Ralph ATL
Formerly mysterybox
don't forget airstone
Leopard Wrasse Primer
- Thread starter BrianD
- Start date
don't forget airstone
hogfanreefer
Active member
I love LA/DD and use them as much as possible but I would QT fish from there as well. I have gotten a fish from them with Ich. Doesn't happen a lot but it can and does happen.
thewrasseman
New member
Species: Macropharyngodon bipartitus Male and Female
Source: LFS from Quality Marine (same place DD uses)
Method of introduction (straight to tank)
Tank set up: 80 and 120 Reef. They are in the 80 gallon currently
How many other attempts, if any, you made to keep a leopard wrasse and thoughts on why this attempt was successful:
Have only lost 1 juvenile (my first one) and have had 5 juvenile/female bipartitus in the past, which eventually were given to fellow reefers. All 5 were in my system for around a year or more (at different times throughout the 8 years I've been in the hobby). Have always wanted a male but never had one change or even begin to show signs of changing. I have had the female in my tank currently for 1.5 years and was able to get a male shipped in from QM through my LFS recently. Male was added to my display tank after being at my LFS for about a week, we fed mysis and brine mix day 1 at the store with no issue, great color and very healthy. I used an acclimation box when i brought him home to make sure the female in the tank currently did not start to change. He was in the box for 2 days with no female aggression present. Released him into the tank yesterday night with no issues, and when watching, saw them swim together most of the time. Acclimation box did have sand, which was placed where the box was when it was removed.
Source: LFS from Quality Marine (same place DD uses)
Method of introduction (straight to tank)
Tank set up: 80 and 120 Reef. They are in the 80 gallon currently
How many other attempts, if any, you made to keep a leopard wrasse and thoughts on why this attempt was successful:
Have only lost 1 juvenile (my first one) and have had 5 juvenile/female bipartitus in the past, which eventually were given to fellow reefers. All 5 were in my system for around a year or more (at different times throughout the 8 years I've been in the hobby). Have always wanted a male but never had one change or even begin to show signs of changing. I have had the female in my tank currently for 1.5 years and was able to get a male shipped in from QM through my LFS recently. Male was added to my display tank after being at my LFS for about a week, we fed mysis and brine mix day 1 at the store with no issue, great color and very healthy. I used an acclimation box when i brought him home to make sure the female in the tank currently did not start to change. He was in the box for 2 days with no female aggression present. Released him into the tank yesterday night with no issues, and when watching, saw them swim together most of the time. Acclimation box did have sand, which was placed where the box was when it was removed.
+1... Absolutely, they even recommend it!
joshky
Acros & Wrasses
My female bipartitus came in looking really good Tuesday and came out for the first time today. She nipped at LRS Reef Frenzy soaked in selcon and garlic, very happy about that. Here's to hoping she's another success. 
edit:
Just to clarify, by success, I merely mean eating well. Long term success on my potters is still to be seen.
edit:
Just to clarify, by success, I merely mean eating well. Long term success on my potters is still to be seen.
Last edited:
themadride
New member
I posted a couple weeks ago and got no response, so I thought I would update with a follow up question.
My black leopard wrasse is still doing good, but still acting "odd", but it's my first leopard so maybe it's not odd after all.
He eats prepared food (LRS fish frenzy) soaked with anything I choose to add to it, which is good. My tank is teaming with pods and he hunts constantly in addition to eating prepared.
But his sleeping pattern is WEIRD. He comes out for about 6 - 8 hours.....per 3 days.
Almost like clockwork he stays down for 2 days, then comes out...eats like a pig and goes back to sleep for 2 days. It's been this way for the last 2 weeks.
And interestingly, the more/faster I feed him...the faster he goes back under. If I wait to feed him and just let him hunt all day, he will stay out pretty much all day (on that 3rd day) but if I feed him a bunch, he may only stay out 3 or 4 hours and crash.
Is this normal? So far he seems like a big lazy couch potato of a fish. lol
My black leopard wrasse is still doing good, but still acting "odd", but it's my first leopard so maybe it's not odd after all.
He eats prepared food (LRS fish frenzy) soaked with anything I choose to add to it, which is good. My tank is teaming with pods and he hunts constantly in addition to eating prepared.
But his sleeping pattern is WEIRD. He comes out for about 6 - 8 hours.....per 3 days.
Almost like clockwork he stays down for 2 days, then comes out...eats like a pig and goes back to sleep for 2 days. It's been this way for the last 2 weeks.
And interestingly, the more/faster I feed him...the faster he goes back under. If I wait to feed him and just let him hunt all day, he will stay out pretty much all day (on that 3rd day) but if I feed him a bunch, he may only stay out 3 or 4 hours and crash.
Is this normal? So far he seems like a big lazy couch potato of a fish. lol
eatbreakfast
New member
Not so much of a lazy couch potato, but more of a scaredy-cat. Leopards utilize going under the sand bed for sleeping, but also for protection from perceived dangers. Somewhere along the line your leopard wrasse got scared badly. If he didn't need food he likely wouldn't be out at all. Give it time. It can take a while for him to break this behavior, but he will eventually.
Macimage
Active member
I am sorry to read that and hope that the next three are healthy.
Jstn
Member
Ordered three more off LA, also got two black leopard wrasse. Well they did not send the Potters, but just the black leopards. After acclimating them they dove into the sand (good sign). While removing them from the bag I saw some really bright blue and yellows on their fins, truly a beautiful fish. I have only seen picture on line and I though they were less than impressive up until now.
I lost track, sorry. where were these from? and was the DOA from shipping error of the carrier (lost in transit kind of thing)? sorry for the significant total loss. that is hard and never fun.
Jstn
Member
Live aquaria, the first one was dead in the bag, the second one lasted an hour maybe two, and the third made it to the second day, sorry I wasn't specific on the timeline. I met the UPS driver at my door at 9am and got them into my QT tank by 10 am after acclimating. I know many of you have successes with direct into the DT, but I like qt to prevent disease (I have a clown pair I had for 6-7 years) and a few special fish. Also i feel the low competition for food along with the ability to observe these animals outweighs the bad.
I came home tonight and one was out, it appears one is turning male, he has a beautiful green face and was able to start accepting mysis. His mouth is banged up a bit but he was still able to swallow the food after spitting out a few time.
The potters above is stunning, very nice specimen there.
thank you for the additional details jstn. I agree with qt but also prophylaxis and treatment and rarely have had issues with several popularly recognized "difficult" species but I have also done my due diligence like many in this thread for proper care.
ok, so not dead upon arrival, literally, but all dead within 2 days and from LA as a source. ok, thank you.
that is great news on the new arrivals. when settled and photos are possible, I would love to see them. keep at it and best of luck - enjoy!
ok, so not dead upon arrival, literally, but all dead within 2 days and from LA as a source. ok, thank you.
that is great news on the new arrivals. when settled and photos are possible, I would love to see them. keep at it and best of luck - enjoy!
themadride
New member
Just an update on my trio of black leopards.
The first died a couple of days after introduction. He never acted right. He played dead not only during acclimation but also after introduction. He just layed on the sand for a couple of hours. But the he dove in and came out every day for a few days and ate a bit, but just acted weird (weirder than the others) and after a couple of days I found him dead.
The second wrasse died yesterday and this one really disappointed me. I thought we were out of the woods. It's been a month, and he was out for several hours most days, eating prepared and hunting pods, etc.
Suddenly, I found him dead with SEVERE BEAK TRAUMA. The kind of potential trauma you read about happening in shipping. What you could potentially expect if you tried to keep one in a BB. I have a soft, fine sand bed ranging from 2.5" to 4.5" with most at 3". I can't figure out what would have caused his entire upper beak to be gone. Anyway, RIP #2.
So, I'm down to 1 of 3, which is kind of what I half expected to being with. I'm disappointed, but not discouraged.
I originally wanted a pair and figured it might take two separate orders of 3 fish to make that happen. But if I lose the last leopard after a month I'll be pretty discouraged.
The first died a couple of days after introduction. He never acted right. He played dead not only during acclimation but also after introduction. He just layed on the sand for a couple of hours. But the he dove in and came out every day for a few days and ate a bit, but just acted weird (weirder than the others) and after a couple of days I found him dead.
The second wrasse died yesterday and this one really disappointed me. I thought we were out of the woods. It's been a month, and he was out for several hours most days, eating prepared and hunting pods, etc.
Suddenly, I found him dead with SEVERE BEAK TRAUMA. The kind of potential trauma you read about happening in shipping. What you could potentially expect if you tried to keep one in a BB. I have a soft, fine sand bed ranging from 2.5" to 4.5" with most at 3". I can't figure out what would have caused his entire upper beak to be gone. Anyway, RIP #2.
So, I'm down to 1 of 3, which is kind of what I half expected to being with. I'm disappointed, but not discouraged.
I originally wanted a pair and figured it might take two separate orders of 3 fish to make that happen. But if I lose the last leopard after a month I'll be pretty discouraged.
m0nkie
Well-known member
I just lost my pair of black leopard in QT after dosing PraziPro.
Both wrasse were eating prepared food. 20 gal QT has 2 wrasse, a baby 1 spot fox face and a baby sunburst anthias. air stone + ph.. matched salinity and temp.
Started TTM, both wrasse looked good. 2nd Transfer was great. 3rd transfer has PP inside. 5ml per 20gal. after 2 days of Prazi, 1 wrasse looked pretty dead and 1 looked ok. 3rd day, 1 wrasse died.. all other fish are fine.
4th transfer, into clean tank. 2nd wrasse died over night...
pretty bummed.. I'll try another pair after the holidays.. not sure what went wrong. the other 2 fish are still fine in QT.
I seem to lose wrasse a lot in QT. specially after PP. I made sure there's extra flow in there to counter the lack of o2. I suspect maybe by last day of transfer, there's ammonia build up? I try to feed frozen food only and sometimes I see left over mysis..
Do you guys get the uneaten food out of QT everyday?
Both wrasse were eating prepared food. 20 gal QT has 2 wrasse, a baby 1 spot fox face and a baby sunburst anthias. air stone + ph.. matched salinity and temp.
Started TTM, both wrasse looked good. 2nd Transfer was great. 3rd transfer has PP inside. 5ml per 20gal. after 2 days of Prazi, 1 wrasse looked pretty dead and 1 looked ok. 3rd day, 1 wrasse died.. all other fish are fine.
4th transfer, into clean tank. 2nd wrasse died over night...
pretty bummed.. I'll try another pair after the holidays.. not sure what went wrong. the other 2 fish are still fine in QT.I seem to lose wrasse a lot in QT. specially after PP. I made sure there's extra flow in there to counter the lack of o2. I suspect maybe by last day of transfer, there's ammonia build up? I try to feed frozen food only and sometimes I see left over mysis..
Do you guys get the uneaten food out of QT everyday?
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