Leopard Wrasse Primer

[gfox2]

I'm glad QT works for some of us. Me, unfortunately not! Straight into DT. Let us know how it goes!

So far i have had them for 10 days before starting PraziPro on Sunday.Still eating great.

 

[jbvdhp]

Medium-large potters, and two new beautiful m. vermiculite with nice bright red tones into the DT. With these gorgeous leopards I think the benefits outweigh the risk. This is a true beauty!!!

 

[jdemarco]

Very nice potters. I have multi pairs of male/female biparts in different tanks but t might be time for large potters for me. Very nice. On line or lfs? I need one lol

 

[jbvdhp]

Very nice potters. I have multi pairs of male/female biparts in different tanks but t might be time for large potters for me. Very nice. On line or lfs? I need one lol

They're stunning. Supposedly they're seasonal so when my LFS guy, who's an enthusiast and gives me killer prices, saw one he called me right away. This one is close to being full grown.

 

[jbvdhp]

Leopard Wrasse Primer

M. Geofforyi came out for a brief appearance, maybe longer cuz I was at work

 

[Husterix]

Beautiful looking Geofforyi!

I plan on adding a meleagris to my tank, but I haven't had any luck finding one so far.

 

[joshky]

I've had one of my juvenile potters for 5 months now, the other unfortunately didn't make it. It's very healthy and very active and eats almost anything I put in the tank. I plan on getting a few more leopards down the road now that I've got one thriving in my system.

I've been trying to get an updated photo, but it doesn't like my camera. I'll continue trying though.

 

[petemichelle]

I just had aNaoko's Fairy Wrasse die on me in isolation. I don't have a quarantine tank but when I got him home I took about 1 hour acclimating him and another fairy wrasse, different species. I don't know which one, but I put them each in a different isolation container that hung on the inside of my display tank. fed them 3 or 4 times at least a day, and let them get used to the other occupants. after 1 day the Naoko started to breathe really hard, and hardly move. woke up this morning, which was morning of the second day, and he was stiff as a board... dammnnnn that was a $60 wrasse.... plus pretty rare to get... I was being so careful.. he was eating at the store, and when I got him home for almost a day he ate, brine shrimp. the isolation contain was 1.75 gal, so pretty big. put it inline with the back fan so there was lots of circulation going through there but not too much, made sure the fan was turned down so that he was able to swim and sit still if he wanted to but the brine shrimp would still blow around. I am just so jaded sometimes when I do everything I can think of and still they die. any ideas for the next time guys???

and as to the leopard wrasse, how many guys have success in putting them into their display tank with out quarantine and medication for internal parasites? please sound off and let me know. if they do have any, would it spread to the other fish??? and If I did get some, should I get like 3 and put them all in at once??? same species, or different species leopard or is leopard wrasse in itself a single species? and coloration.

 

[petemichelle]

this will be my first leopard wrasse, so all the help I can get will be greatly appreciated guys, please sound off,, need a lot of help and reassurances here, detailed instructions very welcomed.

 

[petemichelle]

No, they don't need a refugium. They are similar to mandarins in that they are very active and constantly seek out food. You need to stimulate feeding soon after introduction to ensure survival. The mandarin comparison ends there as a leopard will quickly start to take prepared foods with little to no weaning.

so I don't have a quarantine but I do like to isolate them in an isolation container in my display tank for a couple of days at least so that they get used to the other occupancy. I hear it lessens the aggression and stress. although I have recently had a Naoko fairy wrasse die in the isolation container after 2 days, so the question is should I isolate a leopard wrasse in a container, it's about 1 gal hang on container with holes in it for circulation. that way I could start feeding brine shrimp mixed with mysis right away, but there would be no sand for him to dive into to hide. or would you suggest just letting him into the display and hiding in the sand, then just feeding brine shrimp all the time until I see him. then start mixing it with mysis.

also have you ever introduced leopards into the display without quarintining and treating for internal parasites. the comments on this thread have me scared now. I don't have a quarantine tank so I wouldn't be able to treat him. if he did have parasites would it spread to the other fish, why are leopards more exposed to internal parasites than other fish, or wrasse? I've not heard this issue or level or precaution with other fish...

also I wanted more than one leopard. is leopard in itself a specific species or should I introduce 3 different types of leopard species into the tank all at once. male or females. males more colorful??? males fight to death???

 

[joshky]

Picked up a nice Macropharyngodon ornatus today, how do you tell the difference between the male and the female with this species? I'm guessing by google images that the female is the red and white variant and the male is the red and blue with green face?

 

[Jstn]

so I don't have a quarantine but I do like to isolate them in an isolation container in my display tank for a couple of days at least so that they get used to the other occupancy. I hear it lessens the aggression and stress. although I have recently had a Naoko fairy wrasse die in the isolation container after 2 days, so the question is should I isolate a leopard wrasse in a container, it's about 1 gal hang on container with holes in it for circulation. that way I could start feeding brine shrimp mixed with mysis right away, but there would be no sand for him to dive into to hide. or would you suggest just letting him into the display and hiding in the sand, then just feeding brine shrimp all the time until I see him. then start mixing it with mysis.

also have you ever introduced leopards into the display without quarintining and treating for internal parasites. the comments on this thread have me scared now. I don't have a quarantine tank so I wouldn't be able to treat him. if he did have parasites would it spread to the other fish, why are leopards more exposed to internal parasites than other fish, or wrasse? I've not heard this issue or level or precaution with other fish...

also I wanted more than one leopard. is leopard in itself a specific species or should I introduce 3 different types of leopard species into the tank all at once. male or females. males more colorful??? males fight to death???

Does your container have sand? From my experience they all have the best luck when introduced directly into the DT, this box sounds stressful and would ultimately lead to death. I found an acclamation box is only good after Qt, I used it with larger fairy wrasses to assure there would be no drama. Leopards are peaceful, and most likely dive right into your sand for days if not weeks. With species like potters, I have had zero success in QT (lost 6) and 2/3 made it after being directly into my DT.

 

[jbvdhp]

Does your container have sand? From my experience they all have the best luck when introduced directly into the DT, this box sounds stressful and would ultimately lead to death. I found an acclamation box is only good after Qt, I used it with larger fairy wrasses to assure there would be no drama. Leopards are peaceful, and most likely dive right into your sand for days if not weeks. With species like potters, I have had zero success in QT (lost 6) and 2/3 made it after being directly into my DT.

I've resorted to this strategy too. Acclimation box into the DT with sand in it. Probably no different than a straight up QT tbh. One, I know exactly where it is and spot feed it, whether alive or dead. This new potters is intro'ed to the tank and tank gets used to seeing it.

This one eats mysis like no other. There's also a black leopard in there, the other one was released into the tank because for whatever reason it adjusted to my lighting schedule instantly. From the Philippines. I've taken too many risks (I'm a gambling man anyway) by throwing wrasses in, but these potters and blacks have been more difficult to come by as of late here in CA

 

[jbvdhp]

I just had aNaoko's Fairy Wrasse die on me in isolation. I don't have a quarantine tank but when I got him home I took about 1 hour acclimating him and another fairy wrasse, different species. I don't know which one, but I put them each in a different isolation container that hung on the inside of my display tank. fed them 3 or 4 times at least a day, and let them get used to the other occupants. after 1 day the Naoko started to breathe really hard, and hardly move. woke up this morning, which was morning of the second day, and he was stiff as a board... dammnnnn that was a $60 wrasse.... plus pretty rare to get... I was being so careful.. he was eating at the store, and when I got him home for almost a day he ate, brine shrimp. the isolation contain was 1.75 gal, so pretty big. put it inline with the back fan so there was lots of circulation going through there but not too much, made sure the fan was turned down so that he was able to swim and sit still if he wanted to but the brine shrimp would still blow around. I am just so jaded sometimes when I do everything I can think of and still they die. any ideas for the next time guys???

and as to the leopard wrasse, how many guys have success in putting them into their display tank with out quarantine and medication for internal parasites? please sound off and let me know. if they do have any, would it spread to the other fish??? and If I did get some, should I get like 3 and put them all in at once??? same species, or different species leopard or is leopard wrasse in itself a single species? and coloration.

If your tank has room, get one of the critter cage things (plastic hamster cage, cricket cage) and then put it in that. Sand stays in too, has slits all over the top, and it's clear as well.

I've had better success by throwing leopards in, lose more in qt, but I've had a number of losses in the DT, assuming from poor handling of the fish.

 

[raven312]

I've done that too, with my last 3 Wrasses (Potters, Dusky, and currently a Blue Star Leopard). My LFS treats them for internal parasites and makes sure they're eating before they call me. With one exception, all that I've brought home have lived and are doing well. My Blue Star has been in my tank for 3 days and doesn't seem to like the isolation box but eats and stays out fairly late, so she's acclimating pretty well, from what I can see.
Unfortunately I'm changing tanks this weekend and I've debated about releasing her to gen pop then so that she can carve out her space while everyone else is, but I think I've decided to keep her isolated for a bit more. We'll see.

 

[jbvdhp]

New record for me when it comes to sand hiding: 3 weeks! I just saw a female vermiculite I bought 3 weeks ago finally pop up. I have two and this is definitely the one that went MIA.

 

[raven312]

If your tank has room, get one of the critter cage things (plastic hamster cage, cricket cage) and then put it in that. Sand stays in too, has slits all over the top, and it's clear as well.

I've had better success by throwing leopards in, lose more in qt, but I've had a number of losses in the DT, assuming from poor handling of the fish.

I've done that too, with my last 3 Wrasses (Potters, Dusky, and currently a Blue Star Leopard). My LFS treats them for internal parasites and makes sure they're eating before they call me. With one exception, all that I've brought home have lived and are doing well. My Blue Star has been in my tank for 3 days and doesn't seem to like the isolation box but eats and stays out fairly late, so she's acclimating pretty well, from what I can see.
Unfortunately I'm changing tanks this weekend and I've debated about releasing her to gen pop then so that she can carve out her space while everyone else is, but I think I've decided to keep her isolated for a bit more. We'll see.

I finally changed from a 65 gallon to a 75 gallon last night. I thought I was moving my Blue Star over first, in her isolation box. Once I put the box in the new tank I gently sifted the sand so that she would come out, look around the tank and bury herself of she wanted. She wasn't there! I looked all around the old tank and in the containers I was using, just in case she jumped and I didn't see her. Nothing. I was disappointed to lose another one.

I needed to find my other the Wrasses that had buried themselves so that I could move them over. Melanurus, check. Dusky, check. Couldn't find the Potters... Felt around and something wiggled in my hand - found her! Not! It was the Blue Star! She got away and I looked for and found the Potters and moved him over. Getting the Blue Star was challenging because I didn't want to stress her out to the point where she wouldn't make it. Got her and moved her over, finally. She went to a corner and hovered there for quite a while. The Dusky went over to "see" her and she moved and hid in the Xenia. She waited until the Dusky was gone, then buried herself. What a night!

 

[jbvdhp]

I finally changed from a 65 gallon to a 75 gallon last night. I thought I was moving my Blue Star over first, in her isolation box. Once I put the box in the new tank I gently sifted the sand so that she would come out, look around the tank and bury herself of she wanted. She wasn't there! I looked all around the old tank and in the containers I was using, just in case she jumped and I didn't see her. Nothing. I was disappointed to lose another one.

I needed to find my other the Wrasses that had buried themselves so that I could move them over. Melanurus, check. Dusky, check. Couldn't find the Potters... Felt around and something wiggled in my hand - found her! Not! It was the Blue Star! She got away and I looked for and found the Potters and moved him over. Getting the Blue Star was challenging because I didn't want to stress her out to the point where she wouldn't make it. Got her and moved her over, finally. She went to a corner and hovered there for quite a while. The Dusky went over to "see" her and she moved and hid in the Xenia. She waited until the Dusky was gone, then buried herself. What a night!

I'm nervous about my upgrade. I have a 240 in the works and I'm afraid of not finding all my leopards: 1 ornate
3 vermiculite
2 black

Lost both my potters, even after they were eating great. Can't understand why.

 

[raven312]

When it came time to move my Wrasses I drained as much water as I could. I slowly sifted through the sand with my fingers and removed sand from the areas I'd been so that I wouldn't pile it on them. I didn't know how else to do it, but it worked for me.

 

[Jstn]

For what its worth, when I moved my tank (bought a house 3 miles down the road) all my leopard (2 melagris and 3 blue stars) made the move fine. I did loose a kole tang and potters angel.