ive had mine about a year now in a 26bowfront, with a royal granma and a yellow watchmen. my tanks loaded with liverock so it hides often, but it seems to actually greet me everytime i go over to the tank. maybe mines just bold. one of my favorite fish. i plan on adding a red one to my 75gl when i start stocking it again, as the first fish.
Tell Me About Possum Wrasses
- Thread starter Fretfreak13
- Start date
snorvich - your advice would be greatly appreciated
well i guess this is a good place to ask. i plan on adding a Centropyge acanthops to my 75 as the last fish. but would love a Bodianus bimaculatus as well. do you think these fish would bully a wetmorella. if so, do you think a mystery wrasse would be a better fit. oh its an open top, bad idea?
well i guess this is a good place to ask. i plan on adding a Centropyge acanthops to my 75 as the last fish. but would love a Bodianus bimaculatus as well. do you think these fish would bully a wetmorella. if so, do you think a mystery wrasse would be a better fit. oh its an open top, bad idea?
The B. bimaculatus could possibly harass it if it's particularly boisterous, but it's hard to say because you could end up with a more passive one that wouldn't pay much attention to it. I'd say it wouldn't be worth chancing in a smaller tank, but it might not be an issue at all in a 75g. Definitely do not get a mystery wrasse. Do a quick search on RC, honestly most people report them to be complete monsters and aggressive.
Edit - I noticed it would be in an open top tank, so I wouldn't bother with the hogfish either. It would be at a definite risk of jumping.
Beaun
It's pronounced Bone
I have a yellow banded with a pair of clowns, C. argi, pair of chalk bass, and a yellow and purple wrasse. The first day in the tank it was harassed a little by the centropyge but after the first day it never looked twice at it. Like others have said if you buy fish to see them all the time dont get one. I enjoy the fact that it is reclusive and swims about the rock work all day. I would say they are the perfect reef fish, never bother anything and most things wont bother it, probably because of its demeanor and odd shape.
small alien
The fungus is among us.
Lost my mighty possum to a jump through a small slit in the top.
My experience with a yellow banded possum wrasse is quite different than other posters. I have had mine for many years and is one of my favorite fish. Although reclusive during mid-day sun, he comes out and specifically interacts with me when the light levels are lowered. He seems to hang out with a single ocellaris clown with absolutely no aggression between the two. I have had others bully it, but it seemed to always defend itself and the aggression would stop. With that said, do not mix it with an aggressive species. He does not eat flatworms, but aggressively seeks out pods. The possum wrasse swimming behavior is one of the more interesting characteristics, more like a hummingbird or underwater ROV. He generally keeps the caudal fin collapsed so it it arrow shaped and rarely uses it for propulsion. Don't expect a dazzling color from a yellow banded, but personality galore.
Fish that initially bullied it were red hawkfish (little), royal gramma (more than a little), midas blenny (only when the possum challenged the midas, but that is the typical behavior of a midas), and a pygmy hawkfish (very little interaction). My Potter's angel does not bother it at all.
Fish that initially bullied it were red hawkfish (little), royal gramma (more than a little), midas blenny (only when the possum challenged the midas, but that is the typical behavior of a midas), and a pygmy hawkfish (very little interaction). My Potter's angel does not bother it at all.
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The little "dance" is interesting isn't it? They really do not like to be picked on and will respond with either a threat (dance) or a quick rush and poke to the body of the aggressor. If other fish do not show aggression, then the possum will not as well and actually appears to like to hang out with the others. Sometimes the behavior of the possum is at a higher level ("intelligence"?) then most fish. That's my experience anyway.
BTW, I have had my possum with an open top for 3 years + without an incident. Now that I am quarantining a red fin fairy wrasse, a 1/4" clear mesh top was made. The red fin is a jumper for sure.
That is terrific. ANY fish can jump, many will. 1/4 inch keeps them in. :wave:
Frostyeel
New member
I love my possum. He is a Tanaki that I have had for a little over 4 years now. Mine was very shy the first few months that I had him but he became much more active and bold once he ran out of pods and started eating pellets and mysis. He is currently living in a biocube 29 with an ocellaris clown and a yellow watchman goby and they all get along fine. Mine is still a little shy but I see him swimming around almost every time I look in the tank. In the evening he will swim up to the glass waiting to be fed.
rhdoug
New member
I had one for a while and he was fine until I added a firefish. He would attack that fish relentlessly so I had to remove him. When he went into attack mode his entire snout would become white until he was done attacking. He was very bold and never hid after the first couple of weeks. My fish are all small and he had come from a friend's tank which had large fish so he was probably done with being the smallest fish and was establishing his authori-tay...
darkside212
New member
I have a yellow banded possum. It comes out more during certain times of the day. It ate frozen, and spectrum pellets right away.
I'd say it is a little more boisterous than the others at my LFS (they have one in a 29 bio on display), but not aggressive at all.
other tank mates are:
2x leopard wrasses
twin spot wrasse
scopas tang
rabbit fish
tank is a SPS reef 48x24x12H
I'd say it is a little more boisterous than the others at my LFS (they have one in a 29 bio on display), but not aggressive at all.
other tank mates are:
2x leopard wrasses
twin spot wrasse
scopas tang
rabbit fish
tank is a SPS reef 48x24x12H
I know the above comment wasn't constructive, but it made me laugh.
zachfishman
Active member
Is your possum still kicking in your 29? Do you find that there's enough room for him in there? I'm thinking of getting one for my 29 (standard, not biocube). Obviously any fish would benefit from more room, but these guys seem to be less active wrasses and from my research the best bet (behind a sixline) for a 29 reef.
mscarpena
New member
I think you'd be fine with a possum in a 29 gallon.
I would not add a Mandarin to a 29 gallon weather you add a possum or not. even though they are eating prepared foods they still need a lot of pods through out the day when there is not frozen foods left in the tank. Mandarins eat constantly and have a high metabolism.
I would not add a Mandarin to a 29 gallon weather you add a possum or not. even though they are eating prepared foods they still need a lot of pods through out the day when there is not frozen foods left in the tank. Mandarins eat constantly and have a high metabolism.
