Neogonodactylus wennerae in reef tank?

[john f]

I have just found what I believe to be a 3" long Neogonodactylus wennerae in my 1000 gallon reef tank.
Probably came in with my Gulf (FL) live rock.
What are my chances if I leave him in the tank?
This is generally the way I treat critters unless I notice a problem.
He may have killed some of my snails/shrimp/crabs, but I have ALOT of them in the tank.
From earlier posts it seems he may be towards the end of his lifespan anyway.
Will this species eat fish?
Will it go around the tank killing every snail/crab it can find?

I really will have a tough time catching him as I have to actually get in the tank to do anything.


John

 

[Scotty]

Hey John,
I've never kept N wennerea but, I've kept 3 or 4 other species in reef(like) environs with good success. Sometimes they might stir up the gravel or move a coral but otherwise they fit right in. With the exception of snails and crabs, smashers can't resist em. Smashers have to work too hard to catch fish so usually they're safe. I'm assuming it's a smasher? If I were you(and how I'd love to have a 1000 gal reef) I would find out where his cave is and feed him twice a week, he'll eat a lot less snails and crabs. A piece of fresh shrimp or frozen krill or whatever he'll accept from the end of a feeding stick. Seems like he's pretty small to make an impact on a 1000 gal reef, might be worth a try. They are really cool animals. How'd you ID the N. wennerae. What's he look like? Is there a pic somewhere online? Good luck.

 

[Scotty]

My Ecipse 12 gal. with 6.5 inch peacock mantis. About a year old.
Several reef hermits but, no snails...

 

[Gonodactylus]

A gonodactylid this size will eat up to two or three small snails, hermits and crabs a day, but they typically do not kill more than they can eat. N. wennerae will occasionally kill a small fish, but this is not their typical prey and if they are well fed, it should not be a problem. My suggestion is to leave the guy alone. In a tank as large as this, it should have no impact.

Roy