QUICK STATS

Care Level: Easy to Moderate
Diet: Carnivore / Planktivore
Temperament: Peaceful
Reef-Safe: Yes
Venomous/Toxic: No
Approximate Purchase Size: 2-4"
Approximate Max Size: Around 5"
Recommended Tank Size: 75-90 Gallons or Larger

EXQUISITE WRASSE

The Exquisite Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus exquisitus), also known as the Exquisite Fairy Wrasse, is a colorful and active reef fish known for its bright coloration, constant movement, and peaceful personality. Males are usually more colorful than females and may show green, red, pink, blue, orange, or purple tones depending on collection location, maturity, and mood.

Exquisite Wrasses are open-water swimmers that spend much of the day cruising through the aquarium and picking small foods from the water column. They bring a lot of movement and color to reef aquariums without usually bothering coral or common invertebrates, which is frankly more restraint than many fish manage.

This species is considered reef-safe and usually works well in peaceful to semi-peaceful community aquariums. Like other fairy wrasses, it does not bury in the sand at night. Instead, it sleeps in a mucus cocoon among rockwork or sheltered areas, because apparently even fish invented weird bedtime rituals before humans made skincare routines complicated.

Note: Image is a representation of what to expect. The fish you receive may vary slightly in size, color, markings, sex, maturity, and overall appearance.

AQUARIUM REQUIREMENTS

AQUARIUM SIZE

A minimum tank size of 75 gallons or larger is recommended for an Exquisite Wrasse, with 90 gallons or larger preferred for adult specimens or active community tanks. This species can reach around 5 inches and needs open swimming room.

Although fairy wrasses are not bulky fish, they are active swimmers and should not be cramped into small aquariums. Larger systems provide more stability, more territory, and more swimming space, which helps reduce stress and aggression.

HABITAT RECOMMENDATIONS

Exquisite Wrasses do best in established aquariums with open swimming room, stable rockwork, and plenty of hiding areas.

Aquascaping: Provide open swimming space along with live rock, caves, overhangs, and shaded areas. These wrasses like room to cruise but still need places to retreat when startled or sleeping.

Substrate: Sand, fine aragonite, crushed coral, or bare-bottom systems can work. Unlike some wrasses, fairy wrasses do not require sand for sleeping.

Rockwork: Live rock is strongly recommended. It provides shelter, territory, biological filtration, and natural foraging surfaces.

Tank Maturity: A mature aquarium is preferred. Stable water quality and an established feeding routine help this active fish settle in and maintain good body condition.

Tank Cover: A tight-fitting lid is absolutely required. Fairy wrasses are expert jumpers, because apparently the top of the aquarium looks like a career path.

WATER PARAMETERS

Exquisite Wrasses are generally hardy once established, but they still need clean, stable marine conditions. “Fairy wrasse” does not mean “immune to chaos,” despite the magical-sounding name doing its best to mislead everyone.

Temperature: 72-78°F
pH Level: 8.1-8.4
Salinity: 1.020-1.026 specific gravity
Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate: Ammonia and nitrite should remain undetectable. Nitrate should be kept as low as reasonably possible, ideally below 20 ppm.
Water Flow: Moderate water movement is ideal. Provide enough flow to keep the aquarium oxygenated and move food through the water column, while still allowing calmer areas near rockwork for resting.

DIET

Exquisite Wrasses are carnivorous planktivores that naturally feed on tiny drifting foods, zooplankton, and small crustaceans. In aquariums, they should be offered a varied diet of small meaty foods and high-quality prepared foods.

PRIMARY DIET

Frozen Food: Offer mysis shrimp, enriched brine shrimp, cyclops, marine blends, finely chopped seafood, and other small frozen foods. We at Summit City Coral prefer frozen foods such as LRS Reef Frenzy and PE Mysis.

Prepared Foods: High-quality marine pellets, flakes, and carnivore or omnivore blends can help provide a balanced diet once the fish is eating reliably. Smaller pellet sizes are best.

Live Foods: Copepods, amphipods, live brine shrimp, and other small live foods can help encourage feeding, especially in newly introduced or shy individuals.

Small Meaty Foods: Finely chopped marine foods and plankton-sized foods can help support natural feeding behavior. Avoid overly large foods unless you enjoy watching a wrasse spit something out with theatrical disappointment.

FEEDING FREQUENCY

Feed small amounts 1-2 times per day, or 2-3 times per day for new, thin, or very active individuals. Fairy wrasses are energetic swimmers and do best with regular feeding rather than one giant meal tossed in like an aquatic buffet incident.

COMPATIBILITY

Exquisite Wrasses are peaceful and work well in reef community aquariums. They should be housed with tank mates that will not bully, chase, or severely outcompete them for food.

COMMON TANK MATES

Fish: Clownfish, cardinalfish, gobies, blennies, firefish, chromis, tangs, rabbitfish, dwarf angelfish, anthias, and other peaceful to semi-peaceful reef fish.

Avoid: Very aggressive wrasses, large predatory fish, aggressive dottybacks, aggressive damsels, triggers that may bully them, groupers, lionfish, and any fish likely to harass or eat them.

Other Wrasses: Can often be kept with other peaceful fairy or flasher wrasses in larger aquariums, especially when added carefully. Use caution with multiple males or similarly shaped wrasses, as territorial behavior may occur.

Invertebrates: Usually safe with cleaner shrimp, hermit crabs, snails, urchins, and most common reef invertebrates. Very tiny ornamental crustaceans may be at some risk, because fish are not tiny-crab preservation societies.

Coral: Exquisite Wrasses are considered reef-safe and should not bother soft corals, LPS, SPS, zoanthids, mushrooms, clams, or anemones.

BEHAVIORAL NOTES

Temperament: Peaceful overall, though males may show territorial behavior toward similar wrasses.

Activity Level: Very active swimmer. Best suited for aquariums with open swimming space.

Color Variation: Color can vary significantly based on sex, maturity, mood, and collection location. Males are usually more colorful than females.

Sexual Dimorphism: Males tend to show brighter coloration and more elaborate markings. Females and juveniles are usually more subtle.

Reef Compatibility: Excellent for reef tanks. They generally ignore corals and most invertebrates.

Sleeping Behavior: Does not require sand to sleep. Fairy wrasses usually rest in rockwork and may produce a mucus cocoon at night.

Feeding Behavior: Active feeder that usually learns prepared foods well once settled. Make sure it is eating, especially during the first few days after introduction.

Jumping: A tight-fitting lid is mandatory. Exquisite Wrasses are extremely jump-prone, because apparently being gorgeous was not enough of a survival disadvantage.

ACCLIMATION PROCESS

This acclimation method helps reduce stress by gradually introducing the fish to your aquarium’s temperature and water chemistry.

1. TURN OFF THE LIGHTS & ATO

Turn off aquarium lights to reduce stress. If you have an Auto Top Off system, switch it off before starting acclimation.

2. FLOAT THE BAG

Float the sealed bag in the aquarium for 15-20 minutes to allow the temperature in the bag to equalize with the tank.

3. OPEN BAG, ADD FISH TO CONTAINER

Carefully open the bag and transfer the fish and shipping water into a clean bucket or container.

4. ACCLIMATE USING TANK WATER

Add 1/4 cup of tank water to the container every 5 minutes for 40 minutes.

5. TRANSFER FISH TO AQUARIUM

Once acclimation is complete, gently transfer the fish into the aquarium using a net or specimen container. Discard the shipping water. Do not pour shipping water into your aquarium.

6. REFILL THE AQUARIUM WITH SALTWATER

You may need to replace the saltwater removed during acclimation with fresh mixed saltwater.