Can a Banana wrasse live with an Aussie lunar wrasse?

[my2rotties]

I have the opportunity to get the beautiful Aussie lunar wrasse I have been wanting since I got into this hobby. I already have a beautiful banana wrasse and he is a pretty good boy. I have been looking for info on these two species being housed together, since they have a lot of similarities in body shape and type.

I already know both these species are not totally reef safe, but I am okay with that. Has anyone kept these two types of fish together? I know many people have multiple wrasses but have never seen these two together yet.

Any help would be appreciated, since I have been wanting this fish for a long time now (since the 44g but knew it would not fit in there).

[justinl]

if it's going in the 260g, it would probably be okay. probably. the lunare mght kill or beat on the banana wrasse (which i assume you mean Halichoeres chrysus). In your case, I would probably go for it. just be prepared to intervene and make a decision on which one needs to get the boot. know in advance what the best way to catch a wrasse in your tank is.

[my2rotties]

My wrasse is a male Thalassoma lutescens he is about 6-7" long. The new wrasse is about 4" long but I do not know the sex of it, or know if you can tell. The Banana wrasse can be sexed by the blue colouration instead of yellow on the females. I do have a fish trap and the Banana wrasse is very curious and inquisitive to anything new I put into the tank or things I move around.

The Banana wrasse I have is very active in swimming and never stops for anything. To have the Lunar wrasse would add more colour and activity to my community. They are wonderful fish and so much fun to watch. They remind me of dolphins in their movement and playful nature.

Thanks for the help, I just want to make sure I don't make a mistake in getting the new fish in a couple of weeks when the seller brings him to Calgary for me.


if it's going in the 260g, it would probably be okay. probably. the lunare mght kill or beat on the banana wrasse (which i assume you mean Halichoeres chrysus). In your case, I would probably go for it. just be prepared to intervene and make a decision on which one needs to get the boot. know in advance what the best way to catch a wrasse in your tank is.

[justinl]

ohhhh, okay now that's a different story. two of the same genus and thalassoma are generally the large aggressive members of family labridae... T. luescens and T. lunare are no exceptions. I would be very hesitant to add two thalassoma wrasses in a tank less than 300g. I would imagine it would be even worse between these two because they are similarly coloured species as well. Since the lunare has been your dream fish since the start... maybe it's time to get rid of the T. lutescens? your call in the end, but I think you're going to have to sacrafice one; can't have both, not in the same tank.

btw, got pics? i love thalassoma wrasses even if I don't have the tank to house them. they are gorgeous fish indeed.

[Leah]

I have a mystery wrasse and a red fairy wrasse in my 72. It is interesting. Definite bad
idea in my case the mystery is bossy towards the fairy, who was in first. But she is very
fast and is smaller so can hide quickly. Whenever I hear water sloshing I know exactly
whats up. This is of course worse at feeding time but it is on going. And I would love to
get one or the other out. Also had a four line and it was a holy terror to anyone and
everything I tried adding. Needless to say I no longer own the fourline. My experience
with wrasse's say's no more, no how, no matter what. I do love my red fairy though.
Anyone want a mystery wrasse free just need to catch him.LOL

[my2rotties]

All I have is an iPhone and I need something really fast to get this guy without a blurry picture, but here's what I have and it's the best I can do.

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo330/my2rotties/wrasse047.jpg

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo330/my2rotties/wrasse046.jpg

I have some things to think about now, thanks for the info...

[Leah]

Wow, Beautiful fish!

[my2rotties]

A good canreef friend of mine exclusively keeps wrasses. I think he has 30 or more of them, and they are all fine together. Perhaps its just a crap shoot, but my friend has lots of corals, rocks and hiding spots for all of his fish. Its an amazing system to behold. I do have nooks, crannys, caves and tunnels or all shapes and sizes in the display. My banana man does chase fish when they first come home, but only for a day or two. When he came home my sohal chased him to no end, and now they are fine with each other.

At least I have some time to think about it and consider the options. The fish would not be delivered until the end of the month.

[my2rotties]

I like him if he would only stay still for a second for pictures. He turns from green to blue on his body. I guess today he decided to go green for awhile. Really awesome fish, very busy and in my face.

Wow, Beautiful fish!

[fooser]

Wow Diana, I almost want to steal that wrasse from you.. if it was like 7" long haha. Very nice fish. I am going to see if anyone in town can get me a smaller one of those now.

[my2rotties]

Hi Anthony. I bought him on Canreef for $20!!! He is an awesome and stunning fish. He was sold as a solar wrasse so I didn't get what I expected but I love him none the less. I thought he was the fish I want to get now as an addition. I have never seen one anywhere to date...

If you could catch him I would almost challenge to try to get him out without destroying my tank, and I think your chances still would be slim to none.

Wow Diana, I almost want to steal that wrasse from you.. if it was like 7" long haha. Very nice fish. I am going to see if anyone in town can get me a smaller one of those now.

[justinl]

Those who keep multiple species of wrasses in a single tank do so carefully. Many wrasses will coexist just fine. Fairy and flasher wrasses mostly. Genus halichoeres is especially peaceful. just keep in mind that coexisting wrasses is complicated and always requires close research; even within genera, some species will kill/beat each other (just look at Leah's situation). the reef fish section on RC is wonderful since there's a few reef-safe wrasse FANATICS over there. specific questions regarding the peaceful wrasses will be answered most correctly there. Thalassoma do not fall into this category; like i said, they're the big beaters of family Labridae.

Leah, pm sent :D

[my2rotties]

Thanks so much for the info. I am still trying to get a positive ID on the new wrasse. The seller said it was an Aussie rainbow wrasse but the picture he sent is blurry (I know why), and I cannot see it very well. It is aqua marine blue and green in color. It does have stripes on its head, but I cannot tell if they are purple or not at this time. If they are I believe the fish is a Thalassoma lunare. SO from what research tells me they are from the same family.

Here are two pictures that I received for ID purposes... They are hard to see due to movement and lighting.

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo330/my2rotties/IMG_3323-1.jpg

http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo330/my2rotties/IMG_3324.jpg

Those who keep multiple species of wrasses in a single tank do so carefully. Many wrasses will coexist just fine. Fairy and flasher wrasses mostly. Genus halichoeres is especially peaceful. just keep in mind that coexisting wrasses is complicated and always requires close research; even within genera, some species will kill/beat each other (just look at Leah's situation). the reef fish section on RC is wonderful since there's a few reef-safe wrasse FANATICS over there. specific questions regarding the peaceful wrasses will be answered most correctly there. Thalassoma do not fall into this category; like i said, they're the big beaters of family Labridae.

Leah, pm sent :D

[justinl]

I think i see a black spot on the caudal peduncle (a young T. lunare indicator), but it might be shadow. I guess there's no chance of a clear picture of the face? Flash helps even if it washes out color... the shape/arrangement of facial lines are good for IDing wrasses. It's definitely genus Thalassoma, no question there; I can't say whether it is or is not T. lunare from those pics.

[my2rotties]

Are you a marine biologist by any chance? You blow me away with your knowledge.

I have done a search and googled to see if Thalassoma can be housed together. I found info that two males of one species can be housed together but nothing about two sub species (I think that is right). I am waiting to hear from the seller and see if he can try to get a better picture... I know how tough it is since my guy is a streak that very seldom stops for a moment.

I think i see a black spot on the caudal peduncle (a young T. lunare indicator), but it might be shadow. I guess there's no chance of a clear picture of the face? Flash helps even if it washes out color... the shape/arrangement of facial lines are good for IDing wrasses. It's definitely genus Thalassoma, no question there; I can't say whether it is or is not T. lunare from those pics.

[fishoholic]

Wow Diana, I almost want to steal that wrasse from you.. if it was like 7" long haha. Very nice fish. I am going to see if anyone in town can get me a smaller one of those now.

Sorry, I've got dibs :wink: BTW if the two don't get along (and you can catch him) you know you're banana man has a good home with me. :mrgreen:

[my2rotties]

Hahaa, I hope they work it out alright. I love the banana man, even though he can be a little nippy towards things that pop out at him... I had no idea how hard they are to come across...you have first dibs but i laugh at thinking of getting him out. He is the fastest fish on my reef by a long shot.

Sorry, I've got dibs :wink: BTW if the two don't get along (and you can catch him) you know you're banana man has a good home with me. :mrgreen:

[i have crabs]

i know lunars can get real nasty when older, and i would say no chance of them geting along for long term, to similar and aggressive

[my2rotties]

I just heard from the seller. This fish is not a lunar or solar wrasse. He has blue stripes under his eyes, and has been peaceful and very reef safe in his reef system. He mentioned he has never seen a picture online of this fish and only two pictures in two different books. I didn't ask for another picture since I would cringe if someone asked me for a close up of the banana man. It is not possible...

[Ya Dude]

i had both in my tank and they were fine together.A 230gal.The one in the pic seems to have yellowy head markings opposed to all pink like a Lunar

[JDigital]

Didn't we all just finished posting in your thread about the Regal Angel to slow down and just let the tank mature and not add anything ("not even a crab") for awhile, and now because of a great opportunity to add something new you ask us again about adding a fish, in the same day even:confused:?

I'm sorry, but this is why people snapped on you in that thread. It's the exact point GreenSpottedPuffer was getting at.

As for the wrasse, fishytime seems to have alot of knowledge about them, hopefully he can give some information. :)

[my2rotties]

This post was made prior to the regal angel... I don't want the angel please reread the original post that I started...

[justinl]

Are you a marine biologist by any chance? You blow me away with your knowledge.

I have done a search and googled to see if Thalassoma can be housed together. I found info that two males of one species can be housed together but nothing about two sub species (I think that is right).

hehe, not quite. Im an undergraduate oing into marine biology; you could call me a marine biologist in training. mostly I just know random facts, mostly on the organisms i've considered keeping/have kept. I like to think I do my research carefully. that's all really.

hmm, that info seems backwards to me. two males of the same species of thalassoma in the same tank? that just sounds like a fight brewing if you ask me.

[my2rotties]

I made a mistake I meant to say two males of the same species cannot be housed together. I am not sure what the other wrasse is sex wise or if it can be identified. I did not find info to see if two different sub species could be kept together or if sexes mattered.

Your wealth of knowledge is quite astounding and I really enjoy your posts. Thanks for the help. When I get I get a better photo of this particular wrasse I will PM it to you. Apparently there are no pictures to be found on the web and only two books the seller has seen has had a picture of it. It does not have purple on its face but blue bands under its eyes.

hehe, not quite. Im an undergraduate oing into marine biology; you could call me a marine biologist in training. mostly I just know random facts, mostly on the organisms i've considered keeping/have kept. I like to think I do my research carefully. that's all really.

hmm, that info seems backwards to me. two males of the same species of thalassoma in the same tank? that just sounds like a fight brewing if you ask me.

[i have crabs]

even if its a sub species and its not a male, leave it alone anyway.
if it thier in a month leave it alone anyway.
if you want constant fighting untill both die get it

[my2rotties]

Do you know this from personal experience by any chance or have the research to show me this is so?

even if its a sub species and its not a male, leave it alone anyway.
if it thier in a month leave it alone anyway.
if you want constant fighting untill both die get it

[i have crabs]

just my opinion unfortunately, ive seen lots of lunars and simular wrasses but not together in the same tank, but from what i remember reading here and thier and how agressive they get on thier own its just not worth trying if you dont have to, i think your asking for trouble and everyone is telling you its not a good idea but you seem to want to do whatever you want. im not telling you you cant do it but i dont think you should, im not a member of the fish and coral police here online so im not gonna attack you if you do get it, for god sakes i have a 2'grouper in my basement im suprised i dont get nasty messages,

if you are gonna do it, please qt the fish, im not shure if you have a qt set up but if you dont please do and if your dealing with larger fish like it seems that you like make shure its big enough of a qt for it to live it for at least a month,
and second if you dont think you can catch at least 1 of the 2 wrasses dont try it, be prepared to rip your tank apart within a few hours of adding the new one, i can only imagine the messages that will come it if you post that both your wrasses are dead the next day.
since im a total fish nerd and thier is a foot of snow outside ill try and look in some info for you and if i find something helpfull ill let you know.

[my2rotties]

I live in a snow belt... it is brutal out here!!! I have not bought the fish, or have added any other fish or plan to do so... When I post questions I post because I like to know in case I do decide to go ahead with it or not. I want a nice peaceful tank and am now trying to remove two tangs which is no joke. I know I did things fast at first but learned many lessons.

My banana wrasse is very cool with other fish but he has been known to swim with snails in his mouth. He does startle easily and has snapped at the odd shrimp and cleaner wrasse when they have popped out of nowhere. Never killed them but got theri attention. His only crime is pulling down corals or frags I put into place and have not glued down. He is very curious and is in my way whenever I need to go into the tank. I would not say he is reef safe but I have had no issues with him at all at this point.

He is a fun fish to watch and will chase his tail like a dog, and plays in the powerheads. He is always too busy being in his own little world, bouncing through powerheads and in and out of the rock work to care about anybody else... My sohal hated him when I brought him home back in December, but the sohal had no chance to catch him and forgot he was there two days later.

He is by far the most active and enjoyable fish I have in my tank. Really darned handsome too...

just my opinion unfortunately, ive seen lots of lunars and simular wrasses but not together in the same tank, but from what i remember reading here and thier and how agressive they get on thier own its just not worth trying if you dont have to, i think your asking for trouble and everyone is telling you its not a good idea but you seem to want to do whatever you want. im not telling you you cant do it but i dont think you should, im not a member of the fish and coral police here online so im not gonna attack you if you do get it, for god sakes i have a 2'grouper in my basement im suprised i dont get nasty messages,

if you are gonna do it, please qt the fish, im not shure if you have a qt set up but if you dont please do and if your dealing with larger fish like it seems that you like make shure its big enough of a qt for it to live it for at least a month,
and second if you dont think you can catch at least 1 of the 2 wrasses dont try it, be prepared to rip your tank apart within a few hours of adding the new one, i can only imagine the messages that will come it if you post that both your wrasses are dead the next day.
since im a total fish nerd and thier is a foot of snow outside ill try and look in some info for you and if i find something helpfull ill let you know.