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Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse
Wrasse

Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse

Paracheilinus carpenteri

A small deep-reef flasher wrasse that spends its day picking plankton out of the water column above the rockwork. Males are orange to red with blue striping and carry two to four elongated dorsal filaments that they flick open during courtship displays, which is the whole reason people keep them. The display only happens reliably when a male has females to display to, so buy a group of one male and two or more females rather than a lone male. They are peaceful enough to be bullied by dottybacks and larger wrasses, so add them before the pushy fish, and keep the tank covered because flashers jump.

Temperament
Peaceful
Max size
3.1"
Min tank
60 gal
Reef-safe
Reef safe
Diet
Planktivore
Zone
Mid-water, Open water, Rockwork
Keep one male with several females in a large tank.
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Tankmates

How Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse gets on with the rest of the reef, checked pair by pair by the same engine as the live pre-flight.

Best kept apart

A real clash — aggression, predation or a same-genus fight.

Maroon ClownfishMaroon Clownfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Purple TangPurple Tang (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.McCosker's Flasher WrasseTwo Paracheilinus flasher wrasses look near-identical to each other when displaying, so two males treat each other as direct rivals. Documented as almost always fighting, often to the death.Antennata LionfishAntennata Lionfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse.Picasso TriggerfishPicasso Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Domino DamselDomino Damsel (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Falco HawkfishA small flasher wrasse is a named victim of Falco harassment in smaller tanks.Marine BettaMarine Betta has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse.Dragon WrasseDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse.Volitans LionfishVolitans Lionfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse.Snowflake MoraySnowflake Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse.Zebra MorayZebra Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse.Chainlink MorayChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse.Golden Dwarf MorayGolden Dwarf Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse.Rectangle TriggerfishRectangle Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Clown TriggerfishClown Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Miniata GrouperMiniata Grouper (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Panther GrouperPanther Grouper (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Six-Line SoapfishSix-Line Soapfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse.Painted FrogfishPainted Frogfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse.

Keep an eye on these

Usually fine, but worth watching in a smaller tank.

Sailfin TangSailfin Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Red Coris WrasseRed Coris Wrasse (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Convict TangConvict Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Emperor AngelfishEmperor Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Regal AngelfishRegal Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Achilles TangAchilles Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Naso TangNaso Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Scopas TangScopas Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Queen AngelfishQueen Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Blueface AngelfishBlueface Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Chevron TangChevron Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Mimic TangMimic Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Scott's Fairy WrasseDifferent genera, same job in the tank: both hover in open water picking plankton, and the more assertive fairy wrasse can harass the flasher wrasse over that space. Add them at the same time and give them a big tank.Rhomboid Fairy WrasseCross-genus fairy-vs-flasher display-niche friction; usually coexist but a dominant fairy wrasse may harass the flasher — add together in a large system.Crosshatch TriggerfishCrosshatch Triggerfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Niger TriggerfishNiger Triggerfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Threadfin ButterflyfishThreadfin Butterflyfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Majestic AngelfishMajestic Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Blonde Naso TangBlonde Naso Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.Desjardini Sailfin TangDesjardini Sailfin Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse and may harass it.