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Wrasse sees mirror mirror on the wall


Aurortpa

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So I traded my would be shrimp munching ornate wrasse for a carpenter's flasher wrasse. Ironically, my goby munched on my shrimp instead.

 

Nevertheless, my question is about the mirror trick. I've read that some reefers put them up occasionally to keep their wrasses in male morph. Now, what I didn't read consistency on is the frequency and duration. I've read everything from keep up for a few hours a day to leave for a few months at a time!

Right now I have a small mirror (square candle holder you get at the dollar tree!) taped on the left side of the tank towards the bottom near his sleeping crevice. He usually swims to the front of the tank so he doesn't always see it but I see he flashes it from time to time without going overly crazy. He seems to be more infatuated with the front of the tank--my tank (JBJ 28) bows slightly in the front so not sure if he can make out a reflection.

Do you think it's alright to leave up 24/7? Unnecessary? Will he go bonkers? Thoughts or experience?

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Not to rain on your parade, but a 28 gallon cube is not ideal for flasher or fairy wrasses. A longer tank gives them more room to work up some speed.

 

That being said, I had a yellowfin flasher (very similar to Carpenter's, same complex) in a Fusion 40. I put a mirror up more to give him something to focus on besides the other fish in the tank (he was a pain in the ass to them).

 

It's pretty rare for them to change back from male once they switch, it almost never happens even if they are alone. They will lose some of their color and flash less often though if they are alone.

 

Best solution is find one or two initial phase to keep him company. Put them all in a QT (good luck catching him) and then re-add them to the DT at the same time.

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Good to know! If he outgrows it, definitely would xfer him to a larger system. K, wasnt sure if they lodt their crown fins and totally reverted, thank you for elaborating! ?

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