possum wrasses as amphipod hunters?

[Chrisv.]

I've experienced a substantial increase in the amphipod population in a fishless system and I'm wondering what the hive's experience has been with possum wrasses as amphipod predators.

Get these creepers off of my rocks!!

 

[blaxsun]

A mandarin would probably be thrilled...

 

[Chrisv.]

A mandarin would probably be thrilled...

Do they go for amphipods too? For some reason I was under the impression that amphipods are too large for them.

Might be worth a shot! I do have an obscene amount of copepods too, but I'm not as eager to rid myself of them.

 

[Sharkbait19]

How big is the tank? I wouldn’t give a mandarin less than 30.
Wrasse will do a number on those pods, of course, so will a lot of fish.

 

[Chrisv.]

How big is the tank? I wouldn’t give a mandarin less than 30.
Wrasse will do a number on those pods, of course, so will a lot of fish.

Regardless of tank size I will not have a dragonet unless I personally see it eat prepared foods. Honestly, they just require a bit more babysitting than I am interested in right now. Even in a 30 gallon you're stuck dumping in pods or using a Paul b style feeder with baby brine. Even when I had a mandarin that took prepared food (in a previous tank) I had to hand feed it mysis one at a time through a pipette. The thing was fat and happy and still randomly died one day after years of screwing with the pipette every single day. As much as I enjoy my reef tanks and the ritual of screwing with my reef tanks, I just don't want that again.

All of that said, I'm still not sure if a mandarin would eat these big amphipods. Hence, my pursuit of a possum wrasse.

I know they are a lot more cryptic than a sixline, but I love how shifty they look. They remind me of my mystery wrasse (who went carpet surfing long ago). I have been reassured on here that they wont eat my breeding pair of Randall's pistol shrimp. I know they are a serious pod hunter, but I was hoping that their jaw anatomy would allow them to open wide enough to eat amphipods. Ultimately, I need a wrasse or other fish that does eat prepared foods.

 

[Sharkbait19]

I haven’t read anything that suggests they cannot eat amphipods. Even when my clownfish were tiny they had no problem eating them, and they don’t have too big a mouth when small.
If not a possum, a 6 line would definitely do it, though they have a bad reputation.

 

[elorablue]

I have a possum wrasse and she is hunting all day long on the rocks. I’m pretty sure it’s just copepods though as I have yet to see any amphipods in my tank. Her mouth is very tiny and pointy though I’m not sure she would eat anything large. Regardless it’s a beautiful fish and a great addition to my 20g tank.

 

[jaganshi066]

Regardless of tank size I will not have a dragonet unless I personally see it eat prepared foods. Honestly, they just require a bit more babysitting than I am interested in right now. Even in a 30 gallon you're stuck dumping in pods or using a Paul b style feeder with baby brine. Even when I had a mandarin that took prepared food (in a previous tank) I had to hand feed it mysis one at a time through a pipette. The thing was fat and happy and still randomly died one day after years of screwing with the pipette every single day. As much as I enjoy my reef tanks and the ritual of screwing with my reef tanks, I just don't want that again.

All of that said, I'm still not sure if a mandarin would eat these big amphipods. Hence, my pursuit of a possum wrasse.

I know they are a lot more cryptic than a sixline, but I love how shifty they look. They remind me of my mystery wrasse (who went carpet surfing long ago). I have been reassured on here that they wont eat my breeding pair of Randall's pistol shrimp. I know they are a serious pod hunter, but I was hoping that their jaw anatomy would allow them to open wide enough to eat amphipods. Ultimately, I need a wrasse or other fish that does eat prepared foods.

I was going to say unless you’re considering getting other fish in the future I would get a sixline. He will enjoy those and keep pests under control.

 

[BPCGuy]

My yellow banded possum wrasse does eat amphipods. I don't know if a pink streaked wrasse could fit them in their mouth.

 

[i cant think]

Regardless of tank size I will not have a dragonet unless I personally see it eat prepared foods. Honestly, they just require a bit more babysitting than I am interested in right now. Even in a 30 gallon you're stuck dumping in pods or using a Paul b style feeder with baby brine. Even when I had a mandarin that took prepared food (in a previous tank) I had to hand feed it mysis one at a time through a pipette. The thing was fat and happy and still randomly died one day after years of screwing with the pipette every single day. As much as I enjoy my reef tanks and the ritual of screwing with my reef tanks, I just don't want that again.

All of that said, I'm still not sure if a mandarin would eat these big amphipods. Hence, my pursuit of a possum wrasse.

I know they are a lot more cryptic than a sixline, but I love how shifty they look. They remind me of my mystery wrasse (who went carpet surfing long ago). I have been reassured on here that they wont eat my breeding pair of Randall's pistol shrimp. I know they are a serious pod hunter, but I was hoping that their jaw anatomy would allow them to open wide enough to eat amphipods. Ultimately, I need a wrasse or other fish that does eat prepared foods.

So, possum wrasse are extremely secretive - Unless there is not aggressor in the tank like a clownfish. These also tend to be rather more difficult to adapt to captivity, and get eating on frozen.
If you’re not prepared for one that is iffy with prepared foods then may I recommend a pink streaked wrasse (Pseudocheilinops ataenia). Although, both these fish have been relatively hard to come by recently, it’s worth it! Both have curious personality and it’s one that I have only seen in the leopards, pink streak and Possums.