Black leopard wrasse can it make it.

[RDtrack]

So three weeks ago I got a beautiful black leopard wrasse. Eating, fat, healthy, etc. everything was good except my tang ( at the time) thought it was enemy #1. Needless to say it was out three days before it disappeared.

I in the meanwhile found a new home for my tang. After a week I did feel around the sand bed to chase it out. I know this is not good but was worried about it. No luck in finding in.

Well last night after coming home I looked at the tank and there she is laying sideways on the bottom up against a rock. Her tail looked terrible and she basically scooted along the bottom. Not overly active.

Well I figured she was a goner. Well tonight she was back out along the bottom with decent color but no tail. Still just skimming along the bottom. Still not looking good but a whole lot better than last night. She can get in holes and appeared to eat brine but can't make it much off the bottom. Not active like a normal leopard.

So first has anyone ever had this happen before? Secondly if she does survive will her tail come back?

I hate to try to catch her anfpd move her, I.e, stress her anymore. Any other suggestion or shoud I let nature run its course.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Fretfreak13]

When you're seeing her, is this at night when lights are off? My wrasse sleeps like that, laying on the sand with his body bent all funny and his "stress" colors on. Fish's fins do grow back, but the tail might not ever look like a perfect tail again.

 

[DustyReefer]

If you got rid of your tang and the wrasse is still losing parts of its tail, then its probably still being bullied by something. Just try to feed it whenever you see it, remove whatever is attacking the leopard, and hope for the best. Leopard wrasses can be pretty tricky to keep

 

[RDtrack]

Thanks for the responses.

So I'm seeing the fish when the lights are on. I think the reason it's on the bottom of the tank is that it doesn't have a tail (fin) which makes swimming almost impossible.

The tail looked terrible when I first saw it (after 2 1/2 weeks in the sand). Not sure if snail was eating it when it was in the sand or if it had problems because it was in the sand for so long. If a snail starts bother it it slithers away. Also no other fish are bother it (observation) as all the other fish are extremely peaceful.

Totally understand about Leopards being tricky to keep, I've had several. I just feel extremely bad because this one wasn't because the fish wasn't eating or anything like that, it was the tang.

I had already thought this fish was a goner till it resurfaced the other night. More curious if anyone has ever had a fish be able to survive what its going through. I'm personnaly impressed that it has lasted these two days and appears to be getting healthier. Knowing how my other leopards have been, when I've lost them.

 

[DustyReefer]

Personally I'm surprised it's lasted this long as well. In my experience with them once they start to get too stressed out it's only a downhill decline from there.

I can't see a snail being able to do any real damage to the wrasses tail, assuming your talking about the nassarius. The wrasse would simply move if he started getting munched on.

Have you been successful in feeding the wrasse at all? In it's state I don't think it will be able to forage around the tank for pods and other sustenance, so getting food in it at this point is priority one. They have faster metabolisms so they pretty much need to feed constantly throughout the day. All that aside I hope he makes it, leopards are my favorite fish.