Pygmy waspfish info

Sharkbait19 · Nov 16, 2020

Hi everyone,
For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted a lionfish. Of course, that’s quite impossible in a 13.5 gallon tank, at least for the long term. Today I discovered the pygmy waspfish:

I can’t find much of anything about them. Does anyone have experience or info? Also, if it is possible to keep one in my aquarium, where would I find one??

xxkenny90xx · Nov 16, 2020

@Unstoppable algae! @Judd @isaacalves @lion king

Any thoughts?

ZachP · Nov 16, 2020

I had one for like a year in my old 20 gallon before I got rid of the tank. He was awesome. He ate great, was super peaceful, just kind of hung out on the bottom and did his own thing. Usually stuck close to rocks on the bottom

lion king · Nov 16, 2020

I have 3, they do not come around that often, I found them kinda by fluke after looking for about a year. Ask your lfs if any of their suppliers have them, I don't know of any suppliers online that ever offer them except for dd. They are cryptic and not that active; my white face girl is very entertaining but the other 2 are pretty boring. I have seen bonded pairs on divers den and your tank would be fine for one or a pair.

Paracentropogon zonatus 1st impressions

aka pygmy red rooster waspfish, red bandtail waspfish. I know I said I was finished with new additions, these had been on my list for a couple of years and this trio was at a lfs, so i picked them up. I have seen questions regarding these guys from time to time, and frustratingly no one ever...

www.reef2reef.com

ZachP · Nov 16, 2020

Here he is

Sharkbait19 · Nov 17, 2020

Thanks everyone for the replies! It's certainly something I'll have to keep my eyes open for!

By the way, how are they diet-wise? How would I feed them?

lion king · Nov 17, 2020

Sharkbait19 said:
Thanks everyone for the replies! It's certainly something I'll have to keep my eyes open for!

By the way, how are they diet-wise? How would I feed them?

You do need to target feed them. They can be difficult in the beginning but seem to come around before they starve. If I was to do it again. I would have a good pod population to settle rhem in. They took to live black worms pretty easily. Sometimes they will take food from a pipette or worms from tweezers, but I tirn off the pumps and squirt food at them, as they take their sweet time eating. There are eating a number of frozen preparations now, pe mysis and hikari mega marine among others.

Warrior Princess(the white faced girl) is a different story. She's a beast and eats live guppies and ghosties while hunting with the Hawaiian leaf fish. They will gladly accept small live foods as well.

Sharkbait19 · Nov 17, 2020

While my tank is fallow the pod population is growing like crazy, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Would it decimate them like a mandarin or will it give them a chance to keep replenishing?
Also can they be pellet trained or is it strictly live/frozen?

lion king · Nov 17, 2020

Sharkbait19 said:
While my tank is fallow the pod population is growing like crazy, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Would it decimate them like a mandarin or will it give them a chance to keep replenishing?
Also can they be pellet trained or is it strictly live/frozen?

I think it depends on the individual, my white face girl would decimate them. I did add some after the fact and they were gone in no time. As far as feeding, these types of fish, it all does come up to the individual. Because all I do is predator tanks, with the exception of one large community tank, my method of feeding is a little different than most. But an individual may take pellets as much as anything else. Just be prepared to offer many types of feeding options, especially in the beginning.

Unstoppable algae! · Nov 21, 2020

Here is a photo of mine in March. Apparently I need more lol.

I really like them. They seem to hide in the day & will show their head right as the lights are turning off.
Mine seems shy & shows no interest in frozen foods. I have a little freshwater tank I keep ghost shrimp in & "gut load" them. I feed him once a week. I have a turkey baster & need to push the shrimp right to him...
Mine is a horrible hunter if my chalk bass wakes up the shrimp is stolen.
Not aggressive at all, stays with a small neon goby. Although a sexy shrimp is missing.
I wanted little predators as I have a reef tank, pygmy hawk & coral cruncher are next on the list.

Sharkbait19 · Nov 21, 2020

I’ll definitely keep my eyes out for one!!

Nurse.Reef.Reapeat · Aug 2, 2021

Would love to get a pair of this in my nuvo 10 mangrove tank.

Chrisv. · Jan 25, 2022

Sharkbait19 said:
Hi everyone,
For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted a lionfish. Of course, that’s quite impossible in a 13.5 gallon tank, at least for the long term. Today I discovered the pygmy waspfish:

I can’t find much of anything about them. Does anyone have experience or info? Also, if it is possible to keep one in my aquarium, where would I find one??

Googled red rooster wasp fish after seeing a cool photo. Thought...cool...I bet Ali would love these....clicked thread from Google search. Landed here as my first hit. Hope you are well!

Sharkbait19 · Jan 26, 2022

I’ve been good, just always busy with something lol
Hope you are doing well!

Every day I check Divers den for no reason other than to see if these come up in stock…I really wish I could find one! Still nothing.

GHOSTLY · Jan 26, 2022

Back before I got into coral I kept a fowlr and had something similar. I just fed it chunks of shrimp, frozen foods, and small little mythis shrimp. Cool fish!

FreeEnergyReefer · Nov 22, 2022

ZachP said:
Here he is

An Absolute Gem! looking for a pair for the 14g nano. Enjoy keep us updated

GHOSTLY · Nov 22, 2022

AWW HE'S SO CUTE! Is he reef safe?

Privateye · Nov 22, 2022

GHOSTLY said:
AWW HE'S SO CUTE! Is he reef safe?

I haven't kept this specific species before, but I've kept "butterfly gobies" (another waspfish) and plenty of barbfish and lionfish. These are kind of like the other members of the scorpionfish family. Any fish, shrimp, worm, etc that fits in its mouth will be eaten. Things that can't will be avoided. So kind of. It won't harm coral.

livinlifeinBKK · Nov 20, 2023

@Sharkbait19 did you find one? I was looking at this one that a shop got in stock. It's expensive for prices here but definitely affordable...I have a nano too and he'd be the only inhabitant likely other than possibly a simple dottyback that would swim and inhabit a different part of the tank than him (I understand waspfish are benthic dwelling fish).

Sharkbait19 · Nov 20, 2023

livinlifeinBKK said:
@Sharkbait19 did you find one? I was looking at this one that a shop got in stock. It's expensive for prices here but definitely affordable...I have a nano too and he'd be the only inhabitant likely other than possibly a simple dottyback that would swim and inhabit a different part of the tank than him (I understand waspfish are benthic dwelling fish).

I did find one - I just got lucky and the lfs got a few in. Definitely worth it if you come across one as they are quite rare. Definitely best suited for a nano so you can easily monitor its feeding, mine was always active after dark and in later hours even when the lights were on. I haven’t seen it in a bit, so I think it may have eventually died - no real way of knowing unless it pops up again.