Leopard Wrasse Primer

[Ralph ATL]

Originally Posted by Jstn

Well I ordered three from LA, they should be here tomorrow, since I have the 14 day warranty, I am going to QT them to protect my other fish, I have a largish tupperware full of sand ready to go.

don't forget airstone

[hogfanreefer]

Originally Posted by Ralph ATL

anything you get from anywhere except diver's den you should QT & condition for your tank.

you have total control on insuring that it is eating foods without competitive fishes or aggressive actions. It's not just for disease with expert level fish care.


a few pics here of my wrasse QT & condition. I also match the QT salinity to what the fish came in, and daily water changes increase slowly to display tank salinity.

I love LA/DD and use them as much as possible but I would QT fish from there as well. I have gotten a fish from them with Ich. Doesn't happen a lot but it can and does happen.

[thewrasseman]

Species: Macropharyngodon bipartitus Male and Female
Source: LFS from Quality Marine (same place DD uses)
Method of introduction (straight to tank)
Tank set up: 80 and 120 Reef. They are in the 80 gallon currently

How many other attempts, if any, you made to keep a leopard wrasse and thoughts on why this attempt was successful:

Have only lost 1 juvenile (my first one) and have had 5 juvenile/female bipartitus in the past, which eventually were given to fellow reefers. All 5 were in my system for around a year or more (at different times throughout the 8 years I've been in the hobby). Have always wanted a male but never had one change or even begin to show signs of changing. I have had the female in my tank currently for 1.5 years and was able to get a male shipped in from QM through my LFS recently. Male was added to my display tank after being at my LFS for about a week, we fed mysis and brine mix day 1 at the store with no issue, great color and very healthy. I used an acclimation box when i brought him home to make sure the female in the tank currently did not start to change. He was in the box for 2 days with no female aggression present. Released him into the tank yesterday night with no issues, and when watching, saw them swim together most of the time. Acclimation box did have sand, which was placed where the box was when it was removed.

[albano]

Originally Posted by hogfanreefer

I love LA/DD and use them as much as possible but I would QT fish from there as well...

+1... Absolutely, they even recommend it!

[joshky]

My potters wrasse has started to eat NLS pellets now as well, it's become quite the pig. Other is still MIA, I assume dead unfortunately. I now have a female bipartitus coming in tomorrow.

[Jstn]

well they are back ordered so im playing the waiting game.

[Jstn]

Got a tracking number, crossing my fingers!

[joshky]

My female bipartitus came in looking really good Tuesday and came out for the first time today. She nipped at LRS Reef Frenzy soaked in selcon and garlic, very happy about that. Here's to hoping she's another success.

edit:

Just to clarify, by success, I merely mean eating well. Long term success on my potters is still to be seen.

[themadride]

I posted a couple weeks ago and got no response, so I thought I would update with a follow up question.

My black leopard wrasse is still doing good, but still acting "odd", but it's my first leopard so maybe it's not odd after all.

He eats prepared food (LRS fish frenzy) soaked with anything I choose to add to it, which is good. My tank is teaming with pods and he hunts constantly in addition to eating prepared.

But his sleeping pattern is WEIRD. He comes out for about 6 - 8 hours.....per 3 days.

Almost like clockwork he stays down for 2 days, then comes out...eats like a pig and goes back to sleep for 2 days. It's been this way for the last 2 weeks.

And interestingly, the more/faster I feed him...the faster he goes back under. If I wait to feed him and just let him hunt all day, he will stay out pretty much all day (on that 3rd day) but if I feed him a bunch, he may only stay out 3 or 4 hours and crash.

Is this normal? So far he seems like a big lazy couch potato of a fish. lol

[eatbreakfast]

Originally Posted by themadride

I posted a couple weeks ago and got no response, so I thought I would update with a follow up question.

My black leopard wrasse is still doing good, but still acting "odd", but it's my first leopard so maybe it's not odd after all.

He eats prepared food (LRS fish frenzy) soaked with anything I choose to add to it, which is good. My tank is teaming with pods and he hunts constantly in addition to eating prepared.

But his sleeping pattern is WEIRD. He comes out for about 6 - 8 hours.....per 3 days.

Almost like clockwork he stays down for 2 days, then comes out...eats like a pig and goes back to sleep for 2 days. It's been this way for the last 2 weeks.

And interestingly, the more/faster I feed him...the faster he goes back under. If I wait to feed him and just let him hunt all day, he will stay out pretty much all day (on that 3rd day) but if I feed him a bunch, he may only stay out 3 or 4 hours and crash.

Is this normal? So far he seems like a big lazy couch potato of a fish. lol

Not so much of a lazy couch potato, but more of a scaredy-cat. Leopards utilize going under the sand bed for sleeping, but also for protection from perceived dangers. Somewhere along the line your leopard wrasse got scared badly. If he didn't need food he likely wouldn't be out at all. Give it time. It can take a while for him to break this behavior, but he will eventually.

[anth245]

MY tank was a year old and had basically very bad water, yet 2 were very happy in it and are still arround today as a mated pair(no qt or acclimation)

[Jstn]

The three were DOA, going to try one more time.

[Macimage]

Originally Posted by Jstn

The three were DOA, going to try one more time.

I am sorry to read that and hope that the next three are healthy.

[Jstn]

Ordered three more off LA, also got two black leopard wrasse. Well they did not send the Potters, but just the black leopards. After acclimating them they dove into the sand (good sign). While removing them from the bag I saw some really bright blue and yellows on their fins, truly a beautiful fish. I have only seen picture on line and I though they were less than impressive up until now.

[monkiboy]

Originally Posted by Jstn

The three were DOA, going to try one more time.

I lost track, sorry. where were these from? and was the DOA from shipping error of the carrier (lost in transit kind of thing)? sorry for the significant total loss. that is hard and never fun.

[jason2459]

I got this guy about 4 years go now. Thin and beak all receded. He ended up surviving and turned bully taking out a few of my other leopards.

Got him close to 3" and now near 6" ( I'm still terrible at taking pictures)

[Jstn]

Originally Posted by monkiboy

I lost track, sorry. where were these from? and was the DOA from shipping error of the carrier (lost in transit kind of thing)? sorry for the significant total loss. that is hard and never fun.

Live aquaria, the first one was dead in the bag, the second one lasted an hour maybe two, and the third made it to the second day, sorry I wasn't specific on the timeline. I met the UPS driver at my door at 9am and got them into my QT tank by 10 am after acclimating. I know many of you have successes with direct into the DT, but I like qt to prevent disease (I have a clown pair I had for 6-7 years) and a few special fish. Also i feel the low competition for food along with the ability to observe these animals outweighs the bad.

I came home tonight and one was out, it appears one is turning male, he has a beautiful green face and was able to start accepting mysis. His mouth is banged up a bit but he was still able to swallow the food after spitting out a few time.

The potters above is stunning, very nice specimen there.

[monkiboy]

thank you for the additional details jstn. I agree with qt but also prophylaxis and treatment and rarely have had issues with several popularly recognized "difficult" species but I have also done my due diligence like many in this thread for proper care.

ok, so not dead upon arrival, literally, but all dead within 2 days and from LA as a source. ok, thank you.

that is great news on the new arrivals. when settled and photos are possible, I would love to see them. keep at it and best of luck - enjoy!

[themadride]

Just an update on my trio of black leopards.

The first died a couple of days after introduction. He never acted right. He played dead not only during acclimation but also after introduction. He just layed on the sand for a couple of hours. But the he dove in and came out every day for a few days and ate a bit, but just acted weird (weirder than the others) and after a couple of days I found him dead.

The second wrasse died yesterday and this one really disappointed me. I thought we were out of the woods. It's been a month, and he was out for several hours most days, eating prepared and hunting pods, etc.

Suddenly, I found him dead with SEVERE BEAK TRAUMA. The kind of potential trauma you read about happening in shipping. What you could potentially expect if you tried to keep one in a BB. I have a soft, fine sand bed ranging from 2.5" to 4.5" with most at 3". I can't figure out what would have caused his entire upper beak to be gone. Anyway, RIP #2.

So, I'm down to 1 of 3, which is kind of what I half expected to being with. I'm disappointed, but not discouraged.

I originally wanted a pair and figured it might take two separate orders of 3 fish to make that happen. But if I lose the last leopard after a month I'll be pretty discouraged.

[m0nkie]

I just lost my pair of black leopard in QT after dosing PraziPro.

Both wrasse were eating prepared food. 20 gal QT has 2 wrasse, a baby 1 spot fox face and a baby sunburst anthias. air stone + ph.. matched salinity and temp.

Started TTM, both wrasse looked good. 2nd Transfer was great. 3rd transfer has PP inside. 5ml per 20gal. after 2 days of Prazi, 1 wrasse looked pretty dead and 1 looked ok. 3rd day, 1 wrasse died.. all other fish are fine.

4th transfer, into clean tank. 2nd wrasse died over night...

pretty bummed.. I'll try another pair after the holidays.. not sure what went wrong. the other 2 fish are still fine in QT.

I seem to lose wrasse a lot in QT. specially after PP. I made sure there's extra flow in there to counter the lack of o2. I suspect maybe by last day of transfer, there's ammonia build up? I try to feed frozen food only and sometimes I see left over mysis..

Do you guys get the uneaten food out of QT everyday?

[themadride]

I never had a problem with PraziPro, but I also never dosed directly. I just soaked the food in it.

[jason2459]

I wouldn't TTT any leopard until they've established a good sleeping pattern with your timezone and are eating well. Prazi would be fine once they start eating. Then I would TTT if you are going to do the TTT method. Make sure to have a nice deep Tupperware filled with Sand for QT or a sandbed. Live Rock in there also helps.

Leopard wrasses are also a lot less succeptable to having crypto. They are a lot more likely to have worms which is where the prazi pro comes in. And a lot more likely to have internal worms which is where having prazi soaked foods come in. But I would make sure they are eating before treating.

I would also find out where the Leopard was caught and set the lighting timer on that time zone and slowly shift it towards yours.

[Jstn]

So my second black leopard came out of the sand after 2 days and died, the first black leopard is eating, he gets up at 4pm and loves PE mysis (seriously this stuff is great) To comment I have been doing weekly 20% water changes on my Qt, I wonder if these fish are more sensitive to NH3 than others and perhaps that is one of the reasons the QT seems to do far worse than the DT. I have a NH3 monitor, and try not to over feed, I also added a piece of rock from my sump.

About the TTM, I think that is WAY too much stress for these wrasse, I figure just observe them for a month in QT and they should be good. If the wrasse has an infection it seems to die way before getting to the tank to spread the disease. Now with tangs I agree ich seems to be more problematice and the TTM may work albeit is alot more manual work than I am willing to do.

[Jstn]

Also to add, my QT has a 2" layer of sand, a piece of live rock, a sponge filter driven by a toms aqua lifter and a small cheap power head (and heater of course). I have been striving to mimic the DT as much as possible, hopefully this helps with the survival.

[Jstn]

Well bad news, my black leopard passed last night and I am leaving for a vacation for a few days. I got an email from LA last night that they shipped my backordered potters wrasse even though I called them to hold off till next week! This caused alot of stress for me, so after not having any success in the QT, along with not being able to feed (DT has an autofeeder) I went against my better judgement and added these three potters right to the DT. First I floated the back then over the course of 30 min replaced all the water in the bags with tank water. I monitored salinity with my digital refractometer, and once it was the same as the DT I scooped them out and introduced them right in.

What happened I have never seen before but these three are acting like nothing happened, granted they are sticking together, but they are interacting with the other fish and seemed the least stressed of any leopards I have tried before. I ordered medium and these guys look med-large with large bellies, definitely in good health upon arrival. I even fed some brine and I think the smaller of the three went for it! I know its way too early to celebrate but I think this is a great sign!

I even made a video

Untitled by J Bolton, on Flickr