Do I need to feed my Possum Wrasse?

[tankslayer69]

Hi everyone,
I have a well established 30 gallon tank. I have two clowns and a firefish already, and I recently got a possum wrasse, he does not eat flake food, only mysis shrimp. I have ALOT of copepods and isopods in my tank, I was wondering if since he was the only copepod eater I might be able to get away with not feeding him? I dont want to bother with mysis shrimp i would rather just autofeed flakes like the other fish. Is it possible to do a hybrid feeding, maybe only feedT mysis shrimp once a week or something? Obviously I understand I will have to do trial and error, wasnt sure if anybody has experience with them and feeding before.
Thanks

 

[Crabby48]

Feed him some. Watch his belly. Most likely over time he will start to eat whatever you feed other fish. If it’s pellets or flake.

 

[Baronen]

Just get some small hikari pellets. Haven’t had a fish not eventually take them. From leopard wrasse to scorpionfish

 

[ThisIsTheWay]

I have a possum wrasse in my WB25 Peninsula. When I first put him in he didn't even come out much for mysis and I assume he was mainly eating the copepods and amphipods in the tank (I saw him grab a fat amphipod and devour it as soon as I introduced him to the tank). Fast forward to today and there are very few copepods or amphipods left in the tank and he comes out regularly at feeding time.

All that to say, make sure he's getting fed at least semi-regularly. He'll probably be fine fending for himself at first but over time (a few months at least I suspect) he may thin the population of copepods and will need supplemental feeding. As @Crabby48 mentioned, he will probably get accustomed to the flake food over time so I wouldn't be too concerned, hopefully he'll become accustomed soon and then if your live food population dwindles he'll just eat more flakes.

 

[tankslayer69]

Thanks for the responses everyone,
I have never tried hikari pellets, are they really that enticing?
@ThisIsTheWay did your possum wrasse ever come out of hiding when it wasnt feeding time? or is he always just lurking in the rockwork?

 

[JumboShrimp]

I have a very tiny Clown, and when feeding extremely small pellets I mix them in a dixie cup of tank water and forcefully pour it into the tank with all the flow still on. (So they don't just float, and go down the overflow.) He chases and eats the tiny pellets, as I suspect your Possum Wrasse will do. (As others have said, I'd keep up with some occasional mysis until he gets the hint about the pellets.)

 

[ThisIsTheWay]

Thanks for the responses everyone,
I have never tried hikari pellets, are they really that enticing?
@ThisIsTheWay did your possum wrasse ever come out of hiding when it wasnt feeding time? or is he always just lurking in the rockwork?

Yes, once he became more comfortable in the tank I'd see him out more though he typically stayed close to the rockwork.

There are a few things though that I've done recently that have made him be out and about MUCH more.
1. Initially he was the only fish in the tank, he now has 4 docile tank mates and I think seeing other fish out makes him feel more comfortable. (Current fish tankmates: yellow clown goby, firefish, royal gramma, waspfish).
2. I acquired some macroalgae and 3D printed clips that clip the algae to the sides of the tank near the surface. After the macroalgae grew out it created a "shelf" that my possum wrasse could hide under and I now regularly see him out and about but often chilling underneath the macroalgae.
3. Same as #2 but I 3D printed some clips to secure small frag racks to the side of the tank and he seems to like them.

I will note that not everyone wants stuff clipped to the sides of their tank. However, I personally prefer it as it seems to have improved how safe the fish in my tank feel. My theory is that the frag racks and macroalgae feel like safe overhangs so instead of the "safe" area of the tank being limited to the middle where the rocks are, my possum wrasse now feels the whole tank is safe because he has overhangs around the sides/edge of the tank as well.

I am well aware I need to clean the glass on my tank but here are some pics anyway to show the racks and macroalgae I'm talking about. There is also macroalgae on the back wall but it's smaller and a little harder to see at the moment.

 

[Crabby48]

I have a possum wrasse in my WB25 Peninsula. When I first put him in he didn't even come out much for mysis and I assume he was mainly eating the copepods and amphipods in the tank (I saw him grab a fat amphipod and devour it as soon as I introduced him to the tank). Fast forward to today and there are very few copepods or amphipods left in the tank and he comes out regularly at feeding time.

All that to say, make sure he's getting fed at least semi-regularly. He'll probably be fine fending for himself at first but over time (a few months at least I suspect) he may thin the population of copepods and will need supplemental feeding. As @Crabby48 mentioned, he will probably get accustomed to the flake food over time so I wouldn't be too concerned, hopefully he'll become accustomed soon and then if your live food population dwindles he'll just eat more flakes.

Wrasse turn in to pigs. Many will risk life knowingly for a morsel. My tanks have a mix of copepods and amphipods but yet take to prepared foods more. That’s also giving the option. That said still some will not just live on pods they will slowly starve. Small young wrasse mostly take mature or little size before eating prepared foods. Also more foreign. The food is harder to get them to eat it. They will see other fish eat and that helps a lot but still a more pod eater will struggle going straight to flake.
All fish and many variables but over time a health wrasse will eat anything. Most wrasse’s eat nori. My wrasse ate more nori then the tangs.

 

[tankslayer69]

update for anyone who had this question:
he only ate frozen for the first week or so, but eventually started eating flakes like the rest of tank.