Possum Wrasse + Sexy Shrimp

SauceyReef · Feb 4, 2023

Ive had Sexy Shrimp in my nano with my Possum Wrasse for near 1.5 years now. I added 4 extra sexys today - very tiny. When I added them into the tank the possum wrasse started hunting and killing them! I fed the tank right away and turned the lights off as a last ditch effort to stop the carnage...

I really hope I did not just start the possum having a taste for the sexy shrimp. May be time to rehome the possum?

i cant think · Feb 5, 2023

SauceyReef said:
Ive had Sexy Shrimp in my nano with my Possum Wrasse for near 1.5 years now. I added 4 extra sexys today - very tiny. When I added them into the tank the possum wrasse started hunting and killing them! I fed the tank right away and turned the lights off as a last ditch effort to stop the carnage...

I really hope I did not just start the possum having a taste for the sexy shrimp. May be time to rehome the possum?

How big is the possum?
They can hunt small shrimp once large but also I have seen sexy shrimp kill coral so you may find your possum is doing you a favour

SauceyReef · Feb 5, 2023

Ive had sexys for like 2 years now and they have never been a problem if well fed. If you dont feed every day and target feed them every once in a while, they will definitely start picking at corals though. I guess my possum finally got big enough that a tiny sexy is considered a meal. I think I all of them are still alive. I am not sure how... I literally saw the possum carrying one around in its mouth like a shark.

i cant think · Feb 5, 2023

SauceyReef said:
Ive had sexys for like 2 years now and they have never been a problem if well fed. If you dont feed every day and target feed them every once in a while, they will definitely start picking at corals though. I guess my possum finally got big enough that a tiny sexy is considered a meal. I think I all of them are still alive. I am not sure how... I literally saw the possum carrying one around in its mouth like a shark.

It could just be because the possum saw it as food and I assume you broadcast feed, I have found when the shrimp go down to safety they often aren’t predated on and are often seen as good.

1epauletteshark · Feb 5, 2023

This doesn’t sound great for my idea of adding sexy shrimp to my aquarium, I have a yellow banded possum wrasse that is about an inch long in my 17 gallon, should I be concerned? How should I introduce them?

SauceyReef · Feb 5, 2023

i cant think said:
It could just be because the possum saw it as food and I assume you broadcast feed, I have found when the shrimp go down to safety they often aren’t predated on and are often seen as good.

That may be what started it, but the possum kept hunting them throughout the day (to my horror). I woke up and they all dissapeared except the original 2. I see one in the back chamber. It’s possible all 4 new ones went back there.

my possum is 3” . My mistake was not feeding beforehand. Maybe should’ve introduced them at night also when the possum is sleeping .

STEEZY · Feb 5, 2023

Yeah they’ll eat the little ones for sure. Gotta get the bigger ones. Mine ate 2 of 3 in the first day. Only the big on survived. Wish I would have known beforehand. And he’s only 1.5-2”.

But the possum wrasse (Pinocchio) is my favorite fish so no way I’d rehome him.

1epauletteshark · Feb 6, 2023

Yikes, ill try out those methods when I introduce them but Taco is the most docile fish in the tank and has never tried attacking anything. I even need to make sure that she gets enough food because the clowns eat it all.

1epauletteshark · Feb 6, 2023

SauceyReef said:
That may be what started it, but the possum kept hunting them throughout the day (to my horror). I woke up and they all dissapeared except the original 2. I see one in the back chamber. It’s possible all 4 new ones went back there.

my possum is 3” . My mistake was not feeding beforehand. Maybe should’ve introduced them at night also when the possum is sleeping .

I hope the rest survive, good luck. Feeding beforehand and introducing at night seem like good ideas. A sexy shrimp wouldn't even be able to fit in Taco's mouth, I am most worried about my blue eye royal dottyback.

STEEZY · Feb 6, 2023

1epauletteshark said:
Yikes, ill try out those methods when I introduce them but Taco is the most docile fish in the tank and has never tried attacking anything. I even need to make sure that she gets enough food because the clowns eat it all.

yeah this is exactly what I thought, he’s super docile and never messed with anything. But if they are small ones, my guess is that he’ll eat them.

SauceyReef · Feb 6, 2023

My Possum is now around 2.5-3" and full grown. It has lived with a bunch sexys near 2 years no problem. These ones I added must've been just small enough, the Possum was just hungry enough, and they were floating around the tank as a meal just right for him to eye them down. 6 months ago I doubt this wouldve happened.

SauceyReef · Feb 6, 2023

STEEZY said:
Yeah they’ll eat the little ones for sure. Gotta get the bigger ones. Mine ate 2 of 3 in the first day. Only the big on survived. Wish I would have known beforehand. And he’s only 1.5-2”.

But the possum wrasse (Pinocchio) is my favorite fish so no way I’d rehome him.

Great name! I am at the same boat. I am actually trying to find a local hobbyist to trade for hopefully a juvenile again, or a pink streaked.

STEEZY · Feb 6, 2023

SauceyReef said:
Great name! I am at the same boat. I am actually trying to find a local hobbyist to trade for hopefully a juvenile again, or a pink streaked.

Pink streaked are beautiful. That was my intention but I couldn’t find one. WWC had the possum for a great deal when I was passing through Orlando in 2021 and I snagged him.

happyhourhero · Feb 6, 2023

Possum wrasses are savage hunters. Mine loves to hunt at night and has decimated my worm and amphipods. Any time the lights are off but there may be ambient light in the room, I can walk over and it’s always out hunting while the other fish are down for the night.

SauceyReef · Feb 6, 2023

happyhourhero said:
Possum wrasses are savage hunters. Mine loves to hunt at night and has decimated my worm and amphipods. Any time the lights are off but there may be ambient light in the room, I can walk over and it’s always out hunting while the other fish are down for the night.

Yes! Mine does the same thing! It wakes up before Sunrise to hunt, and typically takes a nap or two during the day when lights are going down. Let me see if I can find a closeup a fellow reefer took of a closeup of their mouth. Its like a little barracuda! Poor Sexys.. I hope all 4 made it in the back of the tank okay. I am just going to leave them there for a month or two to let them acclimate, and maybe get a little bigger! I guess if they found a way to get back there, they can somehow get back in the DT?

SauceyReef · Feb 6, 2023

Check this out guys!! This photo deserves an award.. Blen Reef

SauceyReef · Jul 27, 2023

Update - the Possum would occasionally hunt one down. It was starting to get big for my tank anyway so I rehomed it and traded it for a Helfrichi Firefish along with a couple other corals. Eventually I found a juvenile pink streaked wrasse and added it in. It seems way more docile than the Possum wrasse, and for now a better fit. Could just be an age thing.