Radiant wrasse questions

[jessezm]

My LFS has been on the lookout for me for some nice fairy wrasses. I know this one isn't a fairy (it's a Heleochoeres Iridis sp?), but they got it in anyways, and most folks say it's reef-safe and should do well with my other fish (X3 redfin fairies, solar fairy, filament flasher, blue tang, dussumeiri tang, mandarin goby, watchman goby, PJ cardinal, X2 ocellaris).

So, what are your thoughts/opinions/experiences on the radiant wrasse, especially with regard to ornamental shrimps, crabs, and other fish? Thanks!

Also, if I only have room for a few more fish, and am very interested in a Scott's, Linneatus, mysteri, or something like that, would you hold off?

[bureau13]

I have a Radiant, and I love it. It hasn't bothered anything in my tank. I have a cleaner shrimp and a blood shrimp, and I have a few crabs around...I've never seen him bother anything. Supposedly, they will eat pests such as pyramidellid snails (clam predators) and possibly montipora-eating nudis, but I have no personal experience with either (thank God). I don't have any other wrasses in the tank right now, although I had an Exquisite for a while, which died for unknown reasons...I just know the Radiant wasn't bothering him.

jds

[CeeGee]

Do the radiants bury in the sand?

My LFS gets these in from time to time and they are a stunning fish.

[bureau13]

I've read that they do, but I can never catch him doing it. He definitely vanishes sometime between the halides going out and the actinics going out, but I can never actually see him burying himself.

jds

[jessezm]

Thanks for the feedback, sounds like a great fish!

[BTTRFLYGRL]

Iridis do bury themselves. They go under to sleep and when they feel threatened. They are also very peaceful Wrasses. If you already have these other Wrasses in your tank, the Iridis will most likely be bullied especially by the Solar Wrasse..I've kept these two fish together for a short period of time, I had to move the Solar to another tank due to his behavior towards the Iridis (Iridis was in tank first) Solar Wrasse are not know for being aggressive, but remember most fish will behave territorially or even aggressive towards their own kind.
What size tank is this?

[jessezm]

it's a 200g tank, and the solar was one of the first residents. Whenever I add something, he has chased it a few times--maybe for the first day or so, but then settles down (he did not chase the tangs or gobies, though--just other wrasses). I think I may pass on the radiant, though, as I'm hoping to get another pair of fairies and maybe some anthias before it's all said and done...

[jessezm]

Oh, I'm also dying for a pair of watanabei angels, but I'm not gonna hold my breath on that one...

[RichConley]

Originally posted by BTTRFLYGRL
Iridis do bury themselves. They go under to sleep and when they feel threatened. They are also very peaceful Wrasses. If you already have these other Wrasses in your tank, the Iridis will most likely be bullied especially by the Solar Wrasse..I've kept these two fish together for a short period of time, I had to move the Solar to another tank due to his behavior towards the Iridis (Iridis was in tank first) Solar Wrasse are not know for being aggressive, but remember most fish will behave territorially or even aggressive towards their own kind.
What size tank is this?

"toward their own kind".


Solar wrasses are about as closely related to Iridis as an Arc Eye hawk is to a Dispar anthias. IE, not all that close.


I had the two together, and if anything, the Iridis was the more dominant fish...no problems tough. Solar was nasty to other fairys though.

[BTTRFLYGRL]

Last I checked, they were both Wrasses and of similar shape