Leopard Wrasses

[Mental1]

I have had terrible luck with leopard wrasses. I think I am 0 for 5. The last one was from another reefer who was local, picked her up, drove home with her in a bucket for an hour and put her straight into the DT. All of them have gone into the DT. The last one lasted two weeks and died! I don't get it. My tank is about loaded with pods and this wrasse was eating frozen. She had been with her previous owner for a number of years. Any ideas what my problem is? Or am I just leopard cursed?

The LFS has gotten some Kuiteri Leopard Wrasses in and I am tempted. Are they less fragile, about the same, or more so than the others?

 

[snorvich]

You might read the sticky above which discusses leopard wrasses. Best information is available there.

 

[Mental1]

It is 51 pages! I have a DSB, the tank is 18 months old, there is a fuge, and about 360g total volume. I fulfill all of the basic requirements. Lots of pods -- big and small -- lots of live rock. I acclimate for about 45 minutes each time, I add straight to the DT, and they die. I am mostly wondering about the Kuiteri because they are rarely mentioned. I made it through about 15 pages and 150 posts and I am tired. Plus the kuiteri are not even in the list -- would have to be "other". Just can't find a lot about them. Anyone?

 

[small alien]

I feel your pain but I think your question might just be too open ended. From what you've said, there isn't a reason you should have had 5 leopard wrasses (or any other fish) die as far as I can figure. So it's likely something you're not mentioning and probably haven't thought of yourself.

Have you successfully added other fish in the meantime?

Does the wrasse appear emaciated before it dies? Any symptoms or signs of distress prior to death?

Finally, just to give you a hard time a little, if you've got the time to try 5 leopard wrasses, you've got the time to read the primer. Now get reading!

 

[SMOOTHIE]

What other fish do you have in there and more importantly how are you acclimating this delicate fish?

 

[BFG]

It's the same with me. I can't keep them alive for a week. I acclimatised them for an hour or so, release them into the tank and see their carcass 3 days later. It's my 3rd leopard and I think I am going to stop purchasing them. My tank is nearly 4 years old this June.

 

[Mental1]

There is nothing in the sticky that i have read so far that I do not know. I know about poor shipping and I know about the parasites. It is a reef tank so I cannot treat with prozipro -- so tell me what reading the 53 pages is going to tell me that I don't already know? I am not a total newb so treat me with a little respect please smalllalien.

Other fish are bangaii, scotts fairy, rabbit, chevron, indian golden ring, mandarin,naked clown, mated neon goby pair.

I drip acclimate after checking salinity for 45 minutes to an hour in the dark and turn the lights off after introduction to the tank. I use an acclimate to move them from the bucket to the tank usually after the water volume has at least doubled or even tripled. I do not remove water as I really want to leave the fish alone.

The first was from a LFS, looked weak in the bucket, swam in circles versus hunting and died the next day. Then I bought 3 from the DRS, one was DOA, one was weak in acclimation and died the next day, and the third lasted about 5 days and disappeared.The established fish dying really blew me away and made me wonder if there is something in my sand. It was fat and looked really healthy when it died. She would wake up early every morning, eat frozen, hunt until mid afternoon and then dive into the sand for the rest of the day. One day she did not wake up early, the next day she did not get up but found her later in the day dead. She was in the tank 2 weeks. It's a mystery to me!

 

[snorvich]

A scott's fairy wrasse can be very aggressive towards other fish; leopard wrasses need environments that are very gentle. But the ones you are getting so far are obviously on their last legs when you get them. Leopards ship poorly. Leopards come in with worms about 50% of the time or better. Leopards pretty much need a tank with sufficient copepods AND need PE mysis as a starter food. But getting a healthy leopard is the luck of the draw. They are difficult fish but once you have one you should be good. That is a capsule of the sticky, but reading the sticky gives you a sense of the task at hand from many people. I have five leopards which are doing well.

 

[snorvich]

By the way, I don't quarantine leopard wrasses; if they are going to make it, they need to be in a large display tank with copepods as they will waste away assuming only prepared food.

 

[Mental1]

My tank is 180g, the system is about 360g and I don't QT any wrasses, mandarins or lionfish.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Scottorum Wrasse is a potential problem here. Are your lights on timers, Sherri? What's the lighting schedule?

 

[snorvich]

I feel your pain but I think your question might just be too open ended. From what you've said, there isn't a reason you should have had 5 leopard wrasses (or any other fish) die as far as I can figure. So it's likely something you're not mentioning and probably haven't thought of yourself.

Have you successfully added other fish in the meantime?

Does the wrasse appear emaciated before it dies? Any symptoms or signs of distress prior to death?

Finally, just to give you a hard time a little, if you've got the time to try 5 leopard wrasses, you've got the time to read the primer. Now get reading!

How long have you had your leopard wrasses?

 

[Mental1]

The Scott's Fairy wrasse does not bother any of them. He's actually really mellow. The last wrasse was so big no one bothered her at all. My gang is actually really very peaceful. My lights are on timers, it's a constellation and they start at 7, next set at 11 and final set on for about three hours. The last ones turn off at 9 but very blue and actinic and dark towards the end. I do understand the task at hand and have been reading about leopards for a long time. I tried one years ago and failed and then set up a new tank. I waited for it to mature before trying another. I really thought getting one from another reefer would do it. But no such luck. She was really fine in the tank.

 

[Ralph ATL]

to be honest, if you read that thread, you would have realized that prazi is reef safe.

Also, gut packed live brine (selcon and cyclopeeze) is a great way to get them to start eating.

what grade of sand? sugar fine?

etc......................

 

[shaggy14]

after i ordered my leopard wrasse, i read that they do best when you put 3 or more in at a time. i didnt know that until it was too late, but luckily mine survived. no it is living happily in my new BB tank(i know, i know, they like sand). you might want to try the multiple wrasse addition, it might help out a little.........now if someone could just tell me how to keep copperbands alive ill be good. im 0-5 on them.lol

 

[small alien]

How long have you had your leopard wrasses?

I'm not suggesting I'm some kind of leopard wrasse expert. I'm just trying to help and participate in the discussion of a fish I find particularly appealing. I'm trying to just ask some sensible, simple questions to tease out more information.

I've had two small (1 1/2 inch) leopards for about 4 weeks in a very established 10 gallon QT. They are both eating mysis, cyclopeeze, and roe with great vigor. They have both gotten fatter in that time and have very healthy looking body weight. I tried feeding them mysis soaked in prazi but that would chew it and spit it out. I think I'm going to go about another two weeks in QT and then introduce them if everything looks good. They are amazing fish and I have high hopes for these two.

 

[small alien]

There is nothing in the sticky that i have read so far that I do not know. I know about poor shipping and I know about the parasites. It is a reef tank so I cannot treat with prozipro -- so tell me what reading the 53 pages is going to tell me that I don't already know? I am not a total newb so treat me with a little respect please smalllalien.

Fine. Don't read it. It just struck me as though if you were going to try 5 of this fish, you would read any and all information available. 5 is a lot to my mind.

I also wondered if there was something toxic in your sand. Do you have any other fish that bury themselves?

Good luck.

 

[Troy the Nomad]

If you have or plan on having leopards, you should read the sticky PERIOD

edit- it really is better for your fish's chance of survival

 

[keywestcoralboy]

Good luck on the wrasse.... feed it good and hope for the best, it seems to me like its the first week that kills em,

 

[Mental1]

Firstly, as far as I can see there are mixed reactions about the safety of prozipro in a reef tank. I have read where people believe it has killed acros, xenia and other soft corals, pods, and feather dusters. Additionally, I have a huge flatworm population in my 65g that would die and cause a huge water quality problem. I have a melanurus that I have hired for that job.

Secondly, I have read about 20 pages of the sticky and there was no new information for me so please stop being pushy about that. Once again, the issues are sand for sleeping, poor shippers, parasites, established tank. That's all I saw in the first 20 pages I read.

Thirdly, can anyone actually answer my question about kuiteri?

Fourthly, I did not have a problem with the last wrasse eating as it was eating frozen and hunting pods.

Fifthly, I have southdown sand that is 4 to 6 inches deep. I wonder if there is something in the sand but the bed is not that old and it got stirred up a lot about 6 months ago by a tennenti tang I had for a short time.

And finally, I have know people who have tried 15 to get 2 to live in their tanks. One was DOA but I guess in your mind Small Alien that's my fault. 2 died within 6 hours. Again ... I guess that is something I did wrong. And finally one lasted 5 days.

The one that bugs me the most is the one that was eating and had lived in another reefers tank for several years. That seems to point to something in the sand. I will not use any medication on the whole system as that would seem to be asking for trouble. What I may try is a sand shifting star to work through the sand bed ... and then get shifted onto the next tank. I do have turbos but maybe the sand bed needs something more to move it around.