Is anyone familiar with the Red Bandtail Waspfish?

[Lionfish Lair]

SCORE!!!

 

[John Stuckey]

That was a great update, Flashy Fins. I've learned a few interesting things in my first few weeks with my female red band tail waspfish.

First, she is clearly nocturnal. During the day she stays largely in a few dens that she's made under the rocks though her face is always visible. At dusk she moves out but stays close to the rocks around her den. When the lights go out, she starts moving all around the tank. This includes awkwardly moving high up on the rocks and swimming up in the water column - no idea she would do that!

As for feeding, that's been a struggle. Her tank mates steal her food 90% of the time. She's not over fond of frozen but but she will strike at the food on the stealth stick. I've been researching buying amphipods to stick to stock the display tank with them so she can just hunt her own food. I'd love opinions on this and whether you know of any sources.

I'll try to get up some more pictures. She does not change colors that I've noticed though.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

You could stock the tank, but also freeze some to use to train her. Even if she ends up only taking those with gusto from a stick, at least you'll have more control of her intake.

I'll ask person I got my amphipod culture from. I'm not sure if they are selling them yet. My culture isn't big enough, I'm still trying to get it going.

I wonder if she'll become less nocturnal if she becomes stick trained. Right now her lunch is out at night. When they are stick trained they change a little, as their lunch (you) is out in the day.

Well, not just stick fed, but converted to frozen.

 

[michellejy]

Update on my guy (who needs a name, so I can stop calling him that!):

I mentioned before he had lost some of his brilliant red color, but that turned out to be temporary and just a function of his color changing ability. To my delight, he's as bright red as you can get about 80% of the time, a mix of red and white 10% of the time, and almost entirely white the other 10%, usually when he is trying to blend in with his pvc pipe.

Not wanting to foul up the QT tank, I haven't tried a lot of different foods, but so far, he likes mysis, spirulina brine, and meaty chunks from a marine cuisine type food I used once or twice. I suspect he would take any frozen meaty item that is small enough and moving; once the food is still, he loses interest. He still does best with the food right in front of his face, but I have gotten him to move a little towards it, and I think he hunts around the tank when I am not around to catch the mysis that gets away from my pipette during feeding sessions. I feed him just a few pieces a day, and I skip a day about once a week (mostly due to inconvenience, but probably good for him).

He is now done with his solo QT and has joined some other fish for tank transfers (TTM). We're a few days in, and he's doing great with his tankmates: a group of resplendent anthias, a fairy wrasse, and a high-fin red banded goby. The goby huddled up with him yesterday in the few minutes it took me to catch everyone and transfer them to a new tank, which gave me a scare, but nothing came of it. The goby and wasp are destined for two different display tanks, but of course I don't want any trouble for the goby during tank transfers. Having tankmates has made the waspfish less shy, and now he hangs out in the open more, rather than hiding in pvc most of the time. It's really nice to look over and see him out with other fish swimming around; it gives me a preview of what's to come in the display. I was worried I spent $80 on something I might never see once it's in my 72g, but I no longer think that. He does, of course, stay in one spot for hours on end, but I never expected him to be a swimming fish.

I'll post again once he's made it to the display, which is in its very early days and just has bare rock and a couple of fish so far. He'll have plenty of time to learn his way around and get comfortable before there are loads of fish in there, which there eventually will be. I plan to stock heavily, but I'm doing it slowly and with full QT on everything, so it'll take some time.

I'm glad you get to see him. I ended up skipping the waspfish so I could get a clown goby and shrimp goby, since my next tank (kick me for even saying next tank) will be a small predator tank. I ended up deciding against the clown goby, and I have only seen one of my yasha goby pair about 3 times in the past month. *sigh*

I love naming fish, but my fish all end up being weird pun names or a theme. My nano has a Marvel Superhero theme, and the predator tank I haven't even bought will probably be DC Supervillains.

I am such a dork.

 

[Flashy Fins]

I'm glad you get to see him. I ended up skipping the waspfish so I could get a clown goby and shrimp goby, since my next tank (kick me for even saying next tank) will be a small predator tank. I ended up deciding against the clown goby, and I have only seen one of my yasha goby pair about 3 times in the past month. *sigh*

I love naming fish, but my fish all end up being weird pun names or a theme. My nano has a Marvel Superhero theme, and the predator tank I haven't even bought will probably be DC Supervillains.

I highly recommend trying a yellow clown goby. Mine is quite bold and always hopping around the tank, life of the party! Can't say the same for the green clown goby, since mine rarely moves and has zero personality.

My wife gets to name the fish, since I choose most of them - small consolation prize after I say no, we can't get that clown trigger and dogface puffer you want! She once went to a fish store and asked if they had any of those "squiggle fish," forgetting that Squiggles was the name she gave our green banded goby and not what they are called. Now we have a pair, Squiggles and Wiggles. Some fish get named after musicians and athletes, while others end up with names by default, e.g. Midas the Midas blenny. I think the mohawk on the waspfish calls for a tough name, something biker-worthy. :mad:

 

[michellejy]

Mr T
Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver)
Yondu (blue guy with mohawk in Guardians of the Galaxy)

I ended up buying a circus goby. She is in quarantine so far, but I am hopeful that she will be an interesting addition.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Y'all are crazy fate tempting folk, naming your fish!

 

[cmcoker]

Y'all are crazy fate tempting folk, naming your fish!

I only allow naming after quarantine..

 

[michellejy]

Y'all are crazy fate tempting folk, naming your fish!

The only one I didn't name brought in brook and killed my other clown. :/

 

[eatbreakfast]

Y'all are crazy fate tempting folk, naming your fish!

Naming anything sooner than six weeks is marking it for death by the aquarium gods.

Also, never say aloud which fish is your favorite within earshot of an aquarium. The aquarium gods don't like that either.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

The only one I didn't name brought in brook and killed my other clown. :/

But he didn't die, did he! You gave him super powers by not naming him. The other clown had a name? And it died? EXACTLY! LOL!

 

[michellejy]

But he didn't die, did he! You gave him super powers by not naming him. The other clown had a name? And it died? EXACTLY! LOL!

No, he died the first night AND caused the death of my named clown.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

DUDE, you ruined my theory..... go back and edit that and say "Yes, he lived 20 more years".

 

[michellejy]

It's the only fish I have ever had die the first day. Every other fish was named when I got them.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

*pushes Michelle out the door*

 

[rayn]

She's mean! Watch her @michellejy

 

[Flashy Fins]

Big day for this guy: finally in the display, and my wife has given him a name! Dracula seems content to chill under a rock that gives me a decent view and is easily accessible for target feeding, so I hope he stays there. Snapped a couple of pictures and had a laugh at how goofy his white bottom lip makes him look. (Excuse how white the rock is; the tank is young.)

 

[Lionfish Lair]

Just perfect!

 

[michellejy]

Oh, beautiful color!

 

[John Stuckey]

Well, my little banded waspfish has undergone a complete transformation. Was nocturnal and refused to eat frozen foods (or anything provided by me) for months. Now, almost overnight, is out during the day, eats anything I offer it and bounces to the front of the tank as soon as I come near. So fun but what a strange reversal in behavior!