Unsure how to go about feeding a wrasse

[SamKnaphus]

Hello all, my name is Sam, and I take care of the reef tank at my high school. I’m currently having a problem with keyhole limpets, and so to remedy this I’m thinking about getting a carpenter flasher wrasse. It’s in my price range, supposedly will eat keyhole limpets, and should be a nice reef safe edition to my tank. The problem is that I don’t have 24/7 access to the tank. I can get in about 3 times a week. My teacher is working on getting me a keycard, but from what I have read pretty much every wrasse ever eats like crazy and I just can’t feed it that way. I have probably about 150-200 keyhole limpets, and most are maybe 4 mm at most, and the biggest I have found was 9mm. Will this be enough for the guy or will he run out quickly? Once we get into the school year I can consistently feed it at least 5 days a week though. I will put an autofeeder on my shopping list, but the agricultural department in my school has a pretty low budget so it might be a while.

Also on a side note, have any of you had a carpenter flasher wrasse pick off some of your CUC? Most of my snails are a pretty good size, but I want to buy some bumblebee snails and I’m worried he will eat those. I also have a harlequin shrimp, but I’m not too worried about him being eaten as he’s about an 1 3/8” long.

 

[Baldguy]

Pretty sure you're mistaken about flasher wrasses going after limpets or any pest for that matter. But no issues with cuc.

 

[Goaway]

Pretty sure all flasher wrasses are zooplanktivores. I could be wrong.

Carpenter wrasse have very high metabolism, so 3 feedings a day for best if health.

The few i kept, never picked at rocks even for pods.

Maybe someone with more experience can help.

@Slocke @i cant think

 

[SamKnaphus]

Pretty sure you're mistaken about flasher wrasses going after limpets or any pest for that matter. But no issues with cuc.

Thank you! That’s good to hear at least, do you have any recommendations for a wrasse that does go after limpets?

 

[kenchilada]

 

[Baldguy]

A quick search finds that green wrasse MAY go after limpets. Emphasis on "may".

 

[Jekyl]

Maybe others can chime in on bumblebee snails as an option?

As far as feeding you may want to consider an auto feeder. Just make sure it's dialed in before leaving to do it's thing.

 

[SamKnaphus]

A quick search finds that green wrasse MAY go after limpets. Emphasis on "may".

I’ve seen this too. I’m in a bit of a weird situation with this tank, as it won’t be a reef centered tank for much longer. I plan to transfer the corals to a designated frag tank I have set up. So I might just frag my the corals I would like, and then bring in a juvenile puffer of a smaller variety. There is a third tank we are planning to start from scratch with and run as a fowlr tank, so I’d likely transfer the puffer over once it clears the limpets. Granted it eats limpets that is

 

[SamKnaphus]

Maybe others can chime in on bumblebee snails as an option?

As far as feeding you may want to consider an auto feeder. Just make sure it's dialed in before leaving to do it's thing.

Okay thanks. The ag department also seems to have its funds being leeched somewhere, so on top of my demands being very low priority we are on hiatus for quite some time

 

[SamKnaphus]

Maybe others can chime in on bumblebee snails as an option?

As far as feeding you may want to consider an auto feeder. Just make sure it's dialed in before leaving to do its thing.

I was unaware bumblebees would pick limpets off. I was going to pick them up just because they are nice for general pest control and I have a couple veremetid snails

 

[SamKnaphus]

Pretty sure all flasher wrasses are zooplanktivores. I could be wrong.

Carpenter wrasse have very high metabolism, so 3 feedings a day for best if health.

The few i kept, never picked at rocks even for pods.

Maybe someone with more experience can help.

@Slocke @i cant think

Thank you

 

[i cant think]

Hello all, my name is Sam, and I take care of the reef tank at my high school. I’m currently having a problem with keyhole limpets, and so to remedy this I’m thinking about getting a carpenter flasher wrasse. It’s in my price range, supposedly will eat keyhole limpets, and should be a nice reef safe edition to my tank. The problem is that I don’t have 24/7 access to the tank. I can get in about 3 times a week. My teacher is working on getting me a keycard, but from what I have read pretty much every wrasse ever eats like crazy and I just can’t feed it that way. I have probably about 150-200 keyhole limpets, and most are maybe 4 mm at most, and the biggest I have found was 9mm. Will this be enough for the guy or will he run out quickly? Once we get into the school year I can consistently feed it at least 5 days a week though. I will put an autofeeder on my shopping list, but the agricultural department in my school has a pretty low budget so it might be a while.

Also on a side note, have any of you had a carpenter flasher wrasse pick off some of your CUC? Most of my snails are a pretty good size, but I want to buy some bumblebee snails and I’m worried he will eat those. I also have a harlequin shrimp, but I’m not too worried about him being eaten as he’s about an 1 3/8” long.

Actually Cirrhilabrus and Paracheilinus species are all planktivores naturally so it’s unlikely they’ll go for anything. How big is this tank?

 

[SamKnaphus]

Actually Cirrhilabrus and Paracheilinus species are all planktivores naturally so it’s unlikely they’ll go for anything. How big is this tank?

It’s a 90 gallon with a 30 gallon sump. Both tanks are infested with them. I’m mainly looking into this on behalf of my teacher, as he has wanted them out for a long time, but they spawn faster than they can be removed. According to him they have destroyed a couple SPS frags he’s bought in the past, so I’m looking for an biological solution

 

[twentyleagues]

It’s a 90 gallon with a 30 gallon sump. Both tanks are infested with them. I’m mainly looking into this on behalf of my teacher, as he has wanted them out for a long time, but they spawn faster than they can be removed. According to him they have destroyed a couple SPS frags he’s bought in the past, so I’m looking for an biological solution

The problem is with any fish that will eat the limpets will also target most cuc. Might be that the bumble bee might be the best option.

 

[jabberwock]

I have a Carpenter's Wrasse and keyhole limpets. He has never given them a second glance. An auto feeder with 2 types of small pellets mixed together, set for twice a day. I use a veggie pellet and a carnivore pellet mixed together to provide variety. I would get the smallest pellet size. It might take them a couple days to figure out that it is providing food, but they will! Then a nice meaty snack like mysis when you are able.

This feeder has worked well for me!

Auto Feeder

 

[SamKnaphus]

The problem is with any fish that will eat the limpets will also target most cuc. Might be that the bumble bee might be the best option.

That’s what I’ve found too. My current thoughts are that I transfer the frags into a different tank and get a small species of beaked fish. There is a 120 gallon tank that will be transformed into a FOWLR tank in a couple months, so once the limpets are clear I’d put the beaked fish in the FOWLR tank. From there I could reinstate the coral in the original tank

 

[SamKnaphus]

I have a Carpenter's Wrasse and keyhole limpets. He has never given them a second glance. An auto feeder with 2 types of small pellets mixed together, set for twice a day. I use a veggie pellet and a carnivore pellet mixed together to provide variety. I would get the smallest pellet size. It might take them a couple days to figure out that it is providing food, but they will! Then a nice meaty snack like mysis when you are able.

This feeder has worked well for me!

Auto Feeder

Hmmm, well thank you anyways. I’ll put an autofeeder on the list!

 

[SamKnaphus]

Actually Cirrhilabrus and Paracheilinus species are all planktivores naturally so it’s unlikely they’ll go for anything. How big is this tank?

Looking into it further, it seems I meant the green wrasse. I think I will look for a lower maintenance beaked fish that will enjoy its life in a school environment. I will keep you guys posted

 

[Aqua Man]

what about a Hawk fish? The one I have eats limpets.

 

[eliaslikesfish]

I have a Carpenter's Wrasse and keyhole limpets. He has never given them a second glance. An auto feeder with 2 types of small pellets mixed together, set for twice a day. I use a veggie pellet and a carnivore pellet mixed together to provide variety. I would get the smallest pellet size. It might take them a couple days to figure out that it is providing food, but they will! Then a nice meaty snack like mysis when you are able.

This feeder has worked well for me!

Auto Feeder

wait.. this is a game changer for vacations… How would I go about programming my pump to also turn off when feeding begins though/is it even possible? I have an IM nuvo pro that I just press the feed button and it stops the pump for 10 mins…