Pencil wrasse ?

[Mattl22]

Anyone have experience with pencil wrasse ?
This is the most beautiful fish I've owned!


Really love this fish who else has one

 

[albano]

Unfortunately, I think many people HAVE owned them, but survival rates are not good...
But you're right, beautiful fish!

 

[sunny]

Very difficult to keep. Do well for short period of time and then just drop dead.
I had one for 8 months and one for 6 months. Not a good candidate for captive environment.

 

[Mattl22]

Ill see how he does he's eating like a pig so far and seems good will keep u posted

 

[Mattl22]

Even eating flakes

 

[Mattl22]

 

[prattreef]

As noted, Pseudojaloides sp wrasses are a beautiful group of fish with a frustrating and bad record in captivity. The fact that it is eating well is a good sign, but this is often the case and they perish suddenly for no obvious reason.

The same was also the common scenario for Macropharyngodon sp. Leopard wrasses. For some reason they are recently faring much better than they used to. So, maybe we will see the same improvement in shipping and handling and understanding with Pencil wrasses. I certainly hope so--they are awesome.

Until then, these remain, IMO, expert only fish .

 

[dubs]

that one the only jumper i had out of my 150 two weeks when i first set up and then that was it

 

[evoIX_Reefer]

Beautiful fish and are awesome to watch. They acted like dolphins and spit in the air. They also turned upside down and would go straight up and stay there. Like others have stated, bad captivity rate and I only had a 45 without further checking on the requirements so I sold it.

 

[Mattl22]

He's in a 225 and aggressively eating everything I put in tank I'm hopeful
....

 

[MIKE NY]

good to hear....In my experience I find that the so called "expert" fish tend to do better in my larger tank..I'm assuming because they feel more secure duplicating their nature habitat with a larger water volumn...I' ve tried difficult Anthias and Leopards in my 90 with no luck. but they have done well in my 170 ...water quality, feedings etc.. just about the same..

 

[Mattl22]

So I'm changing water today start the siphon and it stops all the sudden the damn pencil wrasse swam right into the tube and got sucked in !!
I cut the tube by his head and after 20 seconds of telling the fish how stupid it was i decide no way I'm getting it out by opening tube without the fish being damaged with that I blow on the other side and it worked he was disoriented for 5 min but appears to be back to normal still eating like a hog!

 

[Spsnut]

I've seen Kevin have them, and was tempted. Perhaps one day.

 

[skene]

I have one in a tank at my job... he's been in there for a bit now. fat and burying corals... but he is ok to watch.

 

[lfsmarineguy]

P. severnsi

Very cool wrasse but as stated, will sometimes spontaneously croak. Never really had an issue getting them to eat and the only one I kept myself lasted a while before it died in a crash.

 

[ohana888]

any update, matt?

 

[fishman77]

I have the same wrasse for about 8 months now. It eats anything I give it.

 

[Mattl22]

Will post a pic of what it looks like today it's like the story of the ugly duckling but in reverse lol

 

[Mattl22]

One of a few fish I've owned that went from stunning to ugly over 2yrs I'm wondering if I added another with the colors if the one will keep color anyone know?? I assuming it turned female and lost color but not sure

 

[Cu455]

Sucks that it got ugly but great it is still alive. I love hearing stories of people successfully keeping fish that usually don't fare well in captivity.