A Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse (Paracheilinus carpenter), also known as a Redfin Flasher Wrasse, or Carpenter's Fairy Wrasse, is a delightful addition to your saltwater fish tank. This fish is characterized by its rich orange color accentuated with blue vertical stripes. Its fins are also decorated with blue and yellow accents. What differentiates the male from the female species is the richness in color as well as the size of dorsal rays. Males tend to have a more distinct and rich color as well as elongated dorsal rays that are highly effective in attracting females during the mating season.
This species of fish is quite peaceful and less aggressive, requiring just about a tank size of 20 gallons to swim. Your tank should have a net placed on top for this fish is known to jump from the tank every now and then. Being among the less aggressive type of fish, Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse must be the first fish to be introduced into the tank. Other fish tend to fight and bully this fish if introduced when other fish have established territorial dominance in the tank. Take note, though, that this fish is highly possessive of its harem, and will fight other males in the tank for a mate. It would be best to keep a ratio of one male to four females to ensure peace among your Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse.
As with other marine tropical fish, the diet must be highly diversified in order to keep the colors rich and distinct. Although plankton eaters in the wild, aquarium kept Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse can be fed finely chopped seafood, mysid, and brine shrimp. In the wild, this species of fish propagate through egg-laying, although there is no known incidence of Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse breeding inside a home aquarium. The fish can be bought for 47.
By BC Hodges BC is a cichlid enthusiast and wants to inform people of the great joy cichlids are to keep. Article Source: EzineArticles
Dragon Wrasses or Novaculichthys taeniourus are members of the family Labridae. This is a large and diverse family comprised of over 500 species in 60 genera. The name wrasse is derived from the Welsh word, gwrach, which means old woman or hag. Dragons have a rather extensive habitat. Populations exist in the Red Sea as well as both the Indian and Pacific Oceans; throughout all of Micronesia along the entire east coast of Africa to Lord Howe Island south of Australia. They can also be found from the Hawaiian Islands to the eastern Pacific; from the Gulf of California down to Panama.
Dragon Wrasse, Novaculichthys taeniourus is being cleaned (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Dragons are a medium to large fish depending upon what species you keep as an aquarist. They can grow to a maximum adult length of 12 inches. Adults and juveniles not only look like two distinctly separate species, they look as if they originate from different planets. Adults have the elongated profile typical of a wrasse. Their heads are light grey with burgundy markings around their eyes.
They have burgundy bodies covered with a grey spotting pattern. Their dorsal and anal fins are quite long and also display spotting. Fins are a combination of reddish brown, burgundy and a grayish green. The bases of their caudal fins are white with a brown and green fan-like appearance at the end.
Juveniles are extremely exotic creatures. They exhibit features more typical of a species of lion fish than that of a wrasse. Their heads are crowned with two long dorsal spines that have the appearance of alien antennae or a pair of old rabbit ears from the airwave era of television.
Their fins consist of either individual spines or spines held together by a joining membrane. The assortment of spinal protrusion from their bodies contributes to their resemblance of a volitan. Primary colorations vary from peach, to burgundy, light blue or grey and can even be a radiant lime green. Regardless of primary coloration, they all have white zigzagged markings on their bodies outlined in black. Juveniles will often remain motionless, drifting back and forth in the current mimicking a piece of detached seaweed. When an unsuspecting passerby moves in for a quick nibble, they swallow it whole.
Dragons are sold under a variety of trade names by the aquarium industry, including; masked, Indian, or the olive-scribbled wrasse. Juveniles are frequently sold as reindeer wrasse because the elaborate dorsal spines on their heads resemble the antlers of a deer. In Japan they are known as Obi-tensumodoki.
Dragons are hardy fish with aggressive temperaments. They should only be housed with larger, similarly aggressive species. They are extremely territorial toward conspecifics and should only be kept as a solitary specimen. These are not reef compatible fish. In nature the adults are continually over turning rocks in the hope of revealing mussels, snails, urchins, starfish, and crustaceans to consume. They are, in fact, often referred to as "rockmover wrasse" because of their knack for interior decorating. In additions to rocks, they will not hesitate in rearranging your coral collection. They can prove quite destructive in a reefs tank. As is a common trait among wrasse, dragons will bury themselves in the sand to sleep. You will require 2-4 inches of sand as a substrate if you intend to raise this species. A minimum tank size of 150 gallons is recommended. These fish are jumpers and should only be housed in an aquarium with a tightly fitted hood for their own protection.
Dragons are quite voracious carnivores. This species more often dies from malnutrition than all other factors combines. Their immense appetites earned them a moderate to advance care level rating. Their diet can include brine or mysid shrimp and live worms in addition to whatever carnivore based food preparation you choose to use as a staple. They can be fed virtually any freshly chopped seafood with the exception of oily fish. Larges specimens can eat feeder shrimp and fish. This species has a very fast metabolism. They will starve to death quickly if underfed. Dragons should be fed a minimum of 2-3 times daily.
By Stephen J Broy Saltwater fish and marine reef aquariums are fun and rewarding hobbies. Just thirty years ago the thought of successfully maintaining a home nano reef was almost unheard of. Less than a decade ago Jellyfish Fish Tank Aquariums were only found in large public aquarium facilities. Today raising Pet Moon Jellyfish is the hottest new trend in home aquarium ownership.
Bluehead Wrasse or Thalassoma bifasciatum are members of the family Ladredae. This species is endemic to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico with populations occurring as far south as the coastline of central Brazil.
Bluehead wrasses are medium sized, cigar shaped, fish. They grow to a maximum adult length of 7 inches. This species exhibits dramatic changes in coloration in relation to gender and age. Juveniles are typically yellow with white underbellies and black markings along their bodies and on their fins. Adult females are completely turquoise in color with two vertical black bars. It is in the adult male that the truly exotic color variations of this species can be witnessed. They have blue heads as their name would indicate. A set of three thick vertical bands separate the head from the main body. The first and the third bands are black. These two bands are clearly defined by a white bar in the middle. The male's main body is either turquoise with golden highlights or gold with turquoise highlights.
Their pitch-forked tails are colorless and transparent in the center with the same coloration as their heads outlined with black pigmentation at the top and bottom of the caudal fin. Regardless of age or gender, this species has thick, paddle-shaped pectoral fins. They are exceptionally fast swimmers. This is a short lived species. Their live span rarely exceeds 2 years. This fish is also marketed under the names blunt-headed wrasse or simply bluehead. Blunt bears reference to wrasse species with more elongated snouts.
Juveniles and the females of this species have peaceful temperaments. Adult males lean more toward the semi-aggressive side. They may tend to harass smaller, more mild mannered, fish. A new arrival to the aquarium might elicit initial territorial behavior, especially toward those of similar shape. All things considered, these fish make suitable candidates for multi-species aquariums. They should not be kept with larger more, aggressive species. The bluehead's suitability for a marine reef tank depends on its inhabitants. They will not bother plant life, corals or other forms of stationary fauna. But they will eat crustaceans and other mobile invertebrates. This species is rated at a moderate care level.
Any saltwater aquarist with intermediate experience should be able to keep them alive and healthy. They are, however, sensitive to unhealthy water parameters. A good quality filtration system and frequent water changes will help keep them in optimum condition. These are very active swimmers and will require plenty of open swimming space. They will instinctively seek out holes or cracks in rock formations to sleep in at night so you will want to provide them with plenty of aquarium décor or rock work. A minimum tank size of 75 gallons is recommended.
This is a carnivorous species. In the wild their diet consists of fish, small crustaceans and other invertebrates including worms. They will help rid your aquarium of pest species such as mantis shrimp and bristle worms. These fish take readily to aquarium food. Their diet can be further supplemented with fresh chopped seafood, and feeder shrimp. This is an extremely active species. They should be fed 3 times daily.
Bluehead wrasses are protogynous sequential hermaphrodites. They may begin their life cycle as either male or female. Females have ability to change gender should future prorogation of the species call for the demand. This fish has not been known to breed in captivity.
By Stephen J Broy
Technological advancements in the aquarium industry continually redefine the concept of "home aquarium owner." Just twenty years ago not even the biggest public aquarium was capable of keeping jellyfish alive in captivity. Now they make desktop Jellyfish Fish Tank Aquariums. And why would you want a jellyfish tank? Perhaps you should check out what the translucent bodies of Pet Moon Jellyfish look like under LED lighting. Pet Jellyfish give a whole new meaning to the term exotic pets.
