Leopard Wrasse Primer
- Thread starter BrianD
- Start date
triggreef
New member
A little update for mutt black leopard. She is doing quite well eating great still in quarantine. I treated with paracide-d after the first week to ensure no internal parasites. No negative side effects at all. I plan to do a ttm prior to adding her to the tank.
I have a bit of an issue with the ones that have been established in my main tank for quite some time now. Those include a male & female meleagris, a female? ornate, & a female bipartitus. The male meleagris has began trying to kill my bipartitus. This happened some time ago but they settled their dispute after a couple days & then ignored either for months. This time it is much worse. Relentless chasing & to the point that the bipart has been buried for a few days straight now. I see her getting harassed for a couple minutes early when lights first comes on. But she is forced into the sand. Can't get food to her at all. Nothing I can do. Tank too big to catch either&I know a trap won't work for them. Very bummed, I'm pretty sure this will be the end for her. I'm assuming she must have tried to turn male. Idk what else would cause this. They've been together for about 10 months now I would say.
Also makes me even more reluctant to add the black one.
I have a bit of an issue with the ones that have been established in my main tank for quite some time now. Those include a male & female meleagris, a female? ornate, & a female bipartitus. The male meleagris has began trying to kill my bipartitus. This happened some time ago but they settled their dispute after a couple days & then ignored either for months. This time it is much worse. Relentless chasing & to the point that the bipart has been buried for a few days straight now. I see her getting harassed for a couple minutes early when lights first comes on. But she is forced into the sand. Can't get food to her at all. Nothing I can do. Tank too big to catch either&I know a trap won't work for them. Very bummed, I'm pretty sure this will be the end for her. I'm assuming she must have tried to turn male. Idk what else would cause this. They've been together for about 10 months now I would say.
Also makes me even more reluctant to add the black one.
I'm in a similar place. I still have a pair of Bipart females in my refugium. They've been there for many months. The idea was to have them put on some size before moving to the DT. Trouble is the leopards in the display have also grown. Will just have to do it soon though. Also have a black that I had given up for dead that is living in my invert QT, even though the tank is supposed to be fish less.
MIKE NY
Two Decade club
I've had good success with introducing new wrasses and other fish as well by placing them in an acclimation container in the DT in the morning and then releasing them just before lights out at night...I haven't lost a Leopard yet using this method and I have a large dominate male Ornate. If I do loss a Leopard it's during the QT process...
EllisJuan
New member
I just picked up a female meleagris from my LFS. She was ordered for a customer who never came and picked her up. They had her for 3 weeks. I watched her eat frozen while I was there. She appears to be healthy and active. This is my first try with a leopard. Wish me luck! I will not be QTing the fish. Between me really trusting my LFS, them having it for so long with me frequently obeserving it, and that fact that I do not have an established QT with a sandbed, I am choosing to go strait to the DT.
Last edited:
EllisJuan
New member
OK, a couple questions.
I am a night owl, so my light schedule matches that. My LEDs are on a SIN curve that matches the sun and runs 12 hours...from 2:30pm to 2:30am. Right now she is working on burying herself because I assume she is used to the LFS light schedule. How long should it take for her to adjust?
Also, I have Carribsea Aragonite sand which is a little heavier than what was in the tank at the LFS. She has tried a few times to dig in, but seems to be struggling a bit. I assume she will get used to it? My Scooter Blenny does not have any trouble getting buried at night.
I am a night owl, so my light schedule matches that. My LEDs are on a SIN curve that matches the sun and runs 12 hours...from 2:30pm to 2:30am. Right now she is working on burying herself because I assume she is used to the LFS light schedule. How long should it take for her to adjust?
Also, I have Carribsea Aragonite sand which is a little heavier than what was in the tank at the LFS. She has tried a few times to dig in, but seems to be struggling a bit. I assume she will get used to it? My Scooter Blenny does not have any trouble getting buried at night.
EllisJuan
New member
It is sand. It is 1mm-2mm grains. This is what I have: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=7326 She is laying down, but only about half covered. I am sure she will get it worked out.
For future reference ... all that you need is a small 'Tupperware' container filled with sand, in the QT, and the leopards would be fine.
+1, it sometimes takes them a bit to find it but eventually they do and bury themselves away.
EllisJuan
New member
I didn't flush her last night because I was not ready to call it. I put her in a hang on rim breeders box but she was floating around in it inverted. This morning she was right side up, so I put her back into the DT and she is swimming OK. Is it possible she was sleeping like that because she could not get dug into my sand?
Marshall O
New member
No, at the very least she would have wedged herself between rockwork. My M. chaoti could not find the container of sand in my acclimation box and instead slept wedged between pieces of PVC. Didn't seem to phase it too much either way. As soon as it was in the DT, it had no problem burying itself like normal. But definitely not normal to be floating around the tank. Any damage to her nose?
EllisJuan
New member
Not that I can see. I just got home and she is actively swimming. I am about to feed mysis, we'll see what her response is.
Marshall O
New member
Glad she seems to be doing well and you didn't flush her prematurely! Hoping she does well for you!
EllisJuan
New member
OK...Update. Tonight I watched her trying to burry herself and she could never get more than a little past her head under the sand. She kept getting frustrated and eventually settled in wedged between a rock and the glass. 
I guess my sand is too coarse, even though I know other people have used the same sand with leopards and did not have an issue.
Here is what I am thinking...Tomorrow I am going to pick up some fine sand, put it in a piece of 8"x5"x2" plastic tubberware I have, and place that into my sand bed so the top of the container is about flush with my existing sandbed. I am going to put in one of the corners of my tank in hopes she will find it and be able to bury in at night. Has anyone tried this before? Do you think it will work? Does anyone have any better ideas?
I guess my sand is too coarse, even though I know other people have used the same sand with leopards and did not have an issue. Here is what I am thinking...Tomorrow I am going to pick up some fine sand, put it in a piece of 8"x5"x2" plastic tubberware I have, and place that into my sand bed so the top of the container is about flush with my existing sandbed. I am going to put in one of the corners of my tank in hopes she will find it and be able to bury in at night. Has anyone tried this before? Do you think it will work? Does anyone have any better ideas?
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