Will I run out of copepods? Should I add another wrasse?

[Perpetual Novice]

I have a 100 gallon reef tank with lots of live rock and 2 leopard wrasses. The wrasses have been fat and happy for about 6 months now. They hunt all day but I think they get most of their food gorging themselves on frozen food. I want to add another wrasse to the tank. I am thinking of adding another leopard wrasse or maybe a yellow coris wrasse. My concern is not knowing how much of their diet comes from pods. On the one hand, new leopard wrasse may take time to ween onto frozen food and may not have enough pods to sustain itself until them. But in either case, the new fish will certainly tax my pods population and if my current wrasses are still dependent on pods for optimal nutrition then maybe they won't have enough once the pods are split three ways instead of two.

Can anyone tell me what to expect? can a 100 gallon tank with lots of live rock sustain three wrasses? and if a wrasse is eating frozen food are they till dependent on eating pods or is it just a bonus?

 

[Malifry97]

I have a 100 gallon reef tank with lots of live rock and 2 leopard wrasses. The wrasses have been fat and happy for about 6 months now. They hunt all day but I think they get most of their food gorging themselves on frozen food. I want to add another wrasse to the tank. I am thinking of adding another leopard wrasse or maybe a yellow coris wrasse. My concern is not knowing how much of their diet comes from pods. On the one hand, new leopard wrasse may take time to ween onto frozen food and may not have enough pods to sustain itself until them. But in either case, the new fish will certainly tax my pods population and if my current wrasses are still dependent on pods for optimal nutrition then maybe they won't have enough once the pods are split three ways instead of two.

Can anyone tell me what to expect? can a 100 gallon tank with lots of live rock sustain three wrasses? and if a wrasse is eating frozen food are they till dependent on eating pods or is it just a bonus?

Do you have a fuge? If so add another container of packaged pods to the fuge wait a week and you should be fine. For extra insurance add another package right before adding the fish.

 

[Perpetual Novice]

Do you have a fuge? If so add another container of packaged pods to the fuge wait a week and you should be fine. For extra insurance add another package right before adding the fish.

I don't have a fuge. just a canister filter and two skimmers. I've tried to give the pods somewhere to populate so there is a huge dead stylo skeleton behind the rockwork which is overgrown with algae. none of the fish can get at the center and it's also great for the tangs to graze on without having to see algae in the front of my tank. but no real fuge unfortunately.

 

[Malifry97]

I don't have a fuge. just a canister filter and two skimmers. I've tried to give the pods somewhere to populate so there is a huge dead stylo skeleton behind the rockwork which is overgrown with algae. none of the fish can get at the center and it's also great for the tangs to graze on without having to see algae in the front of my tank. but no real fuge unfortunately.

I think that you still would be fine as the cops pods are more for supplementation. Just add a package of pods when you put him in and you should be fine

 

[sde1500]

If so add another container of packaged pods to the fuge wait a week and you should be fine.

I would not agree with this. Not saying the tank can or can't sustain another wrasse, but this wouldn't do anything long term. The tank can only sustain so many pods. There is already a certain population living there, eating, reproducing, being eaten, dying etc. Should the tank have the ability to sustain a larger population, all else being equal, the existing pods would fill that void. Adding more simply provides a temporary bump, nothing more. Adding more, plus feeding live phyto could potentially sustain a larger population as now a more abundant food source has been added for them.

As for can or can't add another leopard, that is pretty difficult to say. If they sustain themselves currently mainly on food you feed, likely not a concern as any pods would be supplemental. I'd say QT your new addition and work to get it taking frozen/pellets consistently prior to adding it to the DT.

 

[Perpetual Novice]

I decided to pull the trigger.I went to my LFS and they happened to have both fish I was considering that were a great price, good size, and had been in store for almost a month. They were both in good health so I took them home with me.

the yellow wrasse is almost 6 inches. It was well received by my tank community and doesn’t seem too concerned with hunting pods which is great because I don’t think it is taxing the copepod population at all. It eats really well though so I’m not worried about it’s health.

the ornate leopard wrasse buried right away. And now, after almost two days, I saw it emerge only to be immediately greeted with interrogation by my resident leopard wrasses. They followed it closely and the larger of the two bullied it mildly. It didn’t nip fins or chase it. But it did nudge it repeatedly and make a biting motion at its sides. That description sounds a lot more intense than it was. The new wrasse never flinched or darted like it was being hurt and they mostly just swam in a tight group as if to investigate and intimidate the newcomer. The new wrasse was overwhelmed and buried itself again within minutes. while it was still awake I fed the tank but being that it had only just emerged and was just beginning to adjust to it’s surroundings the new leopard wrasse showed no interest.

I’m wondering if the aggression persists and it stays buried most of the time that it won’t have and opportunity to hunt or learn to accept prepared food. I know where it has buried itself so I could potentially dig it up and catch it if I had to. at what point should I potentially consider intervening and remove the ornate leopard wrasse to prevent it from starving. How long can they go without food when buried?