Pink streaked Wrasse not eating

[Latte]

Hi all,

Picked up a pink streaked Wrasse two days ago after searching for one for months. He was in the LFS for two weeks undergoing quarantine. I've since added it to my red sea max nano. I've got a ton of rockwork to hide in, two small juvenille clowns and a lawnmower blenny.

From the first day he has been pretty bold (especially considering the species) swimming in and out of the rockwork, all over the tank. He's constantly looking for food, seems to be picking at pods on the rocks/glass. I'm quite enamoured with the little guy!

However, when I go to feed he shows no interest. I'm feeding him the mysis they said they were feeding him at the shop in a mix with Spirulina brine shrimp and some mini pellets to try and get him to take prepared food. Maybe the turkey baster is scaring him??

I'm not super worried just yet, he still looks really healthy, I'm just trying to work out:
a) what can I do to get him eating the frozen?
b) what can I do to get him eating the pellets?

Thanks guys!

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

Id try roe by reef nutrition. Cpl drops or a squirt and than back off the tank and try and peak around a corner to see the tank or stand back at a distance. Give the little guy some room. Fresh roe can be acquired at the asian.markets as well. Hths and hope he starts eating for u!
D

 

[Latte]

Id try roe by reef nutrition. Cpl drops or a squirt and than back off the tank and try and peak around a corner to see the tank or stand back at a distance. Give the little guy some room. Fresh roe can be acquired at the asian.markets as well. Hths and hope he starts eating for u!
D

Thanks for the suggestion - doesn't look like it's sold over here in Aus unfortunately :'(

 

[vtecintegra]

That's a tough one. I broadcast feed mysis, krill, plankton, and fish eggs. All San Francisco brand. Not sure what it's eating, but it's eating something from that group. I never see any pods. In quarantine, I fed baby brine shrimp. I've got that circular bowl that needs no air and only room light. I hatches in less than 24 hrs. I would try that and the fish eggs. The only pellet I've had success with is TDO Chromaboost with the other fish, but I don't think the wrasse is much of a pellet eater the way it hunts the rocks all day. In the mean time, I'd add pods on a regular basis, until it's sufficiently eating something.

 

[Crabby48]

Mysis isn’t to big right? Clam can work. Try not to mix and feed one at a time. Also make sure it’s not being bullied. Try feeding and backing away from the tank so he doesn’t see you. Bold fish sometimes aren’t so bold. Specially wrasse. They need to learn we are food. A slight startle they can loose that trust. If it’s nervous it’s probably out at night. Bits of clam stuck to a half shell is good for that but terrible on dirtying up the water

 

[Calm Blue Ocean]

I second the suggestion of getting a brine shrimp hatchery. Not sure of the nutritional value of the baby brine shrimp but even my pickiest fish will go for them and it's super easy (I use the same one @vtecintegra uses). Could at least buy you some time until you find something prepared that it will eat, and even after that it's a fun treat. Also adding pods is a good idea. My pink streak picks at critters on the rocks all day. Best of luck to you, they are awesome little fish.

 

[Tcook]

Mine likes San Francisco Bay brand fish eggs. But, he has only been in your tank 2 days. Give him a week to settle in.

 

[Latte]

Ok I might try and find some fish eggs and a bottle of pods to keep him going if he hasn't eaten by the weekend. Otherwise I'll keep trying the stuff I have been ATM.

Mysis isn’t to big right? Clam can work. Try not to mix and feed one at a time. Also make sure it’s not being bullied. Try feeding and backing away from the tank so he doesn’t see you. Bold fish sometimes aren’t so bold. Specially wrasse. They need to learn we are food. A slight startle they can loose that trust. If it’s nervous it’s probably out at night. Bits of clam stuck to a half shell is good for that but terrible on dirtying up the water

Why do you suggest feeding just one at a time? I figure may as well give him options, and I was told by my LFS a good way to get him onto pellets was mix them with the frozen so he'd have an easier time recognising them as food.

Mysis isn’t to big right? Clam can work. Try not to mix and feed one at a time. Also make sure it’s not being bullied. Try feeding and backing away from the tank so he doesn’t see you. Bold fish sometimes aren’t so bold. Specially wrasse. They need to learn we are food. A slight startle they can loose that trust. If it’s nervous it’s probably out at night. Bits of clam stuck to a half shell is good for that but terrible on dirtying up the water

I'll try feeding and backing up from the tank and watching from afar. The mysis is reasonable size, but there are plenty of half and even smaller mysis in the mix too so there's lots of little bits for him to pick at. He's definitely not being bullied, though the other fish eat aggressively (but not aggressive towards each other, just they really go for the frozen). He swims right up to the clowns and all around the blenny without any issues and they all seem to be more than happy sharing the tank. Sometimes the blenny takes off from a rock quickly and it'll startle the wrasse, but he seems to quickly realise there's no threat and goes back to swimming around. I noticed he's been a bit bolder today, swimming more into the column and away from the bottom/rocks. Here's hoping he's just adjusting still!

 

[DE FISH]

Will it eat live pods ?

 

[Crabby48]

Ok I might try and find some fish eggs and a bottle of pods to keep him going if he hasn't eaten by the weekend. Otherwise I'll keep trying the stuff I have been ATM.

Why do you suggest feeding just one at a time? I figure may as well give him options, and I was told by my LFS a good way to get him onto pellets was mix them with the frozen so he'd have an easier time recognising them as food.

I'll try feeding and backing up from the tank and watching from afar. The mysis is reasonable size, but there are plenty of half and even smaller mysis in the mix too so there's lots of little bits for him to pick at. He's definitely not being bullied, though the other fish eat aggressively (but not aggressive towards each other, just they really go for the frozen). He swims right up to the clowns and all around the blenny without any issues and they all seem to be more than happy sharing the tank. Sometimes the blenny takes off from a rock quickly and it'll startle the wrasse, but he seems to quickly realise there's no threat and goes back to swimming around. I noticed he's been a bit bolder today, swimming more into the column and away from the bottom/rocks. Here's hoping he's just adjusting still!

If it’s not eating I’m going to say it’s from stress I’d it’s healthy. I think the important part is giving fish space from us and slowly they will learn we are friendly. Pinks are shy fish. The excitement of other with might be big part of him not eating. I find when I mix foods together and a fish only wants one it’s more work for them to find what they want. Also it’s easier for you to know what food they like.
live black worms are a good choice also. I can find them at fresh water fish stores

 

[vtecintegra]

So I just did my first feeding of the day, which is the SF fish eggs. I saw it eat several. It doesn't go after them, but just waited for some to float by. I broadcast feed with the pumps on so the food goes all over.

 

[i cant think]

Hi all,

Picked up a pink streaked Wrasse two days ago after searching for one for months. He was in the LFS for two weeks undergoing quarantine. I've since added it to my red sea max nano. I've got a ton of rockwork to hide in, two small juvenille clowns and a lawnmower blenny.

From the first day he has been pretty bold (especially considering the species) swimming in and out of the rockwork, all over the tank. He's constantly looking for food, seems to be picking at pods on the rocks/glass. I'm quite enamoured with the little guy!

However, when I go to feed he shows no interest. I'm feeding him the mysis they said they were feeding him at the shop in a mix with Spirulina brine shrimp and some mini pellets to try and get him to take prepared food. Maybe the turkey baster is scaring him??

I'm not super worried just yet, he still looks really healthy, I'm just trying to work out:
a) what can I do to get him eating the frozen?
b) what can I do to get him eating the pellets?

IME, these wrasses don’t eat pellets (Actually most wrasses don’t seem to eat them) as much as a clownfish or blenny might. As for frozen you can always try
garlic scented mysis/brine.

I also find this species to be a more outgoing species unless someone JUST entered the room.

 

[Latte]

Will it eat live pods ?

It seems like he is, but in a nano it'd be very hard to have a sustainined population without constantly having to buy more and more.

If it’s not eating I’m going to say it’s from stress I’d it’s healthy. I think the important part is giving fish space from us and slowly they will learn we are friendly. Pinks are shy fish. The excitement of other with might be big part of him not eating. I find when I mix foods together and a fish only wants one it’s more work for them to find what they want. Also it’s easier for you to know what food they like.
live black worms are a good choice also. I can find them at fresh water fish stores

might try and pick some of those up, thanks for the tip.

IME, these wrasses don’t eat pellets (Actually most wrasses don’t seem to eat them) as much as a clownfish or blenny might. As for frozen you can always try
garlic scented mysis/brine.

I also find this species to be a more outgoing species unless someone JUST entered the room.

This is a bit worrying. I did a lot of research on this species before buying and was told online and by the LFS that it would take to pellets and flakes eventually. I travel probably 3-4 a year for 1-2 weeks and want to make sure the little guy can survive those trips, so I only buy things that eat prepared food from an auto feeder or will sustain in the tank while I'm gone. I won't be going away for another few months so I have time to wean him onto pellets, but how will he last when I'm away for a couple weeks? Would dumping a bottle of pods into the tank be enough to last him?

 

[SchrutesReefs]

My PSW picks at the rocks as much as a sixline does. Did take a few days to get comfy in the tank, but began eating mysis, brine, & reef frenzy thereafter.

 

[i cant think]

It seems like he is, but in a nano it'd be very hard to have a sustainined population without constantly having to buy more and more.

Actually, I have the same size tank as yours and it can go months without pods. I don’t run anything along side it other than the established rocks and sand. I have a fat Pink streak and a fat Leopard Wrasse. It’s really easy to establish a pod population.

 

[PR_nano]

I would have seed the tank with live pods prior to introduction. See if you can find some local and and try some mysis or reef frenzy, he will eventually start eating those.

I have one and he was slow to move to frozen but eventually did and now goes after those mysis faster than my gobies. Started to go after pellets too but he can only take small bites out of those. Pretty cool watching him eat and the way it has progress. I shut down the return but keep the wavemakers on and he used to not be able to get the mysis but now he knows where to go to avoid the flow pushing mysis out of reach.

 

[Latte]

I would have seed the tank with live pods prior to introduction. See if you can find some local and and try some mysis or reef frenzy, he will eventually start eating those.

I have one and he was slow to move to frozen but eventually did and now goes after those mysis faster than my gobies. Started to go after pellets too but he can only take small bites out of those. Pretty cool watching him eat and the way it has progress. I shut down the return but keep the wavemakers on and he used to not be able to get the mysis but now he knows where to go to avoid the flow pushing mysis out of reach.

I do actually have a pretty consistent and high pod population, I dosed a couple months ago and they're still all over the place. After reading these posts I placed an order for some more pods earlier today which should hopefully get here tomorrow - but don't worry, he'll have plenty of pods in the meantime!

I would have seed the tank with live pods prior to introduction. See if you can find some local and and try some mysis or reef frenzy, he will eventually start eating those.

I have one and he was slow to move to frozen but eventually did and now goes after those mysis faster than my gobies. Started to go after pellets too but he can only take small bites out of those. Pretty cool watching him eat and the way it has progress. I shut down the return but keep the wavemakers on and he used to not be able to get the mysis but now he knows where to go to avoid the flow pushing mysis out of reach.

That's awesome news!

I have had some great success today. At the first feeding I added some mysis and went to the other side of the room, I'm 90% sure I saw him eat one before he ran back into the rockwork and the other fish went to town.

At the second feeding (spirulina brine shrimp) he came out as assertive as the clowns and blenny and munched down 3-4 full brine shrimp before he went back to the bottom of the tank.

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I think a combination of your help (and some patience from me...) means my little guy is now eating well!