Fairy wrasse social acclimation

nickiwit · #1 06/01/2007, 02:51 PM

I read somewhere on here about social acclimation for fairy wrasses. I was wondering how long you are supposed to leave them in the box/trap before you let them out. I have 4 fairy wrasses that will be ready to move over to my main tank soon.

snorvich · #2 06/02/2007, 08:37 AM

Social acclimation works well for any fish. Float or attach a separate chamber that is large enough and that passes water through the slits (Petsmart has them). Be sure the new fish is alert, swimming around and trying to eat and that the old inhabitants are not going ballistic over it.

Almost all fairy and flasher wrasses can be socially acclimated to their cousins. There are, however, some fish that are not tolerant of them e.g. mystery wrasses, almost all dottybacks (except the orchid dottyback).

The time period for acclimation varies from a couple of hours to a day or so. I have only had one that I could not acclimate and that was a new Laboutei with a Roseafasciata

nickiwit · #3 06/02/2007, 01:30 PM

Thanks for the reply.

edwing206 · #4 06/02/2007, 02:20 PM

So they need to get used to the other fairy wrasses? Mine always mix just fine.

snorvich · #5 06/02/2007, 06:31 PM

Well, sometimes they do and sometimes they do not. Lineatus and Pylei might be difficult. Laboutei and Roseafacia were impossible and I had to put one in a different tank. Scott's can be mean as they get older. The ones I have are:

Fairy Wrasses:

Adornatus
Bathyphilus
Conde
Earlei (pair)
Johnsoni
Jordani (pair)
Katherinae
Laboutei
Lineatus
Pylei
Rhomboidalis (pair)
Rosefascia
Scottorum (pair)
Pintail

Flasher Wrasses

Attenuatus (pair)
Carpenteri
Cyaneus
Filamentosus
Lineopunctatus
Mccoskeri
Rubricaudalis

edwing206 · #6 06/02/2007, 10:19 PM

Wow. That an expensive list of fish!!

msn711 · #7 06/03/2007, 09:48 AM

Snorvich, you have to post a picture of your wrasse tank.

snorvich · #8 06/03/2007, 10:09 AM

Here is the smaller tank . . .

snorvich · #9 06/03/2007, 10:11 AM

And one of the rarest, a male C. Earlei

snorvich · #10 06/03/2007, 10:15 AM

And one of the rarest flasher wrasses . . .

And a rare fairy called a pintail wrasse (looks like but is not C. lanceolatus)

snorvich · #11 06/03/2007, 10:16 AM

And a moderately rare one . . .

snorvich · #12 06/03/2007, 10:20 AM

And finally a pair of flame wrasses . . .

I am not a good aquarium photographer so your patience on my marginal skills is appreciated.

bradleyj · #13 06/03/2007, 02:18 PM

They look like great pictures to me, especially since we all know how hard it is to get a good shot at wrasses. What type of top do you have on your tanks?

snorvich · #14 06/03/2007, 04:46 PM

I have acrylic tops. These puppies will jump, it is only a question of when.

nickiwit · #15 06/03/2007, 07:23 PM

You have some awesome fish Steve.

We have had some problems with fairy wrasse aggression in the past that is why I wanted to do social acclimation. I also thought it would help them get used to all the other fish too. I actually used it a couple of weeks ago to add a scott, hooded and possum wrasse to the tank. I only left them in there a day but when I let them out they adapted so well. I am a little concerned about adding the 4 new fairy wrasses with them though. One of the new ones is another hooded fairy wrasse but a slightly different color version.