My Dragon Wrasse Terror or Cuddly Puppy?

asonitez · #1 01/02/2008, 11:43 AM

Maybe... I should have listened to the little voice in my head that told me Aso.. don't buy that fish no matter how beautiful it is.... So... I didn't listen. I purchased a brand new absolutely beautiful 1 inch Dragon Wrasse (Blue Green) that I have never really seen before. He was with another 4 of them and it took the fish keeper about 15 minutes to catch the one I wanted. I just started a tank so I don't have many corals. Just a few frags (2 Sps some Star Polyps, and a small shroom.) Fish wise I have 6 Chromis - 1 Blenny - 1 Sand Sifting Goby - 1 Blood Shrimp and 1 Baby yellow tang. The tanks running now for 2 months and all parameters are in check. I have not added the Dragon wrasse to the tank as he has been in qurantine for 3 weeks. He eats brine shrimp, mysis, and pellets.

I plan to have a reef tank.. Can I add my fish or will he ultimately decimate my tank. I got mixed opinions. He does not EAT corals but he can MOVE them that are not secured. I don't know any of his other habits. Please advise.

smm607 · #2 01/02/2008, 11:53 AM

first, how large is your tank? And second what do your params actually test out to be.... Two months seems to be a short time to have all that livestock already, especially sps, they usually recquire a decently established tank to thrive

LisaD · #3 01/02/2008, 12:02 PM

If you have a dragon wrasse, it will be incompatible with a reef and any inverts you might have. Very cool fish, though, and worth setting up a tank for this one and maybe a few rough and tough tankmates. These fish are 12 inches or more as adults and can and will move large rocks - in fact, rock mover is one of its common names.

Useful profile: http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/msu...ckdragonwr.htm

Good article:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/rockmover.htm

asonitez · #4 01/02/2008, 01:32 PM

tanks 90 gallon it was set up 2 months strong prior to adding any fish the sps were broken frags given to me by another reefer to see if my light system can handle them as well as part of a deal for equip. nothing serious the frags were completely free. the live stock came from a smaller tank over the course of the last 2 months or so.

jab502 · #5 01/02/2008, 03:56 PM

I would not say that it cannot be kept in a reef. First of all since you obtained it as a juvenile it is very unlikely it will ever grow to 12 inches in a 90 gallon tank and it would take years and years for that to happen anyway (plenty of time for him to be removed or tank upgraded). My experience with this fish is that as he gets older snails, crabs, and shrimp could be at risk. It is just a matter of which you like better, the fish, or the cleaner shrimp, snails, or other inverts. At some point you probably won't be able to keep both.

LisaD · #6 01/03/2008, 10:18 AM

I wouldn't make the assumption that the size of the tank will limit a fish reaching adult size. IME a small tank doesn't "stunt" a fish. I agree it could take some time for the wrasse to grow up, though. However, it also doesn't take a dragon wrasse long to start getting aggressive or moving things around. They are very strong for their size, even when just a few inches long. I agree with the information in the link to the article I posted.

They are great fish, and very attractive both as juveniles and adults. However, aquarists need to accept them for what they are and choose appropriate tankmates and aquascaping.

kathainbowen · #7 01/03/2008, 10:25 AM

Really, the biggest issues to keeping a dragon wrasse in a reef tanks are related to the smaller things in life. Forgetting the size issue to the tank (which is too small, IMHO, but I tend to be rather conversative about tank sizes and stocking), dragon wrasses, like many large wrasses, do enjoy to snack on small hermits, snails, shrimp, and other invertebrates. This could be good or bad for the reef keeper, depending on your opinion on the invertebrates in question and the situation.

However, what I feel would be the biggest and most problematic issue to the dragon wrasse in a reef tank is their knack for flipping rocks and rearranging their home. Now, while this can be an utterly fascinating behavior in the right tank (seriously cool when you plan for it, I assure you!), in a reef tank, this can be less than comforting. If you have small frags and breaks of corals, especially more delicate ones, they may not take to being flipped, moved, rearranged, or otherwise pestered by a dragon wrasse trying to get around or under them- especially if knocked into a shady spot!

.... dragon wrasses don't go by the name "rockmover wrasse" for nothing.

jjj1100 · #8 01/03/2008, 03:28 PM

Great fish, but I have personally seen a six inch dragon move a rock bigger than himself. it was quite entertaining, but there was no coral in the tank he was re-aquascaping. I think its a great fish but not in a reef tank, especially with unsecure live rock or frags

asonitez · #9 01/03/2008, 04:23 PM

I have a blood shrimp thats absolutely beautiful and has molted several times in my tank. However I don't get to see him often as he is always hiding. I think it would probably be prudent to just trade my Dragon Wrasse in for another pretty wrasse.