Care Facts | |||
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Care Level: | Intermediate | ||
Temperament: | Agressive | ||
Diet: | Carnivore | ||
Reef Safe: | With Caution | ||
Minimum Tank Size: | 125g | ||
Max Size: | 14 in |
Cheilio inermis. The Cigar Wrasse is a large and fairly colorful wrasse. Cigar Wrasses tend to be mostly green or brown, but males can turn more yellow with bright rainbow colorful patches under their pectoral fins.
Cigar Wrasses reach a maximum adult size of around 14 inches and need to be kept in tanks that are at least 125 gallons. Cigar Wrasses are very strong jumpers and need to be kept in tanks with a tight fitting lid with no holes large enough for them to jump through if spooked. Cigar Wrasses are aggressive fish that shouldn't bother most fish and corals. Cigar Wrasses will end up trying to eat every invert that they can get their hands on though. For this reason, if you want to add a Cigar Wrasse to your reef tank, only do so with caution.
Multiple male Cigar Wrasses should not be kept in the same tank since they will be aggressive to each other. Keeping multiple female Cigar Wrasses or one male with multiple females is fine if they are introduced at the same time. Cigar Wrasses do best when kept in tanks with lots of live rock and sand. Cigar Wrasses will spend most of their day looking through the live rock for small inverts to eat between feedings. Cigar Wrasses might also take refuge in sand beds in the evening. Not having sufficient sand can lead to your Cigar Wrasse becoming stressed and ill.
Cigar Wrasses are carnivores and require a diet that is rich in meaty foods. Foods like mysis and brine shrimp along with high quality frozen foods will keep your Cigar Wrasse healthy and happy. Larger Cigar Wrasses will require more substantial males like chunks of fresh seafood, mainly those with hard shells.