Reef Safe Aquarium Fish - Wrasses

Wrasses in the Reef Aquarium

General description: Wrasses are one of the most colorful saltwater fish available for reef aquariums. Though males and females are generally the same in appearance, males tend to be a bit brighter or a little shinier. Notice: there are reef safe wrasses and non-reef safe wrasses. The reef safe wrasses will neither pick at nor consume corals or invertebrates within your tank. Be sure to do your research so you don’t subject your coral and invertebrates to a non-reef safe wrasse.

Living conditions: Wrasses are small in size, but they need plenty of open space to swim about. They also need a peaceful environment that provides spots where they can hide and forage for food. A sand bed and live rock should be provided for any specie of wrasse. At minimum, a 20 gallon tank is suggested to house wrasses, but if more than one wrasse is going to be kept in the same tank, it is suggested that the individuals are introduced simultaneously to a tank of 30 gallons or more.

Feeding: Wrasses should be fed a varied diet of flake food and fresh or frozen meaty foods twice daily. The tank’s live rock will not only provide hiding places for the wrasses, but it will also provide numerous small life forms for them to forage upon.