harem of wrasses

[BYU]

I was thinking about getting a harem of fairiy wrasses as i read they do better in groups of 2-3 females and one male
How do i tell which ones are males and females or where is a good place to buy them all at once?
any input would be great

 

[tosiek]

Large grow out on the fin patterns on the males as well as brighter more vibrant color patterns. Adult females are usually duller in appearance and lack the dorsal fin grow out. It all depends on the fish.

The only problem is getting an older supermale and finding females that are true females and not subdominant males. And finding them in one place already broken in so you don't have them stressing out each other when they start fighting for dominance. You probably won't be able to tell the difference between smaller males/females. And you would have to know if the fish was born male/female and changes sex like clownfish or is born a certain sex and stays that way throughout its life.

Either way, getting a larger supermale and a few smaller versions is a safe bet but expect that one might die on you when you add them all in. Its not as dramatic as the first paragraph might seem but it happens.

As far as where to get them, I find Greenwich Aquaria and House of Fins tends to get a nice selection of healthy batches of wrasses to choose from. Im sure some of our vendors might be able to help out as well, or maybe somewhere local might chime in.

 

[pecan2phat]

You can also place an order with Dom over at Diamonds of the Reef. He'll get you stuff based on your specs and best part is that he will QT and proactively treat for crypt and flukes and assure that the specimens are eating before he makes the sale to you.
Really good option if you do not have a QT system setup.