I'd like to get an opinion on building a harem with blue star/splendid/african leopard wrasses. I ordered 3 sm/med females from Live Aquaria. Slight difference in size -- just enough that I can tell them apart. One stayed out immediately, the second came out the third day. On day 6, the 3rd (and smallest) one popped out of the sand. The first two hang together and have been pals for the few days they have been together. As soon as the small/3rd one appeared the medium sized one chased/harassed the new small one - basically acting like males. The largest one ignored the other two during the skirmish. All clearly have female markings and I thought they were all born female. The small one appears to be acting submissive. After 20 min, the small one dove back into the sand. Do I have a timing issue that will work itself out? Or do I have latent males that won't resolve itself until one is gone? I have 180g tank.
Leopard Wrasse Primer
- Thread starter BrianD
- Start date
Thornbreaker
New member
Hey guys & gals,
So I'm about at that point I'm going to be ordering some leopard wrasses.
I'm thinking 3 at this point, a potters, melagris, and negrosensis.
Is my understanding correct that you should only have 1 male at most, rest should be female?
Will 3 be fine in a 20 gal QT with a container of sand placed in side? Do I need a direct light for them due to their day/night clocks? My DT is nearby and will give off light during the day, and some at night with the sump light on.
I had considered TTM, as I've done with my other fish, but this seems a major hassle. I plan to QT them though for a month to observe for ich, parasites, disease, etc. Probably treat with prazi, but no copper/ich treatment unless I see it.
I've gotten my first 4 fish (2 clowns, royral gramma, and a foxface lo) from my LFS. I've had no issues from there so far, and he does order leopard wrasses from time to time, some which he puts in tanks with sand, and some he doesn't at times. I could probably get some ordered, allowing them to be there for a week or two to ensure they are healthy and eating.
Howver, have y'all had good success with LiveAquaria or another online FS that's recommended instead of a LFS?
So I'm about at that point I'm going to be ordering some leopard wrasses.
I'm thinking 3 at this point, a potters, melagris, and negrosensis.
Is my understanding correct that you should only have 1 male at most, rest should be female?
Will 3 be fine in a 20 gal QT with a container of sand placed in side? Do I need a direct light for them due to their day/night clocks? My DT is nearby and will give off light during the day, and some at night with the sump light on.
I had considered TTM, as I've done with my other fish, but this seems a major hassle. I plan to QT them though for a month to observe for ich, parasites, disease, etc. Probably treat with prazi, but no copper/ich treatment unless I see it.
I've gotten my first 4 fish (2 clowns, royral gramma, and a foxface lo) from my LFS. I've had no issues from there so far, and he does order leopard wrasses from time to time, some which he puts in tanks with sand, and some he doesn't at times. I could probably get some ordered, allowing them to be there for a week or two to ensure they are healthy and eating.
Howver, have y'all had good success with LiveAquaria or another online FS that's recommended instead of a LFS?
Thornbreaker
New member
So I ordered 3 wrasses. 1 blue star, 1 black, 1 "regular"? from LA.
The regular was DOA. Blue star is medium sized, eating frozen mysis (hakari), but looks less active this morning...
And unfortunately I woke up to the black being dead this morning, after she was initially swimming around a good bit over the last 2 days. (Arrived Thursday. Dead Saturday morning
Any tips I'm missing? How often should I feed them in QT?
I have a sand bed in the QT, in a tupperware container, but neither went for the sand. They've mostly just been swimming around or hanging out.
The regular was DOA. Blue star is medium sized, eating frozen mysis (hakari), but looks less active this morning...
And unfortunately I woke up to the black being dead this morning, after she was initially swimming around a good bit over the last 2 days. (Arrived Thursday. Dead Saturday morning
Any tips I'm missing? How often should I feed them in QT?
I have a sand bed in the QT, in a tupperware container, but neither went for the sand. They've mostly just been swimming around or hanging out.
OrionN
Moved on
I find that the best way to adapt Leopards to our system is to put them in a straight stable reef. I set up a 40 gal breeder system to acclimate my more sensitive wrasses. Even with this my success if far from 100%. I also find that midsize leopards are much more likely to do well. Small, less than 2 inches and very large wrasses tend to not do well.
So I ordered 3 wrasses. 1 blue star, 1 black, 1 "regular"? from LA.
The regular was DOA. Blue star is medium sized, eating frozen mysis (hakari), but looks less active this morning...
And unfortunately I woke up to the black being dead this morning, after she was initially swimming around a good bit over the last 2 days. (Arrived Thursday. Dead Saturday morning
Any tips I'm missing? How often should I feed them in QT?
I have a sand bed in the QT, in a tupperware container, but neither went for the sand. They've mostly just been swimming around or hanging out.
If they don’t go in the sand at night then something is up. I’d feed them as much as they will take and as often as they will take it. I try to feed my new leopards 5 times a day if I’m able to be home enough to do it. Once they settled in and are past the initial acclimation period in the display I cut back to twice a day.
I’d try feeding them a food with a wormer added. You can use seachem focus to bind the wormer. I usually end up just injecting a little wormer with a syringe into a few PE mysis and I do that every 3 days for 4 treatments. Seems to work well but I really have no way of being certain it makes a difference. I use panacur that I have left over from my seahorses.
I definitely agree with the above post as well. I use an established 30g for my qt. It’s a gross looking tank but is loaded with pods. If it’s a wrasse that I really want to do well like a Choati I buy amphipods and add them to the tank as well. I get them from a place called Royal Reefs. They send a couple thousand and it’s around $50 shipped.
Last edited:
Thornbreaker
New member
The remaining blue star is eating frozen mysis.
When you say you are feeding 5 times a day, is that a full cube each time?
I do have a sump on my DT. Has some rubble in it, I could move to the QT, and I could shake some cheato out for a few pods. Think thats a good idea?
Is it possible to add more to a DT later, or is it best to do several at once (like tangs)?
Trying to decide if I should reorder.
May go thru lfs though this time, as he'll be able to make sure it's eating before I take it home.
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When you say you are feeding 5 times a day, is that a full cube each time?
I do have a sump on my DT. Has some rubble in it, I could move to the QT, and I could shake some cheato out for a few pods. Think thats a good idea?
Is it possible to add more to a DT later, or is it best to do several at once (like tangs)?
Trying to decide if I should reorder.
May go thru lfs though this time, as he'll be able to make sure it's eating before I take it home.
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Thornbreaker
New member
Just a pic [emoji846]
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Not a whole cube. Just whatever it will take each time. I throw a few in and if it eats all those I just add a few more. I just de-thaw a cube in the morning, store it in the fridge, and feed a little throughout the day.
You could probably just add a clump of cheato to the qt.
I haven’t had most leopards bother other species of leopards too much aside from maybe a little the first day. Of the ones I have kept ornates have been the most aggressive.
Cancun
Member
I have six Leopard Wrasses.....I never QT any leopards. I only buy from one of my trusted LFS, luckily I have two really good ones. Leopards are there for a minimum of a week and eatting frozen Mysis when I get them. Still not 100% but I have to say 80-90% success rate doing it this way. Just my 2 cents! [emoji16]Just a pic [emoji846]
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Thornbreaker
New member
Well update. As of this morning the 3rd wrasse has past. Not sure why. SHe was eating all weekend, seemed to be swimming well but on Monday became a lot more lethargic, and by evening was laying on her side breathing, but barely. Woke to her deceased this morning.
I think I'll be going to my lfs this week for the next round. I've gotten my previous fish from there with good success, and I'll make sure they are eating well before bringing them home.
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I think I'll be going to my lfs this week for the next round. I've gotten my previous fish from there with good success, and I'll make sure they are eating well before bringing them home.
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Sorry. They are tough. Sometimes they seem to die for no apparent reason. I've had it happen with a couple Choati before. Blue stars and meleagris seem to be the ones with the best odds of success though
Thornbreaker
New member
Yeah, should I do a complete water change before QT ing new fish? I don't see ich or a sign of other external disease.
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I always break the whole qt down and sterilize everything after every fish unless it's a fish that goes into my established reef QT like I do with leopards.
If you can swing it, this is a wise way to QT sensitive fish. I have 8 across five different species and they all went through my coral/reef QT.
Thornbreaker
New member
This sounds like a good idea. What do y'all add specifically on top of a normal QT, just live rock?
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I have an absolutely crazy story about my new bipartus leopard wrasse! It arrived yesterday from LA and was acclimated into my 29 gallon QT. After a few hours of dimmed light, I fed some frozen food for the other fish and to see if she would be interested. She actually started to pick at some food! I went to sleep confident that she would do well but woke up the next morning to an upside-down fish. Surprisingly, she was not dead and started to swim upside-down much to my surprise. I turned off all the pumps and the HOB and went to work. I came back expecting her to be dead, but when I got back she was nowhere to be seen. I looked for her and saw her perched on the powerhead. When I put my finger in the water she started to swim and has been for the last few hours. Do you know what happened? I originally thought that she had a swim bladder issue. Any ideas?
Do you have sand in the QT?
At this point I'd try just putting the sand a couple inches deep directly on the bottom. It's definitely not a good sign if it won't burrow.
