Leopard wrasse - Really Skinny - cant seem to see food.

[Dukereefnz]

Leopard wrasse - I have a pair.​

One is fat and big, the other is getting skinner and skinner.
He is still swimming around trying to find food.
When food is in front of him he misses when trying to get it.
So he spends a lot of time looking for food on the sand.

I am thinking of putting him in me Quarantine tank and see if I can fatten him up... but long term if he can not see the food he really is a goner.
Eyes look clear - had them about 5 months - purchased as a pair.

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

Are you feeding him copepods and have a huge supply of them?

They'll also need frozen mysis shrimp, drained and soaked in Selcon.

 

[Dukereefnz]

There are lots of copepods but the mandarin also eat them
They both eat pallets and frozen food - or did the poor thing can not see them he trying to bite / grab the pallets and misses... by them all the other fish have eaten the food.

The other one is super fat...

 

[JCM]

I'm not sure what's wrong, but it is very thin. I'd suggesting getting it in a QT alone so it has a better chance of getting food.

 

[jayman19]

They’re a tough fish to keep alive. Sometimes it looks like they’re eating but they aren’t. Good luck!

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

There are lots of copepods but the mandarin also eat them
They both eat pallets and frozen food - or did the poor thing can not see them he trying to bite / grab the pallets and misses... by them all the other fish have eaten the food.

The other one is super fat...

That's definitely not enough rock work to keep a mandarin and two good size wrasses fed in copepods. Yes, the wrasse is staving and to keep those type of wrasses, you'll have to either purchase live Pods or start cultivating your own.

In the interim, I would start feeding frozen mysis and get you some selcon too to soak the mysis shrimp in after you drain it.

Beautiful fish, but yes, they require expert care. Best of luck!

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I'm not sure what's wrong, but it is very thin. I'd suggesting getting it in a QT alone so it has a better chance of getting food.

@op this would also give you the chance to treat for any possible internal parasites. @SaltyT @Crabby48 any ideas?

 

[JCM]

That's definitely not enough rock work to keep a mandarin and two good size wrasses fed in copepods. Yes, the wrasse is staving and to keep those type of wrasses, you'll have to either purchase live Pods or start cultivating your own.

In the interim, I would start feeding frozen mysis and get you some selcon too to soak the mysis shrimp in after you drain it.

Beautiful fish, but yes, they require expert care. Best of luck!

I don't agree with this completely. Leopard wrasses "need" pods about the same way a Halichoeres wrasse needs them. Yes, they'll pick at the rock non stop on the hunt, but they are fine on a diet of prepared foods without pods. They aren't like a mandarin where it's an absolute requirement.

They are generally labeled as "expert level". Personally I think alot of that stigma comes from then being such poor shippers and frequently having internal parasites.

 

[Dukereefnz]

The other one is super fat, I think it can not see.
I will put it in a QT tank and see if I can fatten him up.

And treat for parasites? - but I have had it about 5 months.
As I said both where eating fine, the thin one tries but he is to slow and misses the food so the others eat it all.

While they might like the copdos - both eat frozen and pallets... the skinny one tries to grab pallets but is too slow and misses...

 

[Crabby48]

Not sure what to think. Never saw eye problem on a wrasse but did on two gem tangs a year apart. Wasn’t from ammonia burn or chemicals from collection. Only thing was both were riddled with ich and velvet. Maybe even flukes.
That said a wrasse that’s stressed or not 100 percent healthy will hunt and look for food and yet not eat. You said it goes for food but missed.
Sorry if I missed it I glanced fast at your post. How long you have it. Was it shipped? Did it ever eat? Ammonia can affect eyesight on fish. A methylene blue. Bath could help if that’s the cause

 

[Hurricane Aquatics]

I don't agree with this completely. Leopard wrasses "need" pods about the same way a Halichoeres wrasse needs them. Yes, they'll pick at the rock non stop on the hunt, but they are fine on a diet of prepared foods without pods. They aren't like a mandarin where it's an absolute requirement.

They are generally labeled as "expert level". Personally I think alot of that stigma comes from then being such poor shippers and frequently having internal parasites.

In my experience, which was very recently, leopard wrasses are not too keen on flakes, pellets, frozen, etc.

I just had one starve to death a few months ago and I feed a wide variety of things. He decemated my pod community. Since he's been gone, they've came back like gangbusters.

I have a Yellow and purple wrasse, otherwise known as a canary wrasse, lemon meringue wrasse, etc. It's a white bellied yellow wrasse. He likes frozen mysis soaked in Selcon. I never see him eating Pods or anything really. He could be, but certainly not like the Leopard.

And on the rock work, don't forget, he has a Mandarin and TWO leopard wrasses that are quite large Iight add. A single Mandarin can easily decemate a 100 gallon pod population.

 

[Dukereefnz]

This one does eat pallets if he can get them... loves them - Fauna - Soft Spirulina - both go hard on them.
I will post a picture of it's mate - this one is big and fat.. had both about 5 months.

Seriously I will post a video of this thing trying to catch food... he is just to slow and misses...!

 

[i cant think]

Leopard wrasse - I have a pair.​

One is fat and big, the other is getting skinner and skinner.
He is still swimming around trying to find food.
When food is in front of him he misses when trying to get it.
So he spends a lot of time looking for food on the sand.

I am thinking of putting him in me Quarantine tank and see if I can fatten him up... but long term if he can not see the food he really is a goner.
Eyes look clear - had them about 5 months - purchased as a pair.

View attachment 3103189 View attachment 3103190 View attachment 3103191

It sounds as though your male has internal parasites which absorb the energy out of the fish. Unfortunately if he doesn’t feed he is likely to be a goner.

That's definitely not enough rock work to keep a mandarin and two good size wrasses fed in copepods. Yes, the wrasse is staving and to keep those type of wrasses, you'll have to either purchase live Pods or start cultivating your own.

In the interim, I would start feeding frozen mysis and get you some selcon too to soak the mysis shrimp in after you drain it.

Beautiful fish, but yes, they require expert care. Best of luck!

This isn’t totally true. Leopard wrasses will not constantly feed on copepods like mandarins do. Any Wrasse will wait for its next feeding whilst a mandarin’s metabolism just doesn’t allow for that so they have to constantly feed.
Most Leopard Wrasses don’t require expert care however they aren’t beginner level wrasses either. There is I believe 2 species of Macropharyngodon that I find require expert care and plenty of experience before attempting however M. meleagris isn’t one of them.
Macropharyngodon species get a relatively bad rap when it comes to difficulty and feeding, most of them happily take to frozen. However when wrasses get internal parasites they don’t really accept it.
The specimen you recently had decline was likely already suffering and not a good specimen. From exiting the ocean to your tank they go through a lot of stress and many come in with issues such as mouth damage, internal parasites and although rare, damage to the eyes. The expert level of care is likely coming from these issues and shipping stress.

 

[i cant think]

The only other thing I can think of that may be an issue for the OP is that male being overly mature, bad eyesight and becoming skinny can often be signs of old age and looking at the fact it’s a decently sized male I wouldn’t be surprised if he was coming to the end of his short lifespan. IME leopards only really live 7 years from the small juvenile phase and when we usually get them as the medium 2-3” specimens they’re likely to be 3-4 years through their lifespan so if yours is 4-5” already it could be that he’s only really going to live a few months and considering you’ve had him 5 months that may very well be the case.

 

[JCM]

In my experience, which was very recently, leopard wrasses are not too keen on flakes, pellets, frozen, etc.

I just had one starve to death a few months ago and I feed a wide variety of things. He decemated my pod community. Since he's been gone, they've came back like gangbusters.

I have a Yellow and purple wrasse, otherwise known as a canary wrasse, lemon meringue wrasse, etc. It's a white bellied yellow wrasse. He likes frozen mysis soaked in Selcon. I never see him eating Pods or anything really. He could be, but certainly not like the Leopard.

And on the rock work, don't forget, he has a Mandarin and TWO leopard wrasses that are quite large Iight add. A single Mandarin can easily decemate a 100 gallon pod population.

They definitely like to hunt for pods, but I've never had a problem feeding mine. I've owned multiple through the years and all ate pellets and frozen readily. A couple would even eat nori from a clip after seeing other fish eat it. My current meleagris spends as much time waiting by the feeding ring as it does hunting.

I would be worried about the Mandarin getting enough food with minimal rock and other pod eaters in the tank, you make a good point there.

OP, are both of the leopards males? Possible the larger of the two has been bullying the small one?

 

[ca1ore]

Sometimes they just don't eat. Agree that pods are absolutely not necessary. I've kept dozens of leopards over the years and as long as the fish survive shipping, I can get most of them to eat prepared foods. Nutramar Ova was a great first food for these fish, but unobtanium now unfortunately.

FWIW, one the fish shows weight/muscle loss behind the head they're gonners.

 

[Dukereefnz]

Thanks for the posts.
The wrasse is in my QT - and as soon as I added some Spirulina pallets he ate them up, most likely about 5 pallets.
There are still a few floating around.

I have added sand in a plastic bowl for him to sleep in.
Fingers crossed he will put on some weight.

Interesting thought about old age... could be and would make sense.

 

[Dukereefnz]

Oh and should i treat him for parasites'?

 

[i cant think]

Oh and should i treat him for parasites'?

My vote is yes, treat him for internal parasites just in case.

 

[Dukereefnz]