What are pygmy red rooster waspfish?
Pygmy red rooster waspfish are brightly colored red fish which are on the small side (hence their name). Commonly enthusiasts find that they reach a size of two inches, but that they have the appetite of much larger fish!
They are masters of camouflage. So, if you were looking for a beautifully colored and vibrant-looking fish to add flare to your tank then this may not be the fish for you. They quickly adapt to their surroundings and will often hide in caves, small spaces between rocks, or even camouflage themselves to the rocks.
They are not particularly active fish, instead choosing to hide away. They can often be found simply relaxing on rocks and do not seem to move much apart from when feeding.
Why are they so popular with hobbyists?
Pygmy red rooster waspfish can be found for a lot cheaper than some other fish. For example, they are not dissimilar to lionfish but they are an awful lot cheaper!
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What do pygmy red rooster waspfish eat?
Although they have a much smaller mouth than many similar fish, pygmy red rooster waspfish still have a large appetite and will eat almost anything that they physically can! This means that if you have other smaller fish in your tank they may, unfortunately, become dinner for your new pygmy red rooster waspfish!
Typically, they prefer live food to begin with and can be fed a diet of blackworms and types of shrimp (such as brine shrimp). However, if live feeding becomes too much work for you then they can be trained to eat frozen food, although this is not their ideal diet.
Enthusiasts often say not to be concerned if your pygmy red rooster waspfish does not appear to be eating for a couple of days after you bring them home. This is because they are simply adjusting to their new environment. Once they are settled you will be sure to see a vast increase in their appetite!
If you are still worried about the eating habits of your new fish then you can choose to target feed them. Place their meal right beside them to encourage eating.
However, make sure not to feed them any freshwater fish or freshwater shrimp as this may cause health issues down the line.
How to care for pygmy red rooster waspfish
Pygmy red rooster waspfish are known to be a medium-level difficult fish to care for. They do not require much in the way of room or interactions. However, an environment into which they can camouflage or rocks in which they can hide will make them much happier as they like to disappear out of sight.
They have a large appetite. So, to stop them from having a nibble at the smallest of your other fish it is best to feed them often and regularly so that their appetite will be satiated.
They also require medium light in the tank.
They can be rather aggressive given their nature, but thankfully pygmy red rooster waspfish are very easy to tell the gender of. You can hardly confuse the females with the males. This means that it is very easy to avoid male-male aggressiveness within your tank!
To avoid problems with aggression it is best to choose pygmy red rooster waspfish of different sexes, or just to stick with having the one in your home aquarium.
Are they reef safe?
pygmy red rooster waspfish are reef safe, but you need to be cautious, don’t put them with a fish smaller than 1.5 inches.
What are the problems with having a pygmy red rooster waspfish?
They are aggressive fish
Pygmy red rooster waspfish are rather aggressive fish, much like lionfish and so you should always be careful when introducing them into a tank full of other fish. Make sure you know the temperaments of the other fish in your home aquarium in order to know if the pygmy red rooster waspfish is a good fit for your tank.
Although they themselves can be quite aggressive, other fish can be even more aggressive!
Venomous
Additionally, they are venomous. So, if you like to often put your hands in your tank to have a play around with your set up then you may want to consider either not buying a pygmy red rooster waspfish or investing in a professional pair of gloves designed specifically for handling tanks containing venomous fish.
The pygmy red rooster waspfish’s ability to hide means that even if you think it is safe to put your hand into their tank, it is not! You may accidentally touch them when moving around your rocks, so it is better to be safe than sorry.
They like to hide away
The main problem with waspfish is that they do not like to make themselves readily visible, choosing to rest on the bottom of your home aquarium or hidden away completely. So, although they are very interesting fish they do not make the best for display purposes.
Instead, it is best only to choose to buy pygmy red rooster waspfish if you are interested in the species or its behavior. Choosing to buy one for its interesting color will not serve you particularly well. You may buy them due to a particular marking or brightness of their color, but you will soon find that they adapt to their environment.
This means that if you have a particularly dull tank then you will also soon have a very bland looking waspfish. However, if you buy your pygmy red rooster waspfish to enhance an already wonderfully bright and colorful home tank then you stand a much better chance of seeing them in all their colorful glory!
So, if you are ready to put the time and effort into making sure that your home aquarium is well suited to housing a pygmy red rooster waspfish then you find them a great addition particularly if you like to study their nature.