New Leopard Wrasse

DSmithZ28 · Oct 3, 2017

Well sad news. She passed away this afternoon.

Maritimer · Oct 3, 2017

Very sorry for your loss, DSmithZ28.

~Bruce

Brautumn · Oct 3, 2017

We have a trio of the meleagris leopard going on 2 years and I chose not to qt ours but soaked metroplex and focus in there food. They stayed out after introduction to the tank and ate later that night before hitting the sand. They never hid and after about a week in a half they were use to the lighting routine. We have one that has been transitioning to male. I did the same for our 2 ornate wrasse and same results.

alex.mccann99 · Oct 4, 2017

I have never quarantined a Leopard Wrasse. They are so fragile to begin with anytime I've heard of people quarantining them they seem to not do well. I've never had any issues with parasites or anything with them. They seem to take a few days or so to adjust to any new tank, burying themselves in the sand for days.

BigJohnny · Oct 4, 2017

My leopard wrasses ate nuramar ova and live blackworms immediately. So has every other fish I've tried feeding them too. I recommend qting them atleast so you can acclimate them to the foods you will feed without competition/stress from the display. They also have internal parasites a lot of the time so 2x prazipro treatments will greatly increase your chance of success and metro+focus if necessary, etc.

KMench · Nov 9, 2017

Hi, I'm going to hijack your thread for a minute if you don't mind. ;Nailbiting I got an ornate leopard wrasse Tuesday, she immediately swam to the bottom and was looking for sand until she settled in one spot, I then helped her into the sand with my hand gently where she buried. I came home yesterday after getting a video from my girlfriend of her out and about swimming. She was again just sitting on the bottom, so I helped her into the sand again where she buried. Is it normal for her to be so stressed initially that I could literally scoop her up with my hand to put her back in the sand? She was swimming quite vigorously in the video I got and buries in the sand with ease. Haven't seen her eat yet

Peng · Nov 9, 2017

live pods + phytoplankton. But if you have drug in your QT it might not work. Mine didnt start eating anything other than the pods in my tank. Then after a while it started to eat frozen food.

KMench · Nov 9, 2017

I haven't medicated the QT. I was trying to avoid it until she began to eat. Culturing copepods and have been adding them to the QT since I also have a mandarin in there with the wrasse. I'm slightly concerned because I have yet to see her act normal, it worries me that she will sit still on the bottom and allow me to pick her up.

BigJohnny · Nov 9, 2017

KMench said:
Hi, I'm going to hijack your thread for a minute if you don't mind. ;Nailbiting I got an ornate leopard wrasse Tuesday, she immediately swam to the bottom and was looking for sand until she settled in one spot, I then helped her into the sand with my hand gently where she buried. I came home yesterday after getting a video from my girlfriend of her out and about swimming. She was again just sitting on the bottom, so I helped her into the sand again where she buried. Is it normal for her to be so stressed initially that I could literally scoop her up with my hand to put her back in the sand? She was swimming quite vigorously in the video I got and buries in the sand with ease. Haven't seen her eat yet

1. Stop putting your hand in the tank and "helping" her into the sand. You are actually scaring her/stressing her way more by doing so. She needs to acclimate to the environment/light schedule/feeding, and you are delaying that by messing with her (i know you are just trying to help).
2. It could be normal as they can be very stressed/starving/jet lagged, but sitting on the bottom is not a good sign. Any other symptoms like heavy breathing or listing to one side?

I would offer food 3x daily in small amounts and leave the fish be. Adding pods are not enough, you need to offer the fish substantial food like live blackworms or nutramar ova. Hikary mysis if she takes it (smaller than PE), but give her some time. I also have success with live baby artemia from algaebarn if the fish won't eat anything else initially.

KMench · Nov 9, 2017

No worries BigJohnny, I appreciate the feedback. I'll keep my hands out

. I just got home and she is out and was swimming for a bit in the corner up and down. Probably just confused about being in a darn tank. She settled on the bottom so I tried feeding some small portions of ova, bloodworms, and mysis with her just sitting on the bottom. I took a poor quality iPhone picture for you.

BigJohnny · Nov 9, 2017

KMench said:
No worries BigJohnny, I appreciate the feedback. I'll keep my hands out . I just got home and she is out and was swimming for a bit in the corner up and down. Probably just confused about being in a darn tank. She settled on the bottom so I tried feeding some small portions of ova, bloodworms, and mysis with her just sitting on the bottom. I took a poor quality iPhone picture for you.

Good sign that she was out and swimming up and down in the corner was likely her exploring her surroundings or communicating with her new imaginary friend (her reflection lol). They don't have those in the wild ; )

It is also a good sign that she is hiding while laying on the bottom rather than just laying in the open or something weird like that. Did she eat anything?

I strongly recommend you order some live blackworms from:

https://www.aquaticfoods.com/LiveBlackwormsM.html

They have been irrestible to every fish I have ever fed them too, and they are extremely nutritious. They are alive obviously, and wiggle like crazy. They also contain beneficial live bacteria that boost the fishes immune system.

Just keep up the feeding (don't let uneaten food accumulate though) and let the fish settle in.

BZOFIQ · Nov 9, 2017

Isnt that tub with sand a little too coarse?

KMench · Nov 9, 2017

Mine isn’t that coarse. l think she must be super stressed? Shes switching between being upright and laying on her side. She did move spots since she laid on her side and is upright. She doesn’t have a pinched waist or anything to make me think she is starving yet...

BZOFIQ · Nov 9, 2017

I guess, I didn't get to see the whole thread previously. Sorry for your loss. I too once ordered a beautiful pair from DR.F+S and the female didn't make it. I had the male for many years, absolutely stunning but he never recovered after a move. These are gorgeous but very sensitive fish

KMench · Nov 9, 2017

I think you have me confused with the OP. I just got my wrasse and she is in QT. I think I'll make a new thread to not blow the OP up any longer.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/quarantine-of-new-ornate-leopard-wrasse.336000/ new thread