Best method to qt leopard wrasses?

[sdunkin]

I picked up a pair of leopard wrasses, but I made the mistake of not thinking out how to qt them prior. :facepalm: I am trying to keep an ich free system, so ideally something that can ensure they have no parasites at all would be ideal.

I have copper (cupramine) and CP on hand. I'm reluctant to use the CP though because of issues with wrasses with it in the past. My first thought was tank transfer, but I'm worried about the stress (especially if I end up having to dig them out of the sand with every transfer).

Any suggestions?

 

[snorvich]

I picked up a pair of leopard wrasses, but I made the mistake of not thinking out how to qt them prior. :facepalm: I am trying to keep an ich free system, so ideally something that can ensure they have no parasites at all would be ideal.

I have copper (cupramine) and CP on hand. I'm reluctant to use the CP though because of issues with wrasses with it in the past. My first thought was tank transfer, but I'm worried about the stress (especially if I end up having to dig them out of the sand with every transfer).

Any suggestions?

I suggest tank transfer with the addition of a tupperware container (or similar) filled with sand that is discarded after every transfer. I do not recommend CP for leopard wrasses especially prophylactically.

 

[dread240]

not a leapoard wrasse but I picked up a red coris wrasse who is also a sand sleeper, and it's the reason I'm doing tank transfers this time around.

He has been in the cycled QT for a bit to fatten up before his transfers to the main tank, I didn't want to do the transfers as the first step (he really wasn't in the best of shape when I got him)

I've also done the sand in the tupperware, and he goes to sleep in it every night. Sometimes it's like he has problems finding and getting to it, but eventually always ends up there

 

[Deinonych]

Agree with Steve regarding CP. IME wrasse do not tolerate CP at all. They become listless and perish after a few days.

 

[sdunkin]

Thanks for the help! I'll go with tank transfer then, and luckily I have quite a bit of sand left over from my upgrade so giving them new sand every transfer shouldn't be a big deal at all.

They are already eating, but I'm still very nervous about messing with them for a week or two. The female seems fine, the male still seems very stressed. Would I be better off going ahead and treating them with prazi before doing all the transfers, or just doing them simultaneously?

 

[Deinonych]

I personally would get them fully acclimated and comfortable before subjecting them to TT. If the male is still showing signs of stress, I would wait. I think your instincts are right.

 

[dread240]

I personally would get them fully acclimated and comfortable before subjecting them to TT. If the male is still showing signs of stress, I would wait. I think your instincts are right.

Yea, my last few have been getting started at low salinity (about 1.016) and then top off with saltwater to raise it up to my tank levels. During this time I fatten them up. Previously I would have went to cupramine but this round I'm doing tank transfers since wrasses have historically not done well with copper.

I know alot of people go for tank transfer first, but frankly, if I don't see any signs of ich (this whole batch of fish seemed very very healthy) and it's just a preventative, I'll put them in the cycled QT first to get them well fed before they start jumping bucket to bucket.

 

[snorvich]

Virtually all leopard wrasses love PE mysis and since it has a high fat content, it is a great starter food. Nutramar Ova is also irresistible.

 

[triggreef]

Would I be better off going ahead and treating them with prazi before doing all the transfers, or just doing them simultaneously?

The more I see this the more I question what the purpose is with prazi? I too have read the entire Leopard wrasse primer, and value all the info I got out of it, but I very much disagree with proactive prazi. IME with leopards and other wrasses, the majority that I have lost were during prazi dosing. Eating fine, looking great, next day dead.

I began using Metronidazole and have had much better results. Metro is very effective on tape worms, and I've seen my fair share of leopards with white stringy poop. I've had my fair share of fish with white stringy poop, go through 2 and 3 doses of prazi, and still have white stringy poop. There are also many threads on RC about prazi being ineffective for flukes after several doses. I'm failing to see its purpose.

As for ich, I have yet to see ich on leopard wrasses. I would really suggest getting them eating well, treat with metro, then just observe. Unless you know the QT to have been previously contaminated with ich.

Also I've had good luck with live black worms, live brine, and prepped foods such as reef frenzy. Also if you can cut up frozen clams small enough to interest them that works too.

Good luck, I just wanted to get my .02 in about prazi.

 

[triggreef]

I personally would get them fully acclimated and comfortable before subjecting them to TT. If the male is still showing signs of stress, I would wait. I think your instincts are right.

+1 if you insist on the tank transfer this is very good advice.

 

[Newsmyrna80]

Prazi is used for external worms, aka flukes. It is not effective against internal parasites, which is where metro is effective. IME wrasses do not do well with anything over 2.5 mg of Prazi.

 

[Ralph ATL]

I have treated all my wrasses with 2 doses of Prazi pro with no ill effects. I am currectly treating Metro/Focus for an infection that developed in my females abdomen (very swollen abdomen & Red Anus) which luckily reduced by 90% day 3 yesterday as I caught it right away.

I have 3 Anampses & a pair of Kuiter Leopards currently.

 

[sdunkin]

Thanks for all the replies!

They are both eating PE mysis fairly well and I'm pretty sure I saw them nibbling at the new life spectrum tiny fish pellets I tried earlier. The male was out and about when I got home from work, then the female came out about 10 minutes after I turned the lights on.

I have a 20L qt that will be empty here shortly and is a fully cycled ich free system, so I'm leaning towards moving them to that for a few weeks. I want them to be as stress free as possible before I subject them to TT. I do want to start them on prazi asap because the female is flashing some today.

I'm wondering now if I should leave them by themselves for the duration of qt or if I should keep a few other small fish in there as dither fish. I have a few other small fish that I purchased at the same time that I could keep with them.