Need some advice on my Leopard wrasse

[lee_d_m]

Hi,

3 weeks ago, I purchased two female leopard wrasses (Macropharyngodon bipartitus) and placed them in my 24G QT.

All was well for week 1, until I went away for the week-end. I came back and one of them was very sick and swimming on it's side, sadly, it didn't make it.

The day after, the other wrasse went into the sand at night, and didn't appear for 5 days.

When it did come out, it looked fine and was eating, but appears to now have damaged it's mouth (I realise that this is a bad sign), but it's still eating and acting normally so I'm keeping m fingers crossed.

It then disappeared for another two days, but reappeared on Monday and was eating and appeared well.

The last two days, it has come out about an hour after lights on and appears to be eating and looks ok, it would seem that she has now finally acclimatised to my lighting schedule.

So, sorry for my long post, but my question is this.

Having spoken to my LFS today, they recommended to get her into my DT as soon as possible as they felt that these wrasses don't do great in QT and she'd benefit from the extra life in my DT rather than the rather sterile environment of my QT.

I can understand this point of view, but I'm reluctant to move her so soon after it seems as if she's finally acting normally.

therefore, I'd like some advice from the knowledgeable people on RC as to my best course of action, which appears to be, a) move to DT, or b) keep in QT for longer and monitor ?

Sorry again for such a long post

Thanks

Lee

 

[eatbreakfast]

How long were you planning to qt? Its done fine for this long so I wouldnt worry about it being in qt for another week or 2.

 

[lee_d_m]

I would normally QT for 4 to 6 weeks depending on the type of fish (longer if it's something like a Tang). This is my first experience of this type of fish and so I wasn't really expecting see it as little as I have.

My concern with leaving it in QT is the experience I have had with the one which didn't make it, it was fine one day, then seemingly deteriorated overnight, why, I don't know.

But I guess you are correct in what you say, so I appreciate your input.

Thanks

Lee

 

[eatbreakfast]

Yeah, your experience with the first one can happen withleopards, it had nothing to do with your care.

 

[ca1ore]

There is a very long leopard wrasse primer thread here on RC that I have found invaluable in helping me to acclimate these tricky fish. While I tend to not QT leopards (I put them initially into my refugium), if the fish is eating in QT, there really is no urgency to curtail the quarantine process.

 

[Marshall O]

Do you have live rocks with pods in your QT? If you do, there is no question you should leave it. Let it hunt in peace with supplemental feedings from you.

 

[MIKE NY]

Do you have live rocks with pods in your QT? If you do, there is no question you should leave it. Let it hunt in peace with supplemental feedings from you.

x2...thats what I do...so it has some food to sustain it while it's acclimenting to prepared foods....so when I finally add it to the DT it's already eating and healthy enough to compete for food.