Experiences with Halichores iradius?

[Conesus_Kid]

Does anyone have any experience with the radiant wrasse? I'm considering adding one to my aquarium, but wanted to get some feedback.

My 75 gallon aquarium has the following inhabitants:

3 Carpenters Flasher wrasses
1 Rainford goby
1 Yellow watchman goby
1 Red-spotted sand perch
1 Scribbled Rabbitfish
2 skunk cleaner shrimp
3 emerald crabs
1 long-spined urchin
various hermits and snails

As some of you may remember, I had an outbreak of monti-eating nudibranchs on my grape monti cap frag. I lost the frag, but have seen a couple of the nudis on some monti caps that are encrusted to my live rock (came with the rock). I can't really pull out the corals, since they're just spreading on the surface of the rock. I've been hitting them with a toothbrush whenever I see a nudibranch on them.

I have read mixed reviews about this wrasse as a hunter of said nudibranchs. I would consider adding one if I knew that 1) there's a good chance it would go after any remaining nudis, and 2) it wouldn't harass any of my current critters.

If anyone has any experience to share, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!

[KurtsReef]

I had one, however I also had a porcupine puffer. The puffer took a large bite out of the radiant wrasse which died the next day. Before he was dinner, a model citizen in the tank.

(Puffer is in the shark tank at Reef Creations last time I saw it...fun fish but he liked to eat his tank mates too much no matter how much I fed it)

[StashuDave]

My personal experience is that they are constant hunters.... if he decides that the nudi's are delicious he will constantly survey your rockwork and corals for them. As far as the rest of your tankmates, he may take a shot at any shrimps, especially if they are small in reference to him. He may also not take a liking to your flasher wrasse, but my Iridis normally spent all day looking and picking in every crevice for food, and really could have cared less about anything that wasn't food or direct food competition. He will definately be the most active fish in your aquarium. Hope I helped a little.

Dave

[thriceanangel]

Would a 6 line eat them? I know that they eat just about everything else and are fairly voracious hunters as well...

[Conesus_Kid]

My one concern about the sixline is that I've read an awful lot of horror stories where they've pestered and killed other wrasses in the tank. I was hoping the radiant would be a bit more mellow.

The other species I was considering was Halichores chrysus (Yellow "coris" wrasse).

[tmz]

My one concern about the sixline is that I've read an awful lot of horror stories where they've pestered and killed other wrasses in the tank. I was hoping the radiant would be a bit more mellow.

My sixline was a terror. I like the radiant and hope it proves to be a more docile fish since I've been interested in one but holding back due to potential concerns about agreesion.

[thriceanangel]

I've only had one and he was a very docile. However there wasn't another wrasse in the tank. Anyhow, does anyone know if they would eat the Monti eating nudis?

[RandyO]

I've also seen sixline get aggressive. Especially towards other wrasses.

I've noticed the same behavior StashuDave reported about the Radiant Wrasses. They constantly hunt and did not clash with other tank mates.

I also heard that Radiant wrasses eat nudis and flatworms.

[tmz]

Will a radiant wrasse and a mystery wrasse do well together in a 90 gallon reef?

[Gary Majchrzak]

Halichoeres wrasses are often used to control pests. Joy (at the now defunct Harbor Aquatics) was the first person to mention to me how good they are at pest control. (They hunt down "rice snails", too.)
This family of wrasses are a potential threat to Tridacna clams- especially so when the fish matures.

I had a "Radiant", but it didn't last very long for me. (Collection/shipping problems?)
In any event, in the short time it was in my aquarium it never bothered any of my other fishes (including a lot of much smaller Leopard Wrasses).

[RandyO]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10890934#post10890934 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tmz
Will a radiant wrasse and a mystery wrasse do well together in a 90 gallon reef?

That would all depend on the Mystery wrasse. Pseudocheilinus wrasses are known for being bullies, Halichoeres are not. Both Wrasses grow to the same size of 11-12cm.

StashuDave Kept a Radiant Wrasse with a Mystery wrasse in a 120 with no problems. But his Mystery is smaller, and shy and if memory serves me right, they were added to the tank close to the same time.

[tmz]

Thanks all.Sorry for popping in on your thread Scott but I was almost on point.

[Conesus_Kid]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10892009#post10892009 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tmz
Thanks all.Sorry for popping in on your thread Scott but I was almost on point.

Please don't be sorry. This is exactly the type of dialogue I was hoping for! (This is how I learn.)

Does anyone have any information regarding the hardiness of the iradius species vs. the chrysus species ("Yellow coris wrasse")?

Thanks!

[tmz]

Scot,
According to Scott W. Michael,"Marine Fishes",they are both hardy. He rates them both at 4 on a scale of 1to5. I have not kept either yet.
Tom

[Conesus_Kid]

One last question re. these wrasses:

I have a "shallow" sand bed that has been rearranged by my powerheads. I have some bare spots, and some areas with 2"-3" of sand. Is this a sufficient amount? Will these wrasses find the deeper spots on their own, or do I have to worry about the fish "diving" into a shallow area and injuring itself?

Thanks again!