Care Level: Easy
Temperament: Peaceful
Reef Compatible: Yes
General Description: The Bluesided Fairy Wrasse, also referred to the Bluehead or Purplehead Fairy Wrasse, has a wide geographic distribution across the Indo-West Pacific Ocean from Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and the Great Barrier Reef west toward the Indian Ocean around Christmas Island. With this large natural range comes a lot of variation in color depending on location. Generally speaking, male Bluesided fairy wrasse tend to have a reddish-maroon body with a blue patch, olive face and are pale beneath. Individuals in the ‘Initial Phase’, and females, tend to just be reddish-maroon overall and pale beneath with no distinct namesake blue patch. Male Bluesided fairy wrasses look similar to male Yellow-flanked Fairy Wrasses (Cirrhilabrus ryukyuensis), however yellow-flanked fairy wrasse have a distinct yellow patch behind their pectoral fin. Like many wrasses in the genus Cirrhilabrus, the Bluesided fairy wrasse is an attractive, peaceful and active fish that will feel right at home in your reef aquarium and pose no threat to corals or invertebrates. Bluesided fairy wrasses can reach a size of approximately 6″.
Diet Requirements: Bluesided fairy wrasses are carnivores, actively hunting tiny crustaceans (e.g., copepods) throughout the day. A diet consisting of various meaty preparations such as brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and other mixed frozen foods that contain algae, such as spirulina, will maintain optimal health and coloration. We highly encourage soaking frozen foods in vitamin and fatty acid supplements, as fairy wrasses have very high metabolisms. Multiple, small feedings per day rather than one large feeding can also help and in turn create more of a natural environment for a fairy wrasse as it would feed in the wild. Bluesided fairy wrasses may also accept high quality flake or pellet foods, which is great for nutritional gaps and variety.
Care Requirements: An established, minimum 75 gallon aquarium is required for a Bluesided fairy wrasse. A tight fitting lid is a must because these wrasses are known to jump out of aquariums. Bluesided fairy wrasses enjoy a variety of rock work and crevices to swim through and around. Such live rock arrangements can also help to make it feel secure and encourage more outgoing behavior quicker. The Bluesided fairy wrasse is not tolerable of nitrite or ammonia spikes, and an established tank also offers microinvertebrates and crustaceans that naturally accumulate over time as the aquarium ages for it to prey on. Given their peaceful nature, a Bluesided fairy wrasse can be easily bullied and therefore should not be kept with overly aggressive species. It is best to add a Bluesided fairy wrasse before larger or more active fish in order to allow it to acclimate to the environment. Bluesided fairy wrasses are best kept one male per aquarium and solitary, unless you can positively identify male from female, to which a male with multiple females can be grouped together. Recommended water conditions, 72-78° F, KH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 1.020-1.025.
Purchase Size: Medium: 2″ to 3″; Large: 3″ to 4″; Extra Large: 4″ to 5″
Note: Your item may not look identical to the image provided due to variation within species. Purchase sizes are approximate.