Fairy wrasse with tangs?

[ReeferAl]

I'm in the planning stages of my 400 gal and am planning to keep 3-5 tangs, a yellow, regal, maybe a Kole or sailfin. I have also always wanted a grop of 5-6 fairy wrasse-1 male and the rest females.
Does anyone have experience keeping these fish together? I have heard that fairy wrasse should not be kept around aggressive or highly active fish as they will hide too much and not eat enough. I am curious if others have had a problem. The tank will be pretty big which should help but I also plan to have a few tangs so I don't know. Any advice?
Allen

 

[Anonymous]

I had a carpenters flasher wrasse for a good while, in a 155 gallon tank.

I then added sailfin tang, he was about 5 inches and an active swimmer.

The flasher wrasse hid immediatly upon introducing the tang. Occasionally I would see him peek his head out of the rockwork, just to dive back in terrrified. I felt like he was thinking "OH NO! THAT MONSTER IS STILL HERE, HIDE!!"

I had hoped the wrasse would come around, but he did not. He hid constantly and then disapeared. One day I found him crispy on the floor, he must have been constantly trying to jump, because that tank was pretty well closed up.

Maybe if you have a school they will fare better, but I don't know. I feel so bad about that wrasse.

He was in with a regal tang that had grown up with the wrasse from a little baby, and the regal did not seem to disturb the wrasse like the sailfin did.

 

[Len]

Fairy wrasses and tangs get along perfectly. I've never had a combo of the two families that didn't get along like chums.

 

[ReeferAl]

Mulberry,
I've heard that flasher wrasses are a bit more timid than fairy wrasses. I like both but that's why I'm leaning toward the fairies instead. Either way I'm planning to have it covered.
Len,
That's good to hear. Of course it's also good to hear bad experiences so I don't make a regrettable mistake. I'm planning to add the wrasses first so they have a chance to get established before adding the more assertive tangs.
Thanks to both of you.
Any others with experience?
Allen

 

[Chooch]

IME fairy wrasses get along great with tangs. I've never noticed any of my tangs chasing or harassing my tri-colored fairy wrasse (Cirrhilabrus solarensis). Fairy wrasses can be shy at first but once they acclimate they are usually quite confident, boisterous and always front and center. They're among my favorite group of fishes.