Aggression Between 2 Female Blue Star Leopard Wrasses

[bdub22rhp]

So long story short I got one blue star leopard and it hid for over a month so thought it was dead and got another. While 2nd one was in QT the 1st one showed up after over a month of hiding in my DT. I moved the 2nd one from QT to acclimatiom box for 5 days which 1st one paid it no attention and just now let it go in DT. Of course the 1st one is chasing it around the tank and nipping it. The 1st leopard is much larger than the 2nd. I have a 90 that is stocked woth pods and both are eating frozen too. Everything I've read says these things are supposed to be peaceful and the females actually swim in groups. I put a mirror in a corner of the tank and the larger one is staying in that corner showing aggression to to the mirror. I have a mixed reef so I can't get them out. Is this a pecking order thing or is the little one a goner? Fish tick me off....should have just stayed with coral.

 

[evolved]

It's likely the case that the first fish has begun to transition to make. Sometimes males of the species are rather intolerant of females. There is chance that things will calm down once dominance and roles are established. Unfortunately there is no way to know what the outcome may be.

 

[Seanislav]

So long story short I got one blue star leopard and it hid for over a month so thought it was dead and got another. While 2nd one was in QT the 1st one showed up after over a month of hiding in my DT. I moved the 2nd one from QT to acclimatiom box for 5 days which 1st one paid it no attention and just now let it go in DT. Of course the 1st one is chasing it around the tank and nipping it. The 1st leopard is much larger than the 2nd. I have a 90 that is stocked woth pods and both are eating frozen too. Everything I've read says these things are supposed to be peaceful and the females actually swim in groups. I put a mirror in a corner of the tank and the larger one is staying in that corner showing aggression to to the mirror. I have a mixed reef so I can't get them out. Is this a pecking order thing or is the little one a goner? Fish **** me off....should have just stayed with coral.

Tough call, unfortunately. I had a large female leopard (the LFS called her a Guineafowl Leopard) that stressed any other leopard wrasse out to the point of death with her aggression. She was fine with flashers, halichoeres, and fairies, though...but blue stars, potters, other guineafowl, any wrasse with spots...no go. This was in a 300gal system, too, so it's not like there wasn't enough room. Sometimes, the "rule books" don't apply to some individuals.

 

[bdub22rhp]

Tough call, unfortunately. I had a large female leopard (the LFS called her a Guineafowl Leopard) that stressed any other leopard wrasse out to the point of death with her aggression. She was fine with flashers, halichoeres, and fairies, though...but blue stars, potters, other guineafowl, any wrasse with spots...no go. This was in a 300gal system, too, so it's not like there wasn't enough room. Sometimes, the "rule books" don't apply to some individuals.

Thanks.

I was miraculously able to catch the smaller one and got it back in the acclimation box cause of course I broke my QT down while it was originally in the acclimation box. I'll be taking it back to the LFS as soon as I have time to this week. Someone is going to get a gem as this one is acclimated and eating frozen. It's out all day too. Been in QT for over a month and is fat and healthy.

 

[Wurst]

I added three blue stars to my 300 gallon tank back in December and they all swam together. Late December one of them became very aggressive to the other two. Oddly enough, I've only since seen two in the tank going back to January. I'm not sure if the aggressive one died or if a weak one didn't make it through the stress. The two remaining are good pals, but neither seem to have transitioned to male yet. 3 some inches in length.

Also have a solerensis in there that all three always left alone.

 

[Ento-Reefer]

You should try to sell it to a local hobbyist. I hate to see a fish you invested so much time into going back to the LFS where it could be exposed to all sorts of parasites and disease.

 

[KMench]

Where do you live lol

 

[bdub22rhp]

You should try to sell it to a local hobbyist. I hate to see a fish you invested so much time into going back to the LFS where it could be exposed to all sorts of parasites and disease.

I'm glad you suggested that. I'm in a local reef group. No idea why I didn't think to offer it there first.

 

[Ento-Reefer]

Where do you live lol

lol. Kyle. How did you get the DRC banner? I need to get one.

 

[bdub22rhp]

Where do you live lol

SC

 

[KMench]

Ah. Bit too far for me

@Ento-Reefer if you’d search on the club page the directions are there somewhere. I forget how to do it exactly. Adam could tell you

 

[mfinn]

I'm glad you suggested that. I'm in a local reef group. No idea why I didn't think to offer it there first.

Have any local facebook groups?

 

[Eastlake]

So long story short I got one blue star leopard and it hid for over a month so thought it was dead and got another. While 2nd one was in QT the 1st one showed up after over a month of hiding in my DT. I moved the 2nd one from QT to acclimatiom box for 5 days which 1st one paid it no attention and just now let it go in DT. Of course the 1st one is chasing it around the tank and nipping it. The 1st leopard is much larger than the 2nd. I have a 90 that is stocked woth pods and both are eating frozen too. Everything I've read says these things are supposed to be peaceful and the females actually swim in groups. I put a mirror in a corner of the tank and the larger one is staying in that corner showing aggression to to the mirror. I have a mixed reef so I can't get them out. Is this a pecking order thing or is the little one a goner? Fish **** me off....should have just stayed with coral.

My potters was the same way with my meleagris. They were fine together for months in a 150gal then one day the potters became a massive jerk towards the meleagris, turns out it was transitioning from female to male and during that time he would actively hunt the meleagris. I was able to isolate the meleagris for several months until the transition was complete and re-introduced her. There was some posturing and mild aggression at first but it settled down and now the two of them engage in spawning rises every night. So if you haven't found a new home yet you may be able to re-introduce her after the transitioning is complete. But, it may also be to big of a pain in the butt to hope that you could catch her out of there again.

 

[Brian1f1]

I had no idea this could happen and appears to be happening to my blue star females now. I just got done carefully acclimating and quarantining then in a 46 bow front where they loved one another. Never apart. Was feeling really good about it, first time with leopards, no deaths, good health. Last week I moved them into my 120, and all has been well until yesterday when one started flashing and darting, which was so odd I thought it might have had ich at first. Today it’s hunting the other blue star rather mercilessly all over the five foot tank. Catching either one is going to be down right awful if even possible.

Is this what happens when one transitions? I thought they’d be a pair?! Reading this comments it might settle back down if I leave it for a day or two, but seems most likely I need to catch one or it dies? Sometimes this hobby!!!

 

[KMench]

I believe the end outcome typically is unrelenting aggression between the two. Generally it’s no good to keep two wrasses of the same species in a tank. Sometimes it works, most of the time it doesn’t.

 

[Brian1f1]

I believe the end outcome typically is unrelenting aggression between the two. Generally it’s no good to keep two wrasses of the same species in a tank. Sometimes it works, most of the time it doesn’t.

I knew that but thought leopards were one of the exceptions to the rule, but I thought leopards were typically peaceful in female groups or harems. I’ve seen several tanks on YouTube with them, like Dutch reefer.... So I hear you, just had the wrong impression. Darn it.

 

[KMench]

Sorry I’m pretty sure that’s the case with all wrasses.

 

[Jesterrace]

It's likely the case that the first fish has begun to transition to make. Sometimes males of the species are rather intolerant of females. There is chance that things will calm down once dominance and roles are established. Unfortunately there is no way to know what the outcome may be.

I agree with this. With a number of species of wrasse in the absence of a male, the larger female will begin mimicking male/dominance behavior until it does actually transition. That is the likely scenario in this case.

 

[Jesterrace]

I knew that but thought leopards were one of the exceptions to the rule, but I thought leopards were typically peaceful in female groups or harems. I’ve seen several tanks on YouTube with them, like Dutch reefer.... So I hear you, just had the wrong impression. Darn it.

Yes, provided there is a single male present to "govern" over the harem, then the females will co-exist peacefully. In the absence of a male, the larger female will begin mimicking male behavior until it becomes male.

 

[Brian1f1]

Yes, provided there is a single male present to "govern" over the harem, then the females will co-exist peacefully. In the absence of a male, the larger female will begin mimicking male behavior until it becomes male.

Got it. My ignorance was that I thought one would transition or perhaps both stay female (I’ve heard that happens), and I thought all would be well. I had no idea that during the transition phase it would become aggressive towards females until it becomes a male and stops again.... sigh....

So this intermediate and violent stage, how long does it typically last? I really doubt I can catch either of them. Yikes.