Fairy Basslet
The fairy basslet (Gramma loreto) is a good species for beginning aquarists. For a saltwater fish it is easy to feed and will usually even accept dry food. It is a colorful fish that will add beauty to your aquarium. It is also commonly called the royal gramma.
They are from the West Atlantic and the Caribbean and prefer a slightly alkaline pH. They are small fish that grow only to about 3 inches or 7.5 cm. It is okay to keep more than one of this species together as they usually don't fight.
Fairy basslets do well in reef aquariums. They are shy fish and like to stay near hiding places. They often become territorial about their hiding places, so they don't do well with other cave-dwelling species. It is compatible with other peaceful fish and also with its own species. You must provide plenty of live rock to make them feel safe and to prevent them from fighting over hiding places.
Although the fairy basslet will often accept dried foods, it is best to feed it a diet of frozen or fresh meaty foods and live foods, such as brine shrimp when possible. Improper nutrition in this fish often causes its colors to fade. You can find lots of frozen meaty preparations to help prevent this. In its natural habitat it often feeds on the external parasites of other fish.
The red coris wrasse is also commonly called the yellow-tail coris or the clown wrasse.
Red coris wrasses grow quite large for aquarium fish, reaching an adult size of about 14-16 inches (36-41 cm). Due to their large size you will need to provide them with a spacious aquarium (at least 90-100 gallons (341-379 liters)).
As in several other species of saltwater fish, juvenile yellow-tail coris look much different than the adults. Juveniles are orange with white spots that are outlined in black. As they mature they take on the adult coloration as shown in the top photo.
In their natural habitat red coris wrasses are found along coral reefs where they feed on invertebrates. They are active feeders and at night these wrasses bury themselves in the sand. So don't be alarmed if your red coris wrasse buries itself - this is normal behavior for them.
Because of this behavior, you will need to provide them with 3-5 inches of sand in their aquarium. You must use sand as the substrate in their tank, otherwise they will injure themselves while burying themselves. You should also provide other rockwork for caves in their tank.
They don't make good reef fish because they normally feed in reef invertebrates. This means they will eat your ornamental shrimps, crabs, and molluscs. In captivity they need to be fed a variety of meaty foods - chopped seafood, marine aquarium fare for carnivores, mysis shrimp, ect. They have large appetites, especially as juveniles, and need to be fed often.
Due to their large size, red coris wrasses shouldn't be kept with small fish, but in general, they aren't particularly aggressive toward their tankmates.
These fish are usually purchased as juveniles. As they grow larger they often move the rockwork and damage corals in their tank.
The red coris wrasse is a beautiful marine fish, however, I'm not certain that it should be kept in captivity, especially by inexperienced saltwater aquarists. I did an Internet search and there are several online marine fish retailers that don't even guarantee its live arrival. This is because these fish don't ship well and are difficult to maintain and keep alive in captivity. If you do decide to keep one, it is best to buy it locally rather than having it shipped to you across the country.
In my opinion, it is always best to leave marine fish in their natural habitat if they are known to have a poor survival rate in captivity. It is best to let public aquariums keep these fish and learn more about how to keep them alive in captivity before aquarists attempt to keep them in their tanks at home.
The fairy basslet (Gramma loreto) is a good species for beginning aquarists. For a saltwater fish it is easy to feed and will usually even accept dry food. It is a colorful fish that will add beauty to your aquarium. It is also commonly called the royal gramma.
They are from the West Atlantic and the Caribbean and prefer a slightly alkaline pH. They are small fish that grow only to about 3 inches or 7.5 cm. It is okay to keep more than one of this species together as they usually don't fight.
Fairy basslets do well in reef aquariums. They are shy fish and like to stay near hiding places. They often become territorial about their hiding places, so they don't do well with other cave-dwelling species. It is compatible with other peaceful fish and also with its own species. You must provide plenty of live rock to make them feel safe and to prevent them from fighting over hiding places.
Although the fairy basslet will often accept dried foods, it is best to feed it a diet of frozen or fresh meaty foods and live foods, such as brine shrimp when possible. Improper nutrition in this fish often causes its colors to fade. You can find lots of frozen meaty preparations to help prevent this. In its natural habitat it often feeds on the external parasites of other fish.
Clown Triggerfish
Red Coris Wrasse
Red coris wrasses (Coris gaimard) are colorful marine fish from the Indo-Pacific. They are commonly found off the coast of Hawaii. Like the other wrasses, they belong to the family Labridae.
The red coris wrasse is also commonly called the yellow-tail coris or the clown wrasse.
Red coris wrasses grow quite large for aquarium fish, reaching an adult size of about 14-16 inches (36-41 cm). Due to their large size you will need to provide them with a spacious aquarium (at least 90-100 gallons (341-379 liters)).
As in several other species of saltwater fish, juvenile yellow-tail coris look much different than the adults. Juveniles are orange with white spots that are outlined in black. As they mature they take on the adult coloration as shown in the top photo.
In their natural habitat red coris wrasses are found along coral reefs where they feed on invertebrates. They are active feeders and at night these wrasses bury themselves in the sand. So don't be alarmed if your red coris wrasse buries itself - this is normal behavior for them.
Because of this behavior, you will need to provide them with 3-5 inches of sand in their aquarium. You must use sand as the substrate in their tank, otherwise they will injure themselves while burying themselves. You should also provide other rockwork for caves in their tank.
They don't make good reef fish because they normally feed in reef invertebrates. This means they will eat your ornamental shrimps, crabs, and molluscs. In captivity they need to be fed a variety of meaty foods - chopped seafood, marine aquarium fare for carnivores, mysis shrimp, ect. They have large appetites, especially as juveniles, and need to be fed often.
Due to their large size, red coris wrasses shouldn't be kept with small fish, but in general, they aren't particularly aggressive toward their tankmates.
These fish are usually purchased as juveniles. As they grow larger they often move the rockwork and damage corals in their tank.
The red coris wrasse is a beautiful marine fish, however, I'm not certain that it should be kept in captivity, especially by inexperienced saltwater aquarists. I did an Internet search and there are several online marine fish retailers that don't even guarantee its live arrival. This is because these fish don't ship well and are difficult to maintain and keep alive in captivity. If you do decide to keep one, it is best to buy it locally rather than having it shipped to you across the country.
In my opinion, it is always best to leave marine fish in their natural habitat if they are known to have a poor survival rate in captivity. It is best to let public aquariums keep these fish and learn more about how to keep them alive in captivity before aquarists attempt to keep them in their tanks at home.
