Best place to find fish?

[Jonathan Chia]

I'm looking to get a Vrolik's Wrasse and a Black leopard Wrasse. I see them in stock on Blue Zoo Aquatics but have heard mixed things.

Does anyone have any local suggestions on how/where to get fish?

 

[tankguy]

AC has black leopards in Hayward

 

[Bruce Spiegelman]

Black Leopard's are tough just because they often are hard to get to eat. A tank full of pods helps, but there's no guarantee they will switch over. I would check with Bay Bridge Aquarium. He has an entire QT room set-up with over a thousand gallons and hundreds of fish that he treats and holds for over thirty days thus guaranteeing they will are eating and healthy. Call Mark and tell him you saw a post on BAR (he's a sponsor) and ask if he has one or if there's one coming in. I was there last week and he had a lot of wrasses in QT. Also, he loves to give a tour of the QT system (I have some pics and specs I'll post later.

 

[Bruce Spiegelman]

Also out of curiosity why a Vrolik's instead of a Melanarus (that are easy to find?)

 

[Jonathan Chia]

I guess I am open to either. I was looking for something along the same coloring as a Christmas Wrasse but without the aggression.

I'll check out bay bridge aquarium

Thanks!

 

[Bruce Spiegelman]

I guess I am open to either. I was looking for something along the same coloring as a Christmas Wrasse but without the aggression.

I'll check out bay bridge aquarium

Thanks!

Vrolik's and Melanurus can both be aggressive. Probably about the same as a Christmas.

 

[Wlachnit]

Black Leopard's are tough just because they often are hard to get to eat. A tank full of pods helps, but there's no guarantee they will switch over. I would check with Bay Bridge Aquarium. He has an entire QT room set-up with over a thousand gallons and hundreds of fish that he treats and holds for over thirty days thus guaranteeing they will are eating and healthy. Call Mark and tell him you saw a post on BAR (he's a sponsor) and ask if he has one or if there's one coming in. I was there last week and he had a lot of wrasses in QT. Also, he loves to give a tour of the QT system (I have some pics and specs I'll post later.

yes, it is a cool setup.

 

[Vhuang168]

I've had H. melanurus and H. claudia (Christmas wrasse) in the same tank. Both were prefect tank mates. No aggression. Becareful where you buy the Christmas wrasse. It describes a few different species, 1 being a Thalassoma
sp. and also a different Halichoeres sp than H. claudia.

 

[Bruce Spiegelman]

Vincent is right (as usual). There's a few different species often sold as a Christmas wrasse. H. Ornattissimus is often sold as a Hawaiian Christmas wrasse and it is far more colorful than even the Indo/Fiji Christmas wrasse Halichoeres claudia. I have the Hawaiian Christmas wrasse in my tank with a dozen other wrasses with no issues it all. It gets a line down it's spine that looks like liquid gold metal. It's an amazing fish.

 

[Vhuang168]

You mean H. ornatissumus!?!

 

[Bruce Spiegelman]

You mean H. ornatissumus!?!

Great. Now spelling Naz*'s are doing it in Latin too!

 

[Jonathan Chia]

@Bruce Spiegelman, any idea where I can get me one of those? Assuming either AC or Bay Bridge?

 

[Bruce Spiegelman]

@Bruce Spiegelman, any idea where I can get me one of those? Assuming either AC or Bay Bridge?

Just have to keep looking and checking with stores. They seem to be seasonal and only show up for a few months of the year. Not sure that's true but based on when I've seen them on wholesaler lists that's my sense.