lay on them. He does eat alot. Pretty much everything we feed the other fish. Mysis, brine, frozen reef mixes, krill, clam and the silversides that we feed the eel. So far, he hasn't bothered any of the corals that we have put in there. He likes to sleep at night in a cave in the Live Rock. I love him and think he has great fish personality! M __________________ "No, no, yes, no, I tried that, yes--both ways, no, I don't know, no again. Are there anymore questions? Good." - Xena Current Tank Info: 55 Gal. FOWLR; 120 Gal. Reef - since 1/07

03/09/2008, 02:23 PM	#5
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	not only for the size but the fact that it is that mature means it probably has learned alot of bad habits re going after your inverts Generally it is best to get a fish on a smaller size so you can keep it well fed and happy and it won't go after inverts or corals __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

03/09/2008, 02:26 PM	#6
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	Re impulse fish buys--they will always be around Carry some protection in your back pocket and practise safe fish purchases Marine fishes by Scott Michael---you can do a quick lookup on over 500 fishes __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

03/09/2008, 01:16 PM	#2
daveybgttRC Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 3	Youtube video

03/09/2008, 04:55 PM	#8
Percula9 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Orange County CA Posts: 3,819	Is that live grape caulerpa in your tank. If it is remove or it will take over your tank. If it's plastic never mind. I recently lost my Lunare Wrasse after 6 years. They are aggressive and grow large. I had to move him to a bigger tank at the school aquarium lab. He died there and made a huge mess. By the time we found him he was decomposing.

03/10/2008, 07:14 AM	#9
daveybgttRC Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 3	Cheers for the help, he looks a bit out of place so I'm going to take him back, hopefully it doesn't cause me or the fish too much grief! And yes, it is live caulerpa, I like the look of it though, I will cut it back if it becomes too problematic!