TankBud

Solar fairy wrasse

Cirrhilabrus solorensis

Also known as Red-Head Solon Fairy Wrasse, Tricolor Fairy Wrasse, Red-Eye Wrasse

SaltwaterFish

Solar fairy wrasse (Cirrhilabrus solorensis)
desertnaturalist · CC BY 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
4.3 in
11 cm
Minimum tank
90 gal
340 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Labridae
Origin
Western Pacific reefs, from Indonesia to northern Australia

Overview

The solar fairy wrasse is a peaceful plankton picker that swims the middle of a large reef tank. It is easy to keep.

Did you know

The names redhead and solar fairy wrasse both point to the same feature, a bright red saddle running down the back. The saddle seems to glow against the blue body, and it turns more intense whenever a male shows off for a female.

Caring for the solar fairy wrasse

Give the solar fairy wrasse a tank of at least 90 gal (340 L), with open water in the middle for cruising. Add live rock for grazing and a shaded ledge it can retreat to. Fairy wrasses are notorious jumpers, so fit a tight lid with no gaps around cords, plumbing or overflow boxes.

Keep the water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Offer small amounts of mysis, brine shrimp and other meaty foods two to three times a day, to match its active metabolism.

The solar fairy wrasse is peaceful and fully reef safe, and it ignores corals, clams and other invertebrates. It is fine alone or in a group, and it mixes well with clownfish, gobies, blennies, tangs and other calm community fish. Keep only one male per tank, since males spar with each other and with males of similar Cirrhilabrus species.

Males grow larger than females and develop a blue body, a red dorsal stripe and a yellow-orange face. It is hard to breed in the aquarium.

Good to know

The solar fairy wrasse, Cirrhilabrus solorensis, belongs to the family Labridae. It is a protogynous hermaphrodite, so every fish starts out as a female. The most dominant female in a group changes sex into the terminal-phase male if none is present.

In the wild

The solar fairy wrasse lives on coastal and outer reef lagoons from Indonesia to northern Australia. It is usually found over shallow patch reefs and rubble at 5 to 35 m.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The solar fairy wrasse is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a solar fairy wrasse need?

A solar fairy wrasse needs at least 90 gal (340 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a solar fairy wrasse need?

A solar fairy wrasse is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a solar fairy wrasse eat?

A solar fairy wrasse eats small amounts of mysis, brine shrimp and other meaty foods. Feed it two to three times a day to match its active metabolism.

How big does a solar fairy wrasse get?

An adult solar fairy wrasse reaches about 4.3 in (11 cm).

How can you tell a male solar fairy wrasse from a female?

Males are the larger sex, and they carry a blue body, a red dorsal stripe and a yellow-orange face.

Related species