Mystery wrasse question

fidojoe

Fish Addict
My mystery wrasse is making me mad, I'd hate to get rid of him, but I can't keep him in the 50 any more. He has killed my madator wrasse, and chased the multicolored velvet wrasse out of the tank, litteraly! They weren't problems until like a week ago. I'm suprised he is leaving the sixline alone, whom is the smallest of them all. The other thing is that he chases larger shrimp into remission, and eats smaller ones like really expensive popcorn, and I need to get peppermints in there to get rid of the regrowing aiptasia. I have 2 options, 1-get rid of him altogether, or 2-set up the smallest tank that he could possibly live in.

So, my question is, what is the smallest tank a mystery wrasse could live in? I was thinking something like a 20l or 20h. I could get a 30l, but it is probably too heavy for where I want to put it. From my understanding, they can get to 5", and mines about 4"-4.5". Or, if I sell him, what do you think I could sell him for? I'm moving in 2-3 months, and will hopefully be able to get something like a 40g breeder for my reef, and convert my 50 to a FOWLR for the wrasse and yellow tang, but for now, I already have the 10g and the 50g and have litteraly no room except for the top of my entertainment center which used to have a 20l on it. The 10g will probably have to be taken down in order for the new tank to go up, btw.

Thanks, and sorry for the really long post...
Joey
 

mps9506

Well-Known Member
That was the reason I never purchased a mystery wrasse. They are fairly aggressive for a wrasse. The six line would be the second most agressive wrasse in there. They are small but spunky and can hold their own.
And as you've discovered shrimp are candy for the mystery wrasse.
If you are planning on housing only the mystery wrasse then a 20 gallon will be suffcient, although it would appreciate a larger tank.
If you wanted to sell him, then perhaps you could sell him online for anywhere from $100-$200 plus shipping. Depending on what kind of relationship you have with your LFS I'm sure they would work out a trade or credit for you, probably in the $100 range.
HTH
 

geofloors

Member
Wow, that's weird... my fairy wrasses are far more agressive then my mystery wrasse. I have the mystery wrasse in an Oceanic 40g stretched hex.


George
 

fidojoe

Fish Addict
When I had the evil purple pseudo, he would always chase him which was quite hilarious.

Thanks for the responses BTW!
 

Gina

Moderator
RS STAFF
I have no experience with wrasses but, if I thought I would be able to set him up in another tank once I moved, I would keep him in the 20. Can't really see where it would hurt too much for a short period of time unless, they can stress. I really love the looks of these fish though!
 

dgasmd

Member
I would say sell it. Setting up another tank for a single problematic fish is an inpractical proposition in my book. I ahve one these guys that I bought at the LFS. He is very peacefull, but they did tell me they get aggressive towards other wrasses. That alone is the reason I have not bought any other wrasses yet. I have a 6 line that is a trained assasin. He lives in a 60g cube now with the nastiest pair of clarkii I have seen. They all get alone there, especially since I added a pair of anglers too.

I bought this wrasse for $90 in a LFS and I know they are coming down on price, but the still seem to demand $200 at a lot of places.
 

fidojoe

Fish Addict
I was offered $60 cash plus a rock with 3 (6"ish) toadstools, and a rock covered with blonde star polyps, from a local reefer. Does that sound fair to you?
 

baja_01

Member
Look at the money and coral, the wrasse, and possibly selling it for 100-200 and chose the one you want the most.
 
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