New Mystery Wrasse! (advise?)

[sslak]

So here's my new mystery wrasse. He's in QT, brought him home on saturday. He was at my LFS for 5 days, was out and about in the LFS tank with some other tank mates.

I put him into QT and he's been hiding next to the PVC almost all the time. He is still eating mysis aggressively, and he swims out to chase it when I feed, but then hides again.

I'm just worried because this isn't a cheap fish and I want to do everything possible to make sure he makes it to see my reef He also wasn't hiding at the LFS, he was active.

Any suggestions on how to make his QT time more comfortable. I'm not currently dosing, just observing and feeding. QT tank isn't lit, just ambient light from my reef across the room, and the overhead ceiling light.

Also, do you guys think his colors will brighten up a bit as he matures? He's less than an inch long right now.

I'm afraid he doesn't enjoy the QT tank, and I'm tempted to put him right into the reef, but I'm worried about my other inhabitants. Yikes..what to do?!?

 

[Mikesville510]

Love the Mystery Wrasse, one of my favorite fish!

 

[sslak]

Thanks Mike! He will surely be the center piece of my tank once he grows up!

 

[Lorenz725]

I have a Lubbocks Fairy Wrasses in QT that I got just over a week ago. The first 3 days he stayed stuffed under the PVC i have in the tank. He would come out to eat but then be right back under it. He is not swimming around the tank more but spends most of his time around or under the PVC. Mine also was out and swimming around that the fish store but I don't have any other fish in my QT. I would not worry to much as long as he is eating.

 

[moshi1ry]

My mystery wrasse is probably one if not my favorite fish in my 55 gallon! Hopefully u got a alpha male those are more colorful. And just for comparison do you mind telling what you paid for your little guy?

 

[EllieSuz]

It's pretty normal for wrasses to be timid. Don't jump the gun on quarantine...the consequences are too serious.

 

[fishguy597]

My lfs had mine in a 30gal with very little lighting for 3 weeks. he would eat like a pig then hide under a rock as soon as it was done eating. So when I picked it up I put it right in the dt . He didn't come out right away but after four days he was swimming all over the water column. I have had him in the dt for two months and its very healthy.

FYI a lot of people don't qt wrasses because they don't do as good in the qt as the dt .

 

[lostmyz]

He should be fine. I have a borbonius anthia and neon dottyback in QT with a 50/50 light. The first few days neither really came out except for eating aggressively. Now they come out 2 wks later and swim but still like to hide in things occasionally. I also.have a mystery wrasse that i had in a 10gal tank for about 3months! He's now in my DT and loves it! He's very cool! Always looking for food! Thank god i have tons of pods! How do you tell if you have a male or female? I also have a yellow coris wrasse (juvenile still hopefully I get a male I love the marbling of the head) and a long fined fairy wrasse (I think its male) and I have a female blue stat leopard wrasse in another QT with sand and pods.

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[sslak]

I feel a lot better knowing others have had shy wrasses in QT as well. I'll just keep up my water changes and continue on with the QT!

He is a very cool fish, the way he swims and eats is neat to watch, he kinda slurps mysis like his mouth is a straw, then he darts back under the PVC. I'm hoping he gets more comfortable once I put him into the reef.

As far as what I paid... Yikes. I've never paid this much for a fish before, but he was $100 at the LFS. They special ordered it for me. The good thing is he's tiny (about 1 inch), so I know he must be very young, so I should be able to enjoy his company for a number of years!

I assume mine can't be "alpha male" because it can't be old enough to be sexually mature, but how can you tell male from female?

 

[lostmyz]

Here is a pic of mine when I first got him. He was shy at first but than loved the tank. Mine watches me and knows feeding time. His eyes remind me of chameleons like how they move individually.


He was an inch when I got him!
View attachment 188151

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[sponger0]

Wrasses can be very timid. I had a Ruby head fairy in QT for 4 months cause I had a change of plans and decided to put him in my new tank build I had started.

Give him time. When he begins to associate you with food, he will be alot better off.

Feed smaller amounts, 2x a day. That will help him be more comfortable when you come up to the tank.

 

[kwl1763]

Ya eating = good. Over time will be fine. I would say make sure he is out and about before you take him out of QT. I had a Lubbocks a while back that I qt'd for 2 weeks was just like that and I put him in the tank and it took 2 months before i saw more then a flash of him. Get him comfortable with you while in QT, Life will be easier later!

 

[sslak]

Ya eating = good. Over time will be fine. I would say make sure he is out and about before you take him out of QT. I had a Lubbocks a while back that I qt'd for 2 weeks was just like that and I put him in the tank and it took 2 months before i saw more then a flash of him. Get him comfortable with you while in QT, Life will be easier later!

Solid advise. This is my first wrasse, he continues to eat aggressively. I will keep him in the 10g until he starts coming out more.

He did swim around in the open for a short while last night when I sat very still near the tank.

Your profile picture is stunning...wow, what a fish!

 

[kwl1763]

Everything going ok with him?

Thanks for the profile pic comment. Ya regal I've had for almost 8 years now. By far my favorite fish ever. Probably my favorite that even swims in the ocean much less in my tank.

 

[tritonman]

Just bought a mystery yesterday. He's a little shy right now as well. Comes out to feed a bit then cruises between the live rock. As long as he's eating I wouldn't be too worried.

 

[mikid]

wrasses

wrasses

picked up mine on sunday, the store had purchased about 15 of them and had a sale.....39.00 each, so mine was one of the last 3 in the store,had them for 2 weeks,eating just fine,put in display, was eating today and swimming around,still a little nervous,but he/she will get used to it....lokk good so far.....

 

[lostmyz]

Thats awesome! I love my Mystery wrasse he has gotten sooo big tho fast... all he does is search for food all day eating my pod collection along with my mandarin dragonet and yellow coris...

 

[sslak]

Sad update. I came home from work last night to find the poor little guy dead in the bottom of one of the PVC pipes. Other than his skin and eyes being hazy and pale I couldn't visually see anything wrong with his body.

I absolutely hate the quarantine process. I feel like it kills fish, but I can't risk my existing livestock. I have no idea what went wrong, he ate like a pig every night. I did 3 gallon water changes every 5 days on a 10 gal tank. Temp, Alk, Salinity were all fine. He was VERY shy and hid almost all the time. He was just starting to come out to swim around after feeding while I sat near the tank.

I checked nitrates and they were maybe 5-10ppm.

I'm frustrated and angry, and I don't know what to do. I feel like if I had put him into the display he would be fine. There's just too many variables in that little QT tank...maybe the food that went uneaten caused an ammonia spike or something, even though I siphoned out any remaining pieces I could see.

I'm running an AC HoB with a PuraPad that had been in my tank for months. The AC has biopellets and a sponge on it. Temp was controlled by a Ranco and a Jager heater.

I used the same procedure for my Bengaii, but only for two weeks because it was a local captive bred, and he's happy and doing well in my display now.

I'm trying to tell myself his color was a bit off all along and maybe he had something...maybe QT saved my other fish.

 

[lostmyz]

Omg that's so sad! Im sorry for your loss. I hate the QT process too but its necessary. I do a 50% water change on my 10gal tank every 3 days when I have fish in there otherwise I let it run.

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[kwl1763]

That sucks man and it does just happen sometimes. I change my water tons in QT also. Usually 20% or so at least every other day. There is no telling though. Sometimes it just happens!