The Moon Wrasse or Lunar Wrasse is the most popular, peaceful, and readily available wrasse in the Thalassoma genus,...and it is also very reasonably priced!
nick - 2011-12-14 I have a wrasse that I have been trying to figure out what species he is. He is most similar looking to the moon wrasse described here except his redish green coloration extends all the way down his rounded tail. He is also about 4-5 inches long. Either way he has been extremely peacefull, hardy and I've had him for quite some time. My only gripe about him is when I feed my corals he is very smart and likes to eat the food out of them. He will eat so much that his belly will get big and round lol. I keep him with a leapard wrasse, percula, bangai cardinal, longspine urchin, regal tang, yellow tang, bicolor blenny, fire shrimp hermit crabs and various snails. I've never seen him pester any of the other fish and my tank doesn't have anyone that does really.
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nick - 2011-12-21 So I figured out he is most likely an ornate wrasse. I found a book with a picture just like him and that's what they called it!!
Roger - 2011-04-25 My Lunar wrasse lives in a 75 gallon soft coral tank by himself. He killed my flame angel, my HumaHuma Trigger, a Dwarf Lion fish, 2 percula clowns and 5 damsels. He will devour anything I put in the tank, and is currently trying to figure out how to eat my urchin. I have came to the conclusion that my tank is for him only and he loves to eat large turbo snails.
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Charlie Roche - 2011-04-26 Sounds like he shold be a loner. Not a friendly fella at all.
Melissa - 2011-11-04 I just got my Lunar wrasse a few weeks ago and last night he ate my little clown fish. Apparently you have to feed them minimum 2 times a day, which I did not know since I have only had clowns, tangs, and they eat once every two days. If Lunars get hungry, they go after whatever is there. Maybe he needs more food...?
Kristin - 2008-10-05 My husband and I purchased a lunare wrasse a couple of days ago. This morning my puffer fish was found floating at the top of the tank with a hole in its tummy, I know that it is poison to other fish if they bite it but all my other fish seem to be fine I am not sure if my wrasse is the culprit or not, I have a 50gl tank with a tomato clown (the wrasse has nipped at his fins) two striped clowns , a yellow tang and a coral beauty. they all seem to be getting along ok. they go back in forth on the agression thing so I think they are just playing. I am worried that my wrasse may harm my other fish but I am not sure. Do I have good compatibility?
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chris - 2010-04-15 Just get rid of the thing ,sure, the're a great looking fish but these things will try to bite your hand off and if you want your tank to flourish then it may be time to say goodbye mr wrass - think about your other fish!
noah - 2010-07-08 You have too many fish in a tank like that the wrasse is mean I have one I had to get rid of my clown to keep him but my puffer seems to be fine. How big was your puffer you don't have the best compatibility.
Anonymous - 2008-09-14 Have had a 5 inch moon wrasse for about 4 days and he seems to eat healthy. I keep him well fed with half clams, shrimp, and silversides (all frozen food). For the first 2 days three of my damsels (all about 2 inches) attacked my wrasse at his tail occasionally. After a couple days they all seem to get along in my 100 gallon tank with my 3 damsels, dogface, boxfish, and my humu humu trigger. I have lots of rocks and good caves and hiding places in my tank. I'll see how it goes when he gets older and bigger.
john - 2009-08-03 I had a lunar wrasse for about two days, he is colorful and cute. I feed it with flakes and chopped shrimps. It feeds on what I gave him. Hera that it has a long life. Very happy to have it as my pet.
Brian - 2009-03-04 I have a juvenile lunar wrasse that is about 3-4 inches. He swims non-stop and is exciting to watch. He adds much action to the tank. It doesn't seem to hunt down and eat snails but will try to eat them when you first drop them in the tank. He eats any and all food I feed him. This fish seems to be on the hunt at all times, often tricking amphipods out of holes and eating them. I definately recommend this fish as well as other thassaloma wrasses for the semi-agressive reef tank.
Joann - 2008-11-25 I bought my lunar wrasse a year ago, his tail was still green but now is a beautifull yellow in the shape of a half moon. He is in a 150 gal tank with 2 chocolate chip starfish and a large bradley's starfish, huma huma, Black Durgeon Trigger, med snowflake eel, 2 cinnamon clowns, saddled butterfly and a very large sebae anemone (that the clowns faithfully defend from the butterflyfish or anything else that gets to close) but no crabs or snails. I tried putting 3 large snails in the tank and the lunar wrasse thought I was giving him a treat, so I quickly pulled them back out before he ate them. Every one in the tank gets along great but get a little on the aggressive side during feeding time so I try feeding them in several areas at the same time to keep them from fighting over the food. Nobody has ever been injured during feeding time. I feed my fish a combination of fresh chopped shrimp, silversides and various flake foods. I love my lunar wrasse, he is a beautiful bright greenish-blue with bright pink strips on his head and fins. Visitors who see him for the first time remark at his colors. He is active and very personal. I feel common sense is the key to keeping these fish like any fish you buy... research and understand how the food chain works.
ashley - 2008-09-14 I've had our lunar wrasse about two years now. He tears apart most new fish within the first day (firefish gobies...if it is smaller and swims in the middle of the tank forget it). I've found he will leave bottom or hole dwelling gobies alone but in the past three months he has decided to eat the fins off my slightly smaller blenny. I think the lunar is a great fish, but don't get one if you want to continue to add less aggressive smaller fish to your tank.
Anonymous - 2008-09-10 Added to my 75g reef, 2 days later crabs dissapear and coral beauty has fin missing, as well as yellow wrasse. Then watched in horror as it tore apart my sandsifting gobi. Gave to neighbor with a 120 gallon for free.
The Moon Wrasse or Lunar Wrasse is the most popular, peaceful, and readily available wrasse in the Thalassoma genus,...and it is also very reasonably priced!
I have a wrasse that I have been trying to figure out what species he is. He is most similar looking to the moon wrasse described here except his redish green coloration extends all the way down his rounded tail. He is also about 4-5 inches long. Either way he has been extremely peacefull, hardy and I've had him for quite some time. My only gripe about him is when I feed my corals he is very smart and likes to eat the food out of them. He will eat so much that his belly will get big and round lol. I keep him with a leapard wrasse, percula, bangai cardinal, longspine urchin, regal tang, yellow tang, bicolor blenny, fire shrimp hermit crabs and various snails. I've never seen him pester any of the other fish and my tank doesn't have anyone that does really.
So I figured out he is most likely an ornate wrasse. I found a book with a picture just like him and that's what they called it!!
Can I add a Lyre Tail wrasse if I have a shrimp in the tank?
NO!
My Lunar wrasse lives in a 75 gallon soft coral tank by himself. He killed my flame angel, my HumaHuma Trigger, a Dwarf Lion fish, 2 percula clowns and 5 damsels. He will devour anything I put in the tank, and is currently trying to figure out how to eat my urchin. I have came to the conclusion that my tank is for him only and he loves to eat large turbo snails.
Sounds like he shold be a loner. Not a friendly fella at all.
I just got my Lunar wrasse a few weeks ago and last night he ate my little clown fish. Apparently you have to feed them minimum 2 times a day, which I did not know since I have only had clowns, tangs, and they eat once every two days. If Lunars get hungry, they go after whatever is there. Maybe he needs more food...?
My husband and I purchased a lunare wrasse a couple of days ago. This morning my puffer fish was found floating at the top of the tank with a hole in its tummy, I know that it is poison to other fish if they bite it but all my other fish seem to be fine I am not sure if my wrasse is the culprit or not, I have a 50gl tank with a tomato clown (the wrasse has nipped at his fins) two striped clowns , a yellow tang and a coral beauty. they all seem to be getting along ok. they go back in forth on the agression thing so I think they are just playing. I am worried that my wrasse may harm my other fish but I am not sure. Do I have good compatibility?
Just get rid of the thing ,sure, the're a great looking fish but these things will try to bite your hand off and if you want your tank to flourish then it may be time to say goodbye mr wrass - think about your other fish!
You have too many fish in a tank like that the wrasse is mean I have one I had to get rid of my clown to keep him but my puffer seems to be fine. How big was your puffer you don't have the best compatibility.
Have had a 5 inch moon wrasse for about 4 days and he seems to eat healthy. I keep him well fed with half clams, shrimp, and silversides (all frozen food). For the first 2 days three of my damsels (all about 2 inches) attacked my wrasse at his tail occasionally. After a couple days they all seem to get along in my 100 gallon tank with my 3 damsels, dogface, boxfish, and my humu humu trigger. I have lots of rocks and good caves and hiding places in my tank. I'll see how it goes when he gets older and bigger.
mad lad
I had a lunar wrasse for about two days, he is colorful and cute. I feed it with flakes and chopped shrimps. It feeds on what I gave him. Hera that it has a long life. Very happy to have it as my pet.
I have a juvenile lunar wrasse that is about 3-4 inches. He swims non-stop and is exciting to watch. He adds much action to the tank. It doesn't seem to hunt down and eat snails but will try to eat them when you first drop them in the tank. He eats any and all food I feed him. This fish seems to be on the hunt at all times, often tricking amphipods out of holes and eating them. I definately recommend this fish as well as other thassaloma wrasses for the semi-agressive reef tank.
I bought my lunar wrasse a year ago, his tail was still green but now is a beautifull yellow in the shape of a half moon. He is in a 150 gal tank with 2 chocolate chip starfish and a large bradley's starfish, huma huma, Black Durgeon Trigger, med snowflake eel, 2 cinnamon clowns, saddled butterfly and a very large sebae anemone (that the clowns faithfully defend from the butterflyfish or anything else that gets to close) but no crabs or snails. I tried putting 3 large snails in the tank and the lunar wrasse thought I was giving him a treat, so I quickly pulled them back out before he ate them. Every one in the tank gets along great but get a little on the aggressive side during feeding time so I try feeding them in several areas at the same time to keep them from fighting over the food. Nobody has ever been injured during feeding time. I feed my fish a combination of fresh chopped shrimp, silversides and various flake foods. I love my lunar wrasse, he is a beautiful bright greenish-blue with bright pink strips on his head and fins. Visitors who see him for the first time remark at his colors. He is active and very personal. I feel common sense is the key to keeping these fish like any fish you buy... research and understand how the food chain works.
I've had our lunar wrasse about two years now. He tears apart most new fish within the first day (firefish gobies...if it is smaller and swims in the middle of the tank forget it). I've found he will leave bottom or hole dwelling gobies alone but in the past three months he has decided to eat the fins off my slightly smaller blenny. I think the lunar is a great fish, but don't get one if you want to continue to add less aggressive smaller fish to your tank.
Added to my 75g reef, 2 days later crabs dissapear and coral beauty has fin missing, as well as yellow wrasse. Then watched in horror as it tore apart my sandsifting gobi. Gave to neighbor with a 120 gallon for free.