seabird wrasse eating snails/crabs?

[unleashed]

i have a pair of bird wrasses in my reef and yes they periodicly beat the clean up crew to death(i find it costly but amusing none the less) if you feed them a good diet daily they will slow down on the beatings.the only thing i found they are realllyyyy bad with are clams... picked mine clean
so no more clams in that tank. i do feed my tank 3 times daily 2 times with pellets (spectrum thera +A ) then frozen prepared foods in the pm bird wrasses are carnivores and need meaty foods.and will eat smaller fish if hungry enough.along with your clean up crew..ps they also control fire and bristle worm populations

[unleashed]

here are pics of male and female bird wrasse ..male being the green/blue female red/brown

[dsfdbutterfly]

I have to tell you that I too found out the hard way that bird wrasses eat the clean up crew. I proudly purchased some hermits and brought them home. Once in the tank I got to sit and watch for the next 1 1/2 as my bird wrasse consumed the most expensive meal (at one time) that I had ever feed him. I was so depressed and my husband didn't know what to do with me. Unfortunately you never know when these guys are going to strike and it's not likely that you will ever be able to keep your tank stocked enough to keep it clean. Or you will constantly be stocking the tank for his/her enjoyment. This fish are good for fish only or FOWLR tanks but don't usually find their way into reef settings for that matter. Hope this helps.

Lynn, your male/female pair are beautiful by the way. I bet that you enjoy watching them play together.

Angie

[unleashed]

thanx angie.they are very active fish mine never hide the male is always doing his shimmy dance for the female .as for clean up crew i have a few fish that like the snails and crabs alike as snacks so yes restocking as always nessesary.normally i would never reccomend a bird wrasse for a reef tank.but my tanks are def not the norm.i expect and accept having to restock clean up crews as im used to keeping fish that eat them.

[dkode]

i was trying to get this guy out of the tank just now and its almost impossible to get him!

everytime i try to get him in the net he darts off underneath the rocks.

is there any trick to catching him in the net?