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
After reading through a lot of this thread, how do you not quarantine when salinity at the lfs is 1.019 and your display is 1.026. Wouldn't that rise be too much too fast?
 
After reading through a lot of this thread, how do you not quarantine when salinity at the lfs is 1.019 and your display is 1.026. Wouldn't that rise be too much too fast?



If the salinity is that different then do a slow acclimation. Once you match the store salinity with your quarantine system then put them in


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I have tight fitting screens on my main display. Not so much for the leopards, but fir my anthias and flasher wrasses. Both highly motivated to escape the tank. I remain on my multi year 'mission' to keep one of all the varied leopard species. I have multiple Meleagris (including one spectacular male), a Bipartitus, black, ornate and jeweled (Lapillus). In a move that I now regret, I rehomed my large potters male. Idiot! Eyeing a moyers at LFS. Haven't seen a vivienae in years, and choati remains elusive too. I think that's all of them.
 
Hi! I have read through this thread several times. I like love it! I thought I would share a pic...I have a melegris....a blue star...a ornate...had them all for over a year...all bought at my LFS...dripped about 40 min or so...and added straight to my display tank. All ate frozen at the LFS....and when I brought them home.
799160064ba591caccdfd839cec27416.jpg
767d662fe9b87b3c733f969aa26383a9.jpg
9c8d59604c6521a0335cf35b3b416448.jpg


Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
I am also hoping @iamwrasseman or someone else can chime in....I added a Moyer's leopard Wrasse two weeks ago....got him from my LFS...he had him in his coral tank for a month... eatting frozen. I haven't been able to get a pic yet....I haven't seen much info on that type of Leopard...I dripped him for 40 min and added him right to my display. If anyone has info about the Moyer's please share... They look similar to a Kuiters leopard. Oh yeah I feed all my leopards Mysis[emoji3]

Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
I am also hoping @iamwrasseman or someone else can chime in....I added a Moyer's leopard Wrasse two weeks ago....got him from my LFS...he had him in his coral tank for a month... eatting frozen. I haven't been able to get a pic yet....I haven't seen much info on that type of Leopard...I dripped him for 40 min and added him right to my display. If anyone has info about the Moyer's please share... They look similar to a Kuiters leopard. Oh yeah I feed all my leopards Mysis[emoji3]

Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

I've had one for a while. Bought online. I'm hoping it will look better when it turns male. Kind of boring looking now for the price.
 
I've had one for a while. Bought online. I'm hoping it will look better when it turns male. Kind of boring looking now for the price.
Yea.... mine too.... not cheap that's for sure! Hoping he does well....how are they compared to other leopards?

Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk
 
Moyer's leopards are in the same complex of species as kuiters and vivians. So they get slightly bigger and can be aggressive to other leopards as they mature.
 
purchase size and success rate

purchase size and success rate

Does purchase size have anything to do with success with leopards? I am one for three on keeping M. meleagris alive for more than one week in QT. All three were from Live Aquaria and less than 1.5 inches. Would I be better off getting a larger female, or is it just bad luck on the two I lost? The one doing well is still only eating live, but I am working on frozen foods with it.
 
Does purchase size have anything to do with success with leopards? I am one for three on keeping M. meleagris alive for more than one week in QT. All three were from Live Aquaria and less than 1.5 inches. Would I be better off getting a larger female, or is it just bad luck on the two I lost? The one doing well is still only eating live, but I am working on frozen foods with it.

I got 4 tiny female meleagris leopards. They were the smallest I have ever seen. One was about 1", the other 3 are 3/4".
I've had them in my 240 for a couple months.
One may not make it. I hardly see all four at the same time. Mostly it's just 3.
 
Does purchase size have anything to do with success with leopards? I am one for three on keeping M. meleagris alive for more than one week in QT. All three were from Live Aquaria and less than 1.5 inches. Would I be better off getting a larger female, or is it just bad luck on the two I lost? The one doing well is still only eating live, but I am working on frozen foods with it.

How is the QT set up?
 
How is the QT set up?
QT that I had them in had fine sand from Padre Island and I use natural seawater. They would burrow into the sand each night. I would do a 95% water change every two days. Since I was down to one wrasse, I have moved him over to a permanent QT tank that has a yellow tail tamarin yesterday. The leopard and yellow tail are both out this morning looking good.
 
Does purchase size have anything to do with success with leopards? I am one for three on keeping M. meleagris alive for more than one week in QT. All three were from Live Aquaria and less than 1.5 inches. Would I be better off getting a larger female, or is it just bad luck on the two I lost? The one doing well is still only eating live, but I am working on frozen foods with it.
Hi! When I bought my melegris from my LFS he was one of the smallest leopard I have seen....may a tad larger than a 1/2 inch when I got him. I was a bit nervous because of his size...but he has done great. I don't quarantine leopards. Some might disagree....I only buy them from my LFS if they had them for a few weeks and are eating frozen. The two LFS I frequent keep all of their leopards in their coral tanks....so the salinity matches my tank. I drip them for about 40 minutes...then put them in my display tank. One thought is...what is your salinity in your QT tank? I know LA ships fish at low salinity....

Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk
 
Oh here is a pic of my Moyers leopard...he is doing well so far....eats seaweed off the grazers....and loves frozen Mysis....oh and thanks for the info. I had trouble finding any info online about a Moyers...my LFS had him for a month...he was eating frozen like a champ..sorry about the pic quality...lol...[emoji3]
32cbd269c072d88672c84ef9c90d1eff.jpg
55605115c559d95524ed98f0702412b4.jpg


Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk
 
So I've been reading through some of this thread, as I'm very interested in picking up a couple of leopard wrasses. After 148 pages though, I'm a bit lost on everything, so if y'all don't mind me asking a few questions:

1. Future stock list - 2 clowns, royal gramma, mandarin (after 1 year), firefish, yellow tang, tomini tang (tangs going in last). Maybe a foxface one day and a goby. Any issues for stocking these along with the leopard wrasses?

2. Looks like multiple wrasses are fine esp if added together. Should these be a 6 month to a year purchase (like a mandarin) to ensure established micro fauna?

3. I have a 150 gallon DT with a Ruby 36 Sump (~35 gal) which includes a refugium. Would two to three wrasses be too much based on stock list above?

4. I was planning about a 2" sand bed, but would a 3" bed be sufficient without going too deep on sand? I'm not sure what the minimum recommendation is here and what is optimal.

5. Quarantine - I imagine this is the most opinionated question based on what I've seen as some of you don't QT this fish due to their hardiness (similar to a mandarin if I understand on that front). Would it be advisable though to have a QT (20 gallon long), cycled with sand bed, either on the bottom or via a container of sand in order to QT these to acclimate over time and establish feeding? I'm guessing TTM isn't worth it due to stress on the fish, lack of sand, and they don't seem to be prone to ich, but internal parasites if anything. I have concerns more so with received SG from a LFS or online store if I'm running at 1.025 or 1.026. My local LFS was at 1.016 the other day. Does anyone have a thread or pics where they used a QT with sand?

Thanks everyone!
 
So I've been reading through some of this thread, as I'm very interested in picking up a couple of leopard wrasses. After 148 pages though, I'm a bit lost on everything, so if y'all don't mind me asking a few questions:

1. Future stock list - 2 clowns, royal gramma, mandarin (after 1 year), firefish, yellow tang, tomini tang (tangs going in last). Maybe a foxface one day and a goby. Any issues for stocking these along with the leopard wrasses?

2. Looks like multiple wrasses are fine esp if added together. Should these be a 6 month to a year purchase (like a mandarin) to ensure established micro fauna?

3. I have a 150 gallon DT with a Ruby 36 Sump (~35 gal) which includes a refugium. Would two to three wrasses be too much based on stock list above?

4. I was planning about a 2" sand bed, but would a 3" bed be sufficient without going too deep on sand? I'm not sure what the minimum recommendation is here and what is optimal.

5. Quarantine - I imagine this is the most opinionated question based on what I've seen as some of you don't QT this fish due to their hardiness (similar to a mandarin if I understand on that front). Would it be advisable though to have a QT (20 gallon long), cycled with sand bed, either on the bottom or via a container of sand in order to QT these to acclimate over time and establish feeding? I'm guessing TTM isn't worth it due to stress on the fish, lack of sand, and they don't seem to be prone to ich, but internal parasites if anything. I have concerns more so with received SG from a LFS or online store if I'm running at 1.025 or 1.026. My local LFS was at 1.016 the other day. Does anyone have a thread or pics where they used a QT with sand?

Thanks everyone!

1. Future stock list - 2 clowns, royal gramma, mandarin (after 1 year), firefish, yellow tang, tomini tang (tangs going in last). Maybe a foxface one day and a goby. Any issues for stocking these along with the leopard wrasses?

Answer: In your size tank that stock list sounds ok....I had one blood orange clown that was really agressive to my leopards...so I traded him in at the LFS....so I have no clowns...and no plans to get any....all though my husband likes clowns...but since it is my tank and I take care of it...I won...he he....

2. Looks like multiple wrasses are fine esp if added together. Should these be a 6 month to a year purchase (like a mandarin) to ensure established micro fauna?

Answer: Yes...I have 4 of them...blue star...Moyers...Ornate...and a Melegris...my tank was 2 years old before I got a Leopard. A year or even be 6 months should be good.

3. I have a 150 gallon DT with a Ruby 36 Sump (~35 gal) which includes a refugium. Would two to three wrasses be too much based on stock list above?

Answer: No...you should be ok...

4. I was planning about a 2" sand bed, but would a 3" bed be sufficient without going too deep on sand? I'm not sure what the minimum recommendation is here and what is optimal.

Answer: 2-3 inch sand bed will be fine...I would not go less than 2 inches...

5. Quarantine - I imagine this is the most opinionated question based on what I've seen as some of you don't QT this fish due to their hardiness (similar to a mandarin if I understand on that front). Would it be advisable though to have a QT (20 gallon long), cycled with sand bed, either on the bottom or via a container of sand in order to QT these to acclimate over time and establish feeding? I'm guessing TTM isn't worth it due to stress on the fish, lack of sand, and they don't seem to be prone to ich, but internal parasites if anything. I have concerns more so with received SG from a LFS or online store if I'm running at 1.025 or 1.026. My local LFS was at 1.016 the other day. Does anyone have a thread or pics where they used a QT with sand?

Answer: I have never QT my leopards....but I bought all of mine from 2 different LFS....all of their leopards are put into their coral tanks at 1.025 salinity....so that matches my tank...I leave them at the LFS for a minimum of a week usually two weeks to make sure they are eating frozen Mysis...then I take them home. I do a 40 min drip...and into the tank...keep in mind leopards are not an easy fish....it is important to make sure the Leopard looks healthy...no damage to the mouth or body...and that it is eatting at the store. Also.... leopards don't handle stress....so they do best in a peaceful tank...with other peaceful fish. This is just my experience and what works for me. If you have any more questions let me know.

About the QT.... maybe others that have QT their Leopards will chime in. Hope this helps! By the way Leopards be are one of the best fish out there. You will enjoy them in your tank! [emoji16]

Here is some pics of mine....
f29a28eefc6916b3d64c4c217fb452f4.jpg
256081efed569467edf7b44741ec8975.jpg


Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk
 
Back
Top