Fact. I hate (love) possum wrasses.

[tyler1503]

Possum wrasse. Why are they such a frustratingly difficult fish?!!

I wrote about my journey towards keeping a possum wrasse a while ago.
To get the background story on why I’m so frustrated with this dang fish, please read about it here;
https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/Elusive-fish-being-elusive..327623/

Since the last possum wrasse saga I shared with R2R, there’s been some frustrating times.
I found five more possum wrasse since then. Two of which the sellers refused to ship to anywhere but an airport which is 7 hours away. I don’t drive so that’s not an option.
One seller ordered the fish, but it arrived DOA. On a side note, is selling a fish before ordering it a common thing? It seems a bit dodgy to me.
The fourth seller had one in stock and was prepared to have someone pick it up on my behalf and drive it to my house 5 hours away from the LFS. A family member who lives half an hour from the LFS and was visiting me the very same day refused to pick it up though.

The fifth seller was prepared to ship he fish to my door AND they actually had one in stock. I’ve bought plenty of coral and a few fish from them in the past and have had great success.
I thought the stars had aligned!
The fish shop had a fish for me!
They posted it and two days later it arrived in...some sort of condition. I wouldn’t say it was healthy...but it was alive and looked like it would pull through after the stress of shipping passed.
I acclimated the little guy for a half hour and the entire time I was worrying the ammonia would be through the roof. I didn’t even think to test the bag water at the time. I just wanted the fish out of the bag and in the tank. This dang fish. I just wanted it in the dang tank.
I acclimated it, popped it in the tank in an isolation net with some branching pieces of live rock for shelter so I could observe it for a while.
It was either much worse off then I previously thought, or it was playing dead. Who knows.
This morning when I checked the tank before work, the isolation net was fishless. Obviously the fish survived and was hiding out in the rocks somewhere.
This afternoon when I returned home from work, there was a pure white possum wrasse stuck in between my rocks.

Keeping this fish for...long enough to look at it has been the single most frustrating and stressful thing I’ve ever attempted in this hobby.
I’m ready to give the entire hobby up.
I’ve spend hundreds of dollars on owning this fish and never even seen it in my tank.

This dead wrasse is in a spot where I can’t reach it without pulling my entire tank apart.
If this fish dares to kill my valentini with the ammonia it produces, I will throw my tank off my balcony.

 

[Paul B]

What problems do you find with Possums? I have had a few of them and for me they have never been a problem. Just throw them in and forget about them. They do hide a lot which is why I can't get a good picture of them but they always seem to find enough food and seem to eat anything so I don't have to target feed them.
This one is a few years old, I don't remember when I got him but I want another one and will get one as soon as I have time to get to a LFS

 

[tyler1503]

To start with, they’re very rare. I’ve been on the waiting list at several LFSs (three or four if memory serves me well. Which it usually doesn’t. It’s been so long I can’t even remember) for well over a year. Probably over 2 years by now actually. I’m still 5th in line at one particular place.
They don’t ship well, so even when I do find one, it’s a risk just receiving it, which obviously hasn’t paid off for me. 2 days in a bag on the back of a truck isn’t good for any sort of livestock let alone something this delicate. Acros seem to fair much better than possum wrasses.
They’re by far the most expensive type of livestock I’ve ever attempted to keep.

I have a lot of problems with this fish. I think it’s time I stop trying. Until I’m living back in the city anyway.

But I just can’t say no to that face haha.


Gorgeous fish Paul! I’m super jealous.

 

[lion king]

Try using a turkey baster to blow the dead fish from behind the rocks.

I cant vouch for Divers Den today, but in years past I did get a couple of Tanakas from there that did well. They do seem to live on pods when first introduced, so a mature tank may be recommended.

Dd has had a couple listed as of late.

 

[LovesDogs_CatsRokay]

Diver's Den has one https://www.liveaquaria.com/divers-den/product/430184/tanakas-pygmy-possum-wrasse Or is this not the same one?

 

[CoralNerd]

I got my Pink Streak Wrasse for Liveaquaria might of ben DD. Had the fish for years no problem.

If you're having problems with this fish I would hate to see a more rare expensive fish be sent your way hahaha.

 

[Paul B]

They are not rare here or very expensive. I think I paid $30.00 or $35.00 for this one. They have another one that I may go back and get if I get time.
They are also very hardy and I don't think I ever lost one except maybe by accident or jumping out.

 

[tyler1503]

I got my Pink Streak Wrasse for Liveaquaria might of ben DD. Had the fish for years no problem.

If you're having problems with this fish I would hate to see a more rare expensive fish be sent your way hahaha.

Hahah what’s weird is I can handle other fish just fine. I have a rarer scorpionfish that’s thriving, I’ve kept ribbon eels without an issue and mandarins not eating frozen foods have been easy compared to this.
I think this fish is just my marine kryptonite [emoji23]

They are not rare here or very expensive. I think I paid $30.00 or $35.00 for this one. They have another one that I may go back and get if I get time.
They are also very hardy and I don't think I ever lost one except maybe by accident or jumping out.

Lucky! I paid nearly $100 for mine.
I did quite a lot of reading into these guys for a long time before getting one and most of what I found suggested they were not good during shipping. My minimal experience suggests that too.
However most of your fish are practically bulletproof. I bet there’s not too many fish you’d have issues with

 

[tyler1503]

Thanks for the Divers Den suggestions! Although in Australian so that’s not an option haha

 

[Paul B]

Tyler my fish are bulletproof but I'm not sure they sell those tiny bulletproof vests in Australia.

I really don't have problems with any fish but I never bought anything live online and they won't ship Supermodels, not that I could afford one.

 

[Bigfish of La.]

I ordered a Pink Streak wrasse from LA and arrived dead. The fish’s eyes were already pale and white. Must have been a very sick fish.

 

[tyler1503]

I’m sure you could charm a supermodel into coming home Paul haha.

 

[tyler1503]

I ordered a Pink Streak wrasse from LA and arrived dead. The fish’s eyes were already pale and white. Must have been a very sick fish.

Is the pink streak a Wetmorella? They don’t seem to like shipping at all

 

[suta42]

I notice you’re in Bega, the additional shipping might be a drama. I’m in Sydney and when they’re available a lot of shops will have one and usually in good nick (all from the same importer). Only problem is if they’re feeding, but that usually isn’t a big deal.

Sometimes what happens is an importer releases the cleared quarantine shipment today and ships to all shops next day. Distant stores will probably receive their shipments via courier and/or air. A lot of shops may then courier straight away to online customers. Not always but some shops will basically just rebag the fish on arrival to be picked up by Fastways a couple of hours later. Then you have the overnight courier delivery, longer if theres drama on their end. Not sure about your weather but any extreme temps during shipping could negatively affect the conditionby the time it reaches you.

 

[tyler1503]

I notice you’re in Bega, the additional shipping might be a drama. I’m in Sydney and when they’re available a lot of shops will have one and usually in good nick (all from the same importer). Only problem is if they’re feeding, but that usually isn’t a big deal.

Sometimes what happens is an importer releases the cleared quarantine shipment today and ships to all shops next day. Distant stores will probably receive their shipments via courier and/or air. A lot of shops may then courier straight away to online customers. Not always but some shops will basically just rebag the fish on arrival to be picked up by Fastways a couple of hours later. Then you have the overnight courier delivery, longer if theres drama on their end. Not sure about your weather but any extreme temps during shipping could negatively affect the conditionby the time it reaches you.

That’s why I’ll be trying to hold off on this fish until I’m back in the city and can actually pick the fish up in store. Half an hour in a bag isn’t so bad, but 48 hours just seems too long for this fish

 

[Austin Prosser]

To start with, they’re very rare. I’ve been on the waiting list at several LFSs (three or four if memory serves me well. Which it usually doesn’t. It’s been so long I can’t even remember) for well over a year. Probably over 2 years by now actually. I’m still 5th in line at one particular place.
They don’t ship well, so even when I do find one, it’s a risk just receiving it, which obviously hasn’t paid off for me. 2 days in a bag on the back of a truck isn’t good for any sort of livestock let alone something this delicate. Acros seem to fair much better than possum wrasses.
They’re by far the most expensive type of livestock I’ve ever attempted to keep.

I have a lot of problems with this fish. I think it’s time I stop trying. Until I’m living back in the city anyway.

But I just can’t say no to that face haha.


Gorgeous fish Paul! I’m super jealous.

-first with the possum wrasse they are very peaceful meaning they must be the first fish in the tank, when I got mine he hid in the rock work for a week where I spot fed him mysis. I also had a time where mine got attacked by another fish and he almost lost his whole tail fin but I put him in qt for 3 weeks where he healed and I sold the attacking culprit.
-When you buy the fish online I would get a qt tank for the wrasse test the salinity in the bag, match the qt to that after floating the bag and put the fish in the qt this will minimize stress, and seachem’s stress guard works really well as a antiseptic for the fish.
- They are good fish, delicate and every measure to keep them alive should be followed if not your results will likely continue. Good luck