Is my Leopard Wrasse Dead?

[Mghanayem]

Hello all,

Just looking for some advice and opinions, I have a 65 Gallon TruVu custom hex tank.

It's a simple reef set up with only an Ehiem Canister filter and Ehiem Surface Skimmer. It has been established for 6 years or so.

In my tank are various corals which are thriving, and some fish of course:

1. Melanaurus Wrasse
2. Mated pair of Clowns
3. Lawnmower Blenny
4. Pink Spot Watchman goby
5. Royal Gramma
6. 2 firefish

many inverts, snails, crabs, emerald crab, shrimp, and featherduster worms.

In the tank I also had a Splendid Dottyback and a Leopard Wrasse. The Dottyback was very abusive of the Leopard Wrasse, and he would hide for days. Finally, I saw the leopard wrasse with nipped fins and watched him bury himself. I immediately removed the dottyback and traded him for a frag, but the Wrasse has not come back out... it's been a month now, no sign of him.

He hid for a week when I bought him and a few days here and there before, never this long. I don't know if he's dead or not, I didn't have an ammonia spike from a dead fish, but I have a huge clean up crew... Thoughts?

 

[ahuaia]

Well it kinda sounds like he is dead the only thing I can think of is to put a camra on the tank to see if he comes out when your not around.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[scooter31707]

Probably not dead yet, but very well could be on it's way. It is probably just under the sand to avoid the aggression of the dottyback. More than likely he will try and come up to eat something when he gets hungry and probably won't be able to due to the dottyback. They are don't do well when stressed.

 

[billdogg]

When I put leopard wrasses in my 120 the first one hid for about a week. Added another and didn't see it again so my LFS replaced it for me after about a month. The third lasted about a week and I found it up against a power head. Finally about 6-7 weeks after introducing it, number two showed up and has been happily cruising the reef with her buddy ever since.

IMHO, probably the best looking and best mannered fish I've had in nearly 30 years of reef keeping. Just not the easiest to get established.

 

[rocsec1]

Mine hide for three weeks and it is doing good. At one point it hide another weeK

 

[ca1ore]

It's certainly possible that a leopard can bury for a month, but it's on the long end. Longer it goes missing, the poorer the prognosis -particularly if it was in less than ideal condition when it buried. Splendid is just a mean fish - I got rid of mine once it began showing aggressiveness to my leopards.

Small fish like leopard is unlikely to trigger a measurable ammonia spike, particularly since it would have died under the sand.

 

[Mghanayem]

It's certainly possible that a leopard can bury for a month, but it's on the long end. Longer it goes missing, the poorer the prognosis -particularly if it was in less than ideal condition when it buried. Splendid is just a mean fish - I got rid of mine once it began showing aggressiveness to my leopards.

Small fish like leopard is unlikely to trigger a measurable ammonia spike, particularly since it would have died under the sand.

Fantastic, Thank you for your insight

 

[Mghanayem]

Probably not dead yet, but very well could be on it's way. It is probably just under the sand to avoid the aggression of the dottyback. More than likely he will try and come up to eat something when he gets hungry and probably won't be able to due to the dottyback. They are don't do well when stressed.

I got rid of the dottyback and still have not seen him for a month

 

[Mghanayem]

When I put leopard wrasses in my 120 the first one hid for about a week. Added another and didn't see it again so my LFS replaced it for me after about a month. The third lasted about a week and I found it up against a power head. Finally about 6-7 weeks after introducing it, number two showed up and has been happily cruising the reef with her buddy ever since.

IMHO, probably the best looking and best mannered fish I've had in nearly 30 years of reef keeping. Just not the easiest to get established.

Seems like you and I have very similar taste in fish. That leopard wrasse is just an amazing creature

 

[MMacro]

When I put leopard wrasses in my 120 the first one hid for about a week. Added another and didn't see it again so my LFS replaced it for me after about a month. The third lasted about a week and I found it up against a power head. Finally about 6-7 weeks after introducing it, number two showed up and has been happily cruising the reef with her buddy ever since.

IMHO, probably the best looking and best mannered fish I've had in nearly 30 years of reef keeping. Just not the easiest to get established.

Huh
Neither of my leopards (Potters and Black) even shot into the sand upon introduction. They were eating with the rest almost immediately. Granted I did quarantine them for 3 odd weeks to fatten them up.

 

[Mghanayem]

Huh
Neither of my leopards (Potters and Black) even shot into the sand upon introduction. They were eating with the rest almost immediately. Granted I did quarantine them for 3 odd weeks to fatten them up.

I have never had a leopard that did not dart into the sand right away

 

[sushibob]

I had one that hid under the sand for 6 months and never saw it again. The only reason i knew it was alive when i cleared the tank and empty the water and then scooped the sand out and found him alive but died hours later.