Melanuras wrasse question

[LEOreefer]

hello all I have a question about my melanuras wrasse (butchered the spelling). I know they are generally peaceful and are considered reef safe. I love shrimp and I had 2 cleaner shrimp in my tank a few months back. One died mysteriously after having a few broken antennas. A few weeks later my other one was found dead. They where fairly big shrimp, I know the wrasse could pic on smaller shrimp but is it possible he killed both of them ? I would like to get a coral banded but I’m not going to pick one up if he’s going to turn into a meal

 

[Reefaddict1979]

Yes they can kill and eat shrimp.

 

[Kershaw]

Yes they can. But I have kept peppermint shrimp, and cleaner shrimp with 4 wrasses known for eating shrimp with out issue. Can’t say why then didn’t eat them but they didnt

 

[LEOreefer]

I’m wondering if a coral banded would be better ( bigger claws)

 

[saltyhog]

I have a melanurus with blood shrimp, skunk cleaner shrimp and a coral banded shrimp. He has not bothered any of them. I also had a Vrolik's (very similar species) with cleaner shrimp and blood shrimp for 4 years without incident. That said, individuals can vary greatly but I think it's a very reasonable risk.

In addition to the melanurus my present tank has an H. biocellatus and H. melasmopomas (that is almost 6"). They also have not bothered the shrimp or any over inverts.

 

[PiscesPower]

I have a melanurus and a sexy shrimp, they have been in the tank for 5 months together. The sexy doesn't hide either, it's out there. Never seen the wrasse threaten the shrimp.
I also have a few cleaner shrimp, but my melanurus is not that big that it would bother them. The sexy he could make a meal out of if he wanted.

 

[maxtek]

Mine lives with two coral banded shrimp and a fire shrimp. He ate a pistol shrimp, though...

 

[Reefaddict1979]

Msybe people have kept shrimp with melanurus for years but they can and will eat them So to Answer your question yes it’s possible

 

[LEOreefer]

Maybe if I keep food around more than once a day he will leave the shrimp alone. He’s fat and healthy but maybe the answer is more than once a day feedings

 

[PepethePug]

Have had a Melanarus with two cleaners and a coral banded, and he leaves them alone. Great fish. Very curious. Seems smart, too.

 

[RobertN]

My Melanurus was fine with 2 cleaner shrimp when he was smaller. But eventually, after he got to a certain size, that was the end of the cleaner shrimp.

 

[4FordFamily]

Possible but unlikely. I’ve never had any melanarus, or halichoeres genus wrasse for that matter, eat shrimp— not even my smaller shrimp such as peppermint.

But it is of course possible. If large and hungry enough, it may.

 

[vetteguy53081]

ANYTHING THAT WILL FIT IN A FISHES' MOUTH SOONER OR LATER WILL !! Always keep this in mind. They will also occasionally flip coral pieces looking for bristleworms and other food source.

 

[Oberst Oswald]

Maybe if I keep food around more than once a day he will leave the shrimp alone. He’s fat and healthy but maybe the answer is more than once a day feedings

My Melanarus wrasse has not bothered my shrimp, snails or crabs. But he is the only Wrasse I can keep in the tank. He usually just chases the other wrasses I tried to put in the tank until they finally jump out of the tank.

 

[reeferdon]

I had one and it had a meal with both of my fire shrimps

 

[Kershaw]

I put 5 hermits in at one time. My malanarus killed one instantly. Left the rest alone.

 

[liveround69]

Maybe if I keep food around more than once a day he will leave the shrimp alone. He’s fat and healthy but maybe the answer is more than once a day feedings

I feed mine really well with Larrys Reef Supply Nano Frenzy/ P.E. Mysis and have been doing so since I purchased him about 3 years ago which seems to keep him happy. He has been in the tank with a skunk cleaner shrimp, a six line wrasse and 2 breeding Maroon clowns. I think he is so scared of being nailed by the Maroons he doesnt have time to worry about picking on the shrimp.

 

[Nickp]

I had a melanurus that made i meal out of 2 pistol shrimps that were at least half it's size, also various snails and crabs.

People do keep them with shrimp fine, but ime it is luck of the draw.

 

[LEOreefer]

ANYTHING THAT WILL FIT IN A FISHES' MOUTH SOONER OR LATER WILL !! Always keep this in mind. They will also occasionally flip coral pieces looking for bristleworms and other food source.

I 100% agree with you, but I was surprised because the wrasse has such a small mouth and my shrimp were huge.

 

[maxtek]

My melanurus violently smashes live shrimp against rocks in order to partially disassemble them, which seems to allow him to eat surprisingly large pistol shrimp.