Leopard Wrasse Questions
- Thread starter Shawn D
- Start date
I bought a Potters Leopard wrasse 3 months back, and he has doubled in size and eats almost everything I put in my tank... Eats right out of the water column...
I bought a Potters Leopard wrasse 3 months back, and he has doubled in size and eats almost everything I put in my tank... Eats right out of the water column...
melanotaenia
New member
I also had a leopard wrasse (actually two of them) for a long time without any problems, they are great fish, but ibid what others have said, you have to make sure the specimen you get was not damaged during shipping and is eating/displaying proper swimming and eating behavior before buying or introducing into your aquarium.
It's simply important to receive a specimen how doesn't have mouth damage. Many people are successful as they acclimate readily, take food quickly and eagerly in captivity. You simply need a specimens with an undamaged mouth.
Leopard Wrasses feel most secure submerged within the sand bed. When shipped they are stressed as they can't bury themselves, and continually force their mouth into the corners of the bag. They have very large teeth in a tiny mouth that damage the structure, making acclimation and feeding difficult, leading to the gradual death of the fish.
I think if you to order, order one online and put in the comments note to add some sand in the bag, so you can ensure that the mouth won't become damaged. Just a thought.
Leopard Wrasses feel most secure submerged within the sand bed. When shipped they are stressed as they can't bury themselves, and continually force their mouth into the corners of the bag. They have very large teeth in a tiny mouth that damage the structure, making acclimation and feeding difficult, leading to the gradual death of the fish.
I think if you to order, order one online and put in the comments note to add some sand in the bag, so you can ensure that the mouth won't become damaged. Just a thought.
Jmason95
Member
You also need to consider that copepods are a Leopard Wrasses' main source of food, so one key in keeping these fish is an established tank. My tank was about 1 year old before I added mine. My wrasse eventually started taking prepared food, but having a steady flow of copepods can only help. You also need a DSB because they will bury themselves at night or when frightened.
pledosophy
Active member
My leaopard eats, flake foods, frozen mysis, frozen brine, live brine, Rod's food, carnivour cusine, krill, plankton, and daphine eagerly. (I like to rotate and experiment with food). Have had him for over a year, all is still well.
They are very hardy fish once acclimated IME.
All of my leopards eat anything as well. They will hunt for pods too and they will outcompete fish such as a mandarin.
Look for a potters or guneafowl. They are usually the hardiest. This is mostly (IME) due to the fact that they are in close proximity to USA and don't have to ship too far.
I have potters, gunea fowl, black and bipartus in the same tank and they don't pay any attention to each other - male or female.
I get mine locally from my LFS that gets most them direct from Hawaii. If I was ordering online, I would only get them from Live Aquaria.
Read this:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-07/hcs3/index.php
Look for a potters or guneafowl. They are usually the hardiest. This is mostly (IME) due to the fact that they are in close proximity to USA and don't have to ship too far.
I have potters, gunea fowl, black and bipartus in the same tank and they don't pay any attention to each other - male or female.
I get mine locally from my LFS that gets most them direct from Hawaii. If I was ordering online, I would only get them from Live Aquaria.
Read this:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-07/hcs3/index.php
flfireman1
Wrasse aficionado
I keep my trio (new guinea fowl pair and african leopard female) in my 92 corner. They all get along great except for every now and then the slightly larger new guinea fowl female will display for the african leopard female.
They are by far my favorite fish. They also eat whatever I put in the tank, including the nori clips that is intended for the tangs.
I wouldnt buy one of these fish unless you see it eating in front of you. Unless you want to risk it and do what I did with the male leopard. The LFS hardly ever get them in and I bought him on sight. He took about a week to come out of the sand but has been doing great for about 2 months now.
Good luck.
They are by far my favorite fish. They also eat whatever I put in the tank, including the nori clips that is intended for the tangs.
I wouldnt buy one of these fish unless you see it eating in front of you. Unless you want to risk it and do what I did with the male leopard. The LFS hardly ever get them in and I bought him on sight. He took about a week to come out of the sand but has been doing great for about 2 months now.
Good luck.
AquaReeferMan
Got Reef?
When I got mine from LA there was no sand in the bag. Luckily there was no damage to the mouth. Im sure if you call them or email them they will put some sand in for you. The leopards are one of my favorite fish.
Ive had my meleagris for over a year now. I had a bipartitus with it for about 5 months until my clown fed it to her carpet anemone. Within 2 weeks of being in the tank they were eating anything I threw in. Prime Reef flakes, Marine Cuisine, Brine, PE Mysis, Formula 2 Pellets, Cyclop- eeze(frozen, and flake), and Nori.
If you get a healthy one from the get go they are a very hardy fish. If you think your system can handle it I highly suggest adding one.
Ive had my meleagris for over a year now. I had a bipartitus with it for about 5 months until my clown fed it to her carpet anemone. Within 2 weeks of being in the tank they were eating anything I threw in. Prime Reef flakes, Marine Cuisine, Brine, PE Mysis, Formula 2 Pellets, Cyclop- eeze(frozen, and flake), and Nori.
If you get a healthy one from the get go they are a very hardy fish. If you think your system can handle it I highly suggest adding one.
baloutang
New member
No they did not ship with sand in the bag and yes my leopard wrasse has a defective mouth. I didn't realize it was defective until everyone started mentioning it here. She looks like Sammy Davis Jr., meaning her lower lip is protruding. I didn't realize that their mouths become damage, but I've had this fish in my tank for now over 2 months and it eats everything from Julian Sprungs Red Seaweed to blood worms, etc.
LA tends to ship their fish with a very low specific gravity which probably helps in the viability of the fish when they arrive. None of the fish I've ever bought from LA have ever perished...personally even though it may be a more expensive way to go with shipping, but the quality is definitely there and can't beat that 14 day guarantee.
Here's a pic of a damaged mouth (doesn't seem to affect her all that much though)
