Clown Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus solorensis)

The Clown Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus solorensis) is a fish that looks Photoshopped in person: a blazing red-orange head with bold black face markings over an electric teal-blue body, all of it flashing brighter whenever the male displays. This is a medium-large male showing his full adult color. Like all fairy wrasses it is completely reef safe down to the smallest shrimp, active all day in open water, and full of personality without bothering a single tank mate. Browse the rest of our saltwater livestock and supplies to round out the reef.

Care Guide

• Tank size: 55 gallons or larger with open swimming length. Fairy wrasses cruise the water column all day and appreciate room to move.
• Tight lid is rule one: fairy wrasses are the hobby's most famous carpet surfers, especially in their first weeks. A fitted screen lid is essential, not optional.
• Water parameters: 72 to 78°F, salinity 1.020 to 1.026, pH 8.1 to 8.4.
• Feeding: a zooplankton hunter with a fast metabolism. Feed small meals 2 to 3 times daily: frozen mysis, enriched brine, and small pellets like PE Saltwater Pellets or TDO Chroma Boost keep color and weight up.
• Night habits: it disappears into the rockwork at lights out and may spin a mucus cocoon to sleep in, then reappears at dawn. Completely normal, occasionally alarming to new owners.

Specifications

Compatibility

Peaceful toward practically everything: clownfish, gobies, blennies, cardinals, tangs, corals, and the whole cleanup crew. The only friction point is other fairy and flasher wrasses; keep one male Cirrhilabrus per tank unless the tank is large and the species are introduced together. Skip known wrasse-harassers like large dottybacks and aggressive damsels in smaller tanks, and pair it with our assorted Fairy Wrasse only in roomy systems. Prefer a different splash of color? The Coral Beauty Angelfish fills a similar mid-tank role.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• Ocean Nutrition Frozen Mysis Shrimp
• PE Saltwater Pellets 2mm daily staple
• Reef Nutrition TDO Chroma Boost color-enhancing pellet

FAQ

Will it stay this colorful?
With good food and low stress, yes, and display flashes get even brighter. Males kept without rivals occasionally mellow over time; frequent varied feeding is the best color insurance.

Is it safe with my cleaner shrimp and snails?
Completely. Fairy wrasses are among the few wrasse groups that ignore ornamental inverts entirely, which is why reefers love them.

Can I add a second fairy wrasse?
In a 6 foot tank with simultaneous introduction, often yes. In a standard 55 to 90, plan on this being your one male fairy wrasse; females and different genera are usually fine.

My wrasse vanished at night. Should I worry?
No. It is sleeping inside the rockwork, sometimes in a mucus cocoon like a sleeping bag. Count fins again five minutes after the lights come on.