Whitebarred pink wrasse

Where they come from

Whitebarred pink wrasses (Pseudocheilinus ocellatus) are little reef pickers from the Indo-Pacific. You will usually find them weaving through rubble zones and tight rockwork, ducking into crevices the second they feel unsure. That whole "always hunting, always hiding" vibe is exactly how they act in a tank too.

Setting up their tank

Give this fish rockwork it can actually use. Not just a pile of rocks, but a maze: overhangs, narrow slots, and a few bolt-holes where it can vanish. Mine spent the first week doing quick loops around the tank and then sleeping wedged into the rocks like it paid rent there.

Tank size wise, bigger is easier because it spreads out the territory drama. I would not put one in a tiny cube and expect peace. A mature tank helps too, since they spend all day pecking at microfauna.

• Tank size: 30+ gallons is workable, 50+ is more relaxed if you have other fish
• Rockwork: lots of crevices and caves, plus open swimming lanes
• Flow: moderate, with calmer pockets near the rock so it can hunt
• Filtration: stable, reef-style nutrient control (they eat often)
• Cover: tight lid or mesh screen - wrasses can jump, especially early on

What to feed them

They are constant snackers. In the wild they pick tiny crustaceans all day, so your job is to mimic that rhythm: small foods, more often. If you only feed a big meal once a day, they usually stay alive, but they act crabby and spend less time out in the open.

Most will take frozen quickly: mysis, brine (better if enriched), finely chopped shrimp, and anything "reef blend" that has little bits. Pellets can work once they recognize them, but I have better luck starting with frozen and sneaking in small pellets later.

• Frozen mysis as the staple
• Enriched brine for variety (not as a main food)
• Copepods and other small live foods if you can swing it (they go nuts for them)
• Small sinking pellets once they are settled
• Feed 2-3 small meals a day if possible

How they behave and who they get along with

This is where people get surprised. Whitebarred pink wrasses are not "community wrasse" friendly in the way a fairy wrasse often is. They are small, but they can be spicy, especially to other wrasses, small planktivores, and anything that lives in the same rockwork zone.

With the right stocking order they can still be great. If you add them last, they are less likely to claim the whole tank. If you add them early, they sometimes decide every cave is theirs and they will patrol like a tiny bouncer.

• Usually OK with: bigger, confident fish that do not live in the rocks (tangs, many rabbitfish, some angels in larger tanks)
• Risky with: other Pseudocheilinus wrasses, sixlines, and similar-shaped wrasses (often turns into a grudge match)
• Watch with: timid gobies and blennies that perch near the same caves
• Reef safety: generally leaves coral alone, but may hunt tiny ornamental crustaceans

Breeding tips

Breeding them at home is not something most of us pull off. Like many wrasses, they are broadcast spawners and the larvae are tiny and demanding. You might see courtship behavior (more intense color, quick dashes into the water column near lights-out), but raising the babies is a whole separate fish room project.

Common problems to watch for

The big three with this fish are: stress from bullying (or being the bully), jumping, and parasite issues. Wrasses also hate sudden swings. They are tougher than they look once settled, but the first couple weeks matter a lot.

• Hiding nonstop: normal for the first days, but if it never comes out, check for aggressive tankmates and make sure it is actually eating
• Chasing and nipping: often ramps up after it settles in - rearranging a bit of rock and adding it last can help
• Jumping: most common right after introduction or after a scare
• Ich/velvet risk: wrasses can carry parasites even if they look clean at the store
• Starving slowly: happens in tanks that feed once a day or only offer big chunks