Leopard Wrasse Primer

Leopard Wrasse Primer

  • Macropharyngodon bipartitus

    Votes: 67 28.4%
  • Macropharyngodon choati

    Votes: 12 5.1%
  • Macropharyngodon geoffroy

    Votes: 24 10.2%
  • Macropharyngodon meleagris

    Votes: 78 33.1%
  • Macropharyngodon negrosensis

    Votes: 29 12.3%
  • Other

    Votes: 26 11.0%

  • Total voters
    236
So looking for a bit of direction from those that have kept these fish. I have from liveaquaria, 1 bipartitus, 2 meleagris. I have had these girls for 5 days, upon introduction they all buried in the sand, but came out later that night. Initially they all pecked at the rocks for pods but did not take any of my feeding. Well here is the questions. I have a few other fish in the tank as well, and some sps and zoanthids, snails, crabs, sexy shrimp. Can I and should I treat the tank with prazipro? I seem to get mixed reviews on if this is a good idea to do in an established tank as some have said it caused algae outbreaks, po4 rises, and really messed with their tank. Is this true? Should I use the bottle recommendations? Second question, both of the meleagris come out at about noon when all lights are on, one of them is eating freeze dried brine, and freeze dried blood worms, frozen foods too. The other is not that I can tell interested at all, but does keep pecking rocks. The bipartitus has only come out now if I turn lights on at 1 am and he is eating as well. Should I continue to turn lights on for a few hours to feed her or discontinue? With them being on opposite schedules is it possible to end up with two males since they are not technically seeing each other? Thanks for any help.
 
I know this thread states (after successfully keeping a Leopard for a year), however I have hope, since things are looking very promising (After an initial slow start).

Looking for feedback to make any fine adjustments/improvements. (Did everything possible from reading this thread).

** MANY THANKS for setting up this Great Thread, and for all those who contributed ** Adding my two cents of Early Experience, in case it helps anyone.

Current Setup:
- 3" Sand bed (medium Grain). Couldn't get Fine Sand, but still uses it to sleep (Digging under rock).
- Slow intro to variety foods (Live and Frozen Soaked in Garlic Guard).
- Added live sand with Critters from DT's.
- Keeping in QT since working out.
- Doing DT water changes weekly and using for QT Water Changes.

Here is Day 13 (YOU TUBE VIDEO) of Leopard Wrasse in QT (after coming out). Slept in Sand bed for a week.

https://youtu.be/f_BzQgAFsHg


Now feeding him:
- Live Tigger Copepds
- Live Brine Shrimp,
- Frozen PE Mysis, PE Calanus
- Frozen Gut Loaded Brine Shrimp
- And Reef Nutrition Arti Pods.

He is starting to eat. Mostly likes pecking at surfaces (learning to eat floating stuff, but starting to get interested).


Things look really promising after a bleak week of patience and worry.

2016-05-15_LeopardPhoto_zpshbid5xz6.jpg


Setup a Custom QT just for him. (Dual QT from old Sump). He is now alone in the QT (Other Wrasse returned to LFS since not compatible)


2016-05-02_QT2Ready_zps1clkfa2c.jpg



CURRENT (QT) Setup (Leopard is now alone, 6 Line Wrasse Returned)
2016-05-01_QR-ClearedUp_zpsaqj5v6lv.jpg


Arudino based Controler Water Top up for Super stable Salinity.

2016-05-03_DualTopUPController_zpstyfh6wnx.jpg


FUTURE HOME (SAND BOTTOM SPS TANK) (if the Wrasse Makes it thru QT of 6-8 weeks)
2016-04-30-NewFishBreakup_zpsueqwveui.jpg


I think the one thing I'm not doing which I probably should is to treat him for any parasites, by adding medication to food. I'll do that after he eats more aggressively.
 
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I sure it's been covered here, but I don't see it.
I have a small female meleagris in my 240 now.
I would like to add a couple 2-3 bipartitus.
Providing I get the new ones through quarantine, what is the pecking order going to be like?

Will the single meleagris turn male? Like my last one did?
Will any of the bipartitus turn male?
Is it possible that I could get a male of each?
Will they get along?
 
Unfortunately, the reality of the answers to those questions are:
Providing I get the new ones through quarantine, what is the pecking order going to be like?
TBD

Will the single meleagris turn male?
Maybe

Will any of the bipartitus turn male?
Maybe

Is it possible that I could get a male of each?
Yes

Will they get along?
Maybe, but not likely if there are multiple males.
 
I recently got a young Ornate Leopard and rushed the acclimation because I was going out of town. It was very dumb, especially when I know full well how delicate these fish are and I've lost some that were much stronger than this one. I just hoped for the best and have been keeping a watchful eye. After about 3 weeks I'd decided that she didn't make it but thought it was strange that my ammonia hadn't spiked. Almost a month to the day, she made her appearance, looking very thin. I was shocked and happy to see her. I spot fed her some mysis and red worms soaked in Selcon and was relieved that she eats it. She'd been eating mostly live brine shrimp and some frozen when tricked. 3 days later she comes to the corner of the glass to meet me whenever I approach and waits to be fed. I've slipped in a few other frozen foods and she's eating it. She's filled out quite a bit in a short time. I'm very optimistic that she'll make it and will join my Potters (my first - I've had her since October and she's a fat, happy beast! LOL), Dusky and Melanurus.
 

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I have 3 Blue Star Leopards coming tomorrow.
I'm going to keep them in a quarantine tank for approx 3 weeks depending on their health.
On day 2 I'll start a couple 2-3 days of methylene blue, then carbon for a day and a water change, then do a couple rounds of Prazipro.
 
The longer you can quarantine the better. My most recent leopard, an ornate, spent almost 3 months in QT getting acclimated to just about any kind of frozen food. Upon introduction to the display, she was attacked about as unrelentingly by the resident female Meleagris as I've ever seen from any fish this side of a Sohal tang. Couple of days of that and she disappeared to the sand, never to be seen again I assumed. It's been close to 4 weeks and, lo'n'behold, I see her out and about, and eating today. Looks a bit harried, but not all that thin. I haveclittlevdoubt, absent a long QT, she'd have died.
 
my ornate eats literally everything, any type of frozen, pellets, algae and even the occasional moth that lands on the water when flying around the light.
 
The longer you can quarantine the better. My most recent leopard, an ornate, spent almost 3 months in QT getting acclimated to just about any kind of frozen food. Upon introduction to the display, she was attacked about as unrelentingly by the resident female Meleagris as I've ever seen from any fish this side of a Sohal tang. Couple of days of that and she disappeared to the sand, never to be seen again I assumed. It's been close to 4 weeks and, lo'n'behold, I see her out and about, and eating today. Looks a bit harried, but not all that thin. I haveclittlevdoubt, absent a long QT, she'd have died.

I agree so much, albeit a timeframe isn't as important, as long as the wrasse is not only QT'd but also conditioned...
 
Hey guys. Ive had a blue star female for over 6 months. She eats very well but ive been thinking shes looking a little skinny behind the head. I feed gut loaded mysis, rods food and spectrum pellets on occasion. She also loves nori. I feed at least twice a day and theres only 4 fish in an 80 gal. Also tons of pods in there. Any tips on fattening her up?

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Hey everyone, yesterday I picked up 2 m. meleagris wrasses, I've read this thread many times over, but I wasn't comfortable putting them in my DT just yet, since I got them from an LFS. They're in a QT right now, and ate yesterday, but just wondering if it was normal for them to be out "hunting" all day yesterday. I introduced them in the morning, and they didn't go into the sand till night. They're nowhere to be seen today thank god...
Just wondering if this is normal



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What's everyone's QT protocol? I'm not going to TTM, just normal QT. I ertypically treat everyone with chloroquine phosphate but I assume that's a no go, so what does everyone treat with? Going to do 2 rounds of PP too
 
What's everyone's QT protocol? I'm not going to TTM, just normal QT. I ertypically treat everyone with chloroquine phosphate but I assume that's a no go, so what does everyone treat with? Going to do 2 rounds of PP too


What I was told was reasonable plans was to wait until a wrasse is eating prepared food, then a 24 hours of methylene blue, carbon it out. Then 2 rounds of Prazi Pro.
And another week or two of observation.
 
What's everyone's QT protocol? I'm not going to TTM, just normal QT. I ertypically treat everyone with chloroquine phosphate but I assume that's a no go, so what does everyone treat with? Going to do 2 rounds of PP too

I personally set up a tank for QT in advance with live rock I let cure in my sump months in advance. (I consider this rock disposable and just replace it when I use it. I always have some in my sump so this is easy for me.) That way they have lots of pods and can hunt. I always treat with two rounds of Prazi right away. This is usually it. The first time I put them straight into my display and it was 6 rounds of prazi before I could get the flukes eradicated, so I never go the DT method anymore.

Just this last round I had 3 blue stars and they ended up with ick. I never saw any spots, but even after two rounds of Prazi, they scratched all during and after. So I ended up using Cupramine for 3 weeks. They took it like champs. I did take a whole week before that to ramp up to dose as well so it was as easy as possible on them. They never stopped eating or anything, so that was great. They are now in my display tank fat and happy.

Good luck!!!
 
I have been treating with PP in my DT just to be certain the flukes are gone. (Had some flukes that took several treatments to get rid of and I wasn't convienced they weren't in the DT) more concerned with ich honestly. Everyone in the DT is ich free and I want to keep them that way. I have methylene blue so I will use that as directed and PP like normal. I'm right to assume that CP would be bad for one correct?
 
I decided to try my hand at Leopard Wrasses again. I got two Meleagris Leopard, both females, one about 6 weeks ago and a second one about 3 weeks ago. Both are doing very well. The first one is about 2.5 inches and the second one just over 3 inches. Both are eating well and is getting fat.
In my 320 gal tank, It seem that the wrasses are never more than 12 inches or so from each other, a lot of time with in a few cm. Does this mean that I have a pair, and can expect the larger one change color soon? Are they too small for color change?
Here is a picture of my pair. Sorry I have not clean my glass for weeks.

attachment.php
 

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I recently got a young Ornate Leopard and rushed the acclimation because I was going out of town. It was very dumb, especially when I know full well how delicate these fish are and I've lost some that were much stronger than this one. I just hoped for the best and have been keeping a watchful eye. After about 3 weeks I'd decided that she didn't make it but thought it was strange that my ammonia hadn't spiked. Almost a month to the day, she made her appearance, looking very thin. I was shocked and happy to see her. I spot fed her some mysis and red worms soaked in Selcon and was relieved that she eats it. She'd been eating mostly live brine shrimp and some frozen when tricked. 3 days later she comes to the corner of the glass to meet me whenever I approach and waits to be fed. I've slipped in a few other frozen foods and she's eating it. She's filled out quite a bit in a short time. I'm very optimistic that she'll make it and will join my Potters (my first - I've had her since October and she's a fat, happy beast! LOL), Dusky and Melanurus.
I didn't realize that two months had passed already. She's doing very well and is finally putting on weight. She now eats flake and everything I put in the tank (LOVES blackworms!). My Potters has since transitioned to a male and is stunning. I've now had him for 8 months.
 
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