Blue Star Leopard Wrasse...feedback

[hdsoftail1065]

I was looking at one yesterday at my lfs. I'm still in the early stocking phase of my 144. I'm at a loss on what to stock and what order to stock when I figure it all out. Right now I have a pair of gold lightning clowns and 4 lyretail''s. I know a yellow coris is on my list but the leopard is amazing. Will those 2 wrasses get along? Should this one be intoduced at this point before I start introducing a one spot fox face and maybe a tang of some type? I'm looking for color, character and movement. I'm open for other stocking suggestions if you think of other potentially nice additions.

Thanks for the advice @reef lover!

 

[blebs]

this is considered an "expert" fish, only because it is hard to get started to eat. Once it acclimates to eating frozen and pellet food , it eat like a pig. I would ask the LFS to feed it in front of you to see if it eats, if it does, I would not hesitate to buy it. Absolutely beautiful fish.

I don't think there will be issues with the coris.

Add the most aggressive fish last, probably the tang out of everything you have mentioned.

 

[blebs]

Also, they require sand. Once you transfer to your tank, they may bury the in sand for over a week. They may actually be coming out of the sand in the middle of the night or when youre at work or whatever, and you just dont see them because of YOUR schedule. It can be challenging to feed them if it is like this. I had to have my wife feed mine because it would only come out when she was at home, and I was at work.

Once they get used to your schedule, they are like clock work in terms of appearing and disappearing in the sand.

 

[hdsoftail1065]

Also, they require sand. Once you transfer to your tank, they may bury the in sand for over a week. They may actually be coming out of the sand in the middle of the night or when youre at work or whatever, and you just dont see them because of YOUR schedule. It can be challenging to feed them if it is like this. I had to have my wife feed mine because it would only come out when she was at home, and I was at work.

Once they get used to your schedule, they are like clock work in terms of appearing and disappearing in the sand.

Thank you for the feedback! Plenty of room and plenty of sand. So it isn't a good choice for a day time swimmer? I might have to rethink this one.

 

[Scubabum]

I was looking at one yesterday at my lfs. I'm still in the early stocking phase of my 144. I'm at a loss on what to stock and what order to stock when I figure it all out. Right now I have a pair of gold lightning clowns and 4 lyretail''s. I know a yellow coris is on my list but the leopard is amazing. Will those 2 wrasses get along? Should this one be intoduced at this point before I start introducing a one spot fox face and maybe a tang of some type? I'm looking for color, character and movement. I'm open for other stocking suggestions if you think of other potentially nice additions.

Thanks for the advice @reef lover!

My Yellow Coris, Blue star and Leopard get along great. In this pic the Blue star is in the middle and the Leopard is right below the Yellow Coris. Great additions for your tank. Enjoy!

 

[hdsoftail1065]

My Yellow Coris, Blue star and Leopard get along great. In this pic the Blue star is in the middle and the Leopard is right below the Yellow Coris. Great additions for your tank. Enjoy!

Wow, sweet! Nice tank and beautiful fish!

 

[blebs]

Thank you for the feedback! Plenty of room and plenty of sand. So it isn't a good choice for a day time swimmer? I might have to rethink this one.

no absolutely they will come out almost exclusively when the lights are on, once they are adjusted to your lighting schedule.

but when you first add them in, they may be used to a different light cycle from the LFS or even from wherever they were shipped from, or just stressed and just have to acclimate to your light schedule.

Also what I was referring to is many people claim that the fish won't come out for 10 days. I am suggesting that they may be coming out, just when you are not looking. I had one that I did not see for around 10 days after first putting it in the QT, and finally I tried waking up at like 3 AM, and there she was out and roaming around. I tried to then wake up at that time to feed, but she had been too long without food and perished.

 

[hdsoftail1065]

no absolutely they will come out almost exclusively when the lights are on, once they are adjusted to your lighting schedule.

but when you first add them in, they may be used to a different light cycle from the LFS or even from wherever they were shipped from, or just stressed and just have to acclimate to your light schedule.

That's awesome! Thanks for the feedback. I plan to go watch this guy this afternoon.

 

[jda]

They will adjust to your schedule eventually. If they are kept in a tank without sand now, then I would pass. They can beat themselves up trying to bury in bare-bottom tanks at fish stores.

I find any leopard wrasse to be very hardy once acclimated.

 

[hdsoftail1065]

They will adjust to your schedule eventually. If they are kept in a tank without sand now, then I would pass. They can beat themselves up trying to bury in bare-bottom tanks at fish stores.

I find any leopard wrasse to be very hardy once acclimated.

Fortunatley the fls owner does keep his in tanks with sand. I do want to watch it for a few hours today and watch it eat. He just got it in Wednesday. Heck it may have sold yesterday afternoon, I will find out at noon when they open.

 

[ca1ore]

Look closely at any leopard at LFS. Many I see show signs of starvation, usually a ‘pinching’ behind the head. This is rarely reversible.

 

[Billldg]

It is usually recommended for a 2 in plus sand bed, is it neccessary, or can you have a sand bed very from 1.5 to 2 in? Looking to get a blue star or ornate leopard wrasse myself.

 

[hdsoftail1065]

Well, I will have to wait for another or order one, it sold.

He said the only one he has left in stock is a Red Head Solon Fairy Wrasse.

 

[reef lover]

Well, I will have to wait for another or order one, it sold.

He said the only one he has left in stock is a Red Head Solon Fairy Wrasse.

Bummer....

 

[Jesterrace]

I have a Blue Star Leopard together with a Melanurus Wrasse and the Mel is a bit of a butthead at times to the Blue Star Leopard, although the Yellow would be more likely to get along with a Blue Star Leopard. As mentioned above the biggest trick with any Leopard Wrasse is waiting for your LFS to do a bulk order of them and then purchasing one that has been active and eating after 2-3 weeks. They are notoriously poor shippers and only the more survivable/adaptable members of the species do well. I used the aforementioned method with mine and although it sucks hoping no one buys the fish out from under you while you are waiting, it's worth the wait. Mine is out and active every day and eats well.

Here's Mine:

 

[hdsoftail1065]

I have a Blue Star Leopard together with a Melanurus Wrasse and the Mel is a bit of a butthead at times to the Blue Star Leopard, although the Yellow would be more likely to get along with a Blue Star Leopard. As mentioned above the biggest trick with any Leopard Wrasse is waiting for your LFS to do a bulk order of them and then purchasing one that has been active and eating after 2-3 weeks. They are notoriously poor shippers and only the more survivable/adaptable members of the species do well. I used the aforementioned method with mine and although it sucks hoping no one buys the fish out from under you while you are waiting, it's worth the wait. Mine is out and active every day and eats well.

Here's Mine:

Nice fish! Like the fox face too! I'm in no rush and can wait it out. Heck, I let my tank cycle for 2 months before I even made a move putting anything in it. I seen Live Aquaria had them but I have never ordered online before and if they don't do well shipping then I will play the waiting game and let the fls take the risk.

 

[TessGlo]

I hope you get a chance to pick one up, so pretty I never stop being impressed.

Also what I was referring to is many people claim that the fish won't come out for 10 days.

This has happened to me with other leopard wrasses, but watch for them to peak out. Below is mine with her head out after the first few days in QT, sometimes it was just her eye poking out.

I would hesitate to buy a sand burying wrasse from and LFS that does not have sand like you mention, it will only add to their stress by the time you get it. One of the LFS near me that sells leopards uses tank specifically for them with sand and a fuge for pods.

 

[hdsoftail1065]

Question for all you fine folks that helped answer questions and shared pics of your awesome fish. If I went ahead and ordered one...or two what is the best method to QT a Wrasse? I have a QT tank set up nothing in it but a couple of PVC pipes. If they need sand what is the best way to QT these fish? If they have a problem and need treated the sand would absorb the meds? Or would you add sand and monitor the fish for several weeks and observe?

 

[Softhammer]

I would not even remotely consider one if you tank was pictured above with the virgin sand bed. Wait until your tank matures and you have an actual plankton population. My sand bed has been going for over a decade and been planted into my 180 and I don’t think I can still adequately provide for it. Watching a fish waste away is no fun.

 

[TessGlo]

If they need sand what is the best way to QT these fish? If they have a problem and need treated the sand would absorb the meds? Or would you add sand and monitor the fish for several weeks and observe?

Ideally you place them immediately into an established tank with a healthy pod population. However, if you want to QT that is not going to work. The best, if you want to QT, would be to find one eating prepared foods at the LFS and then you know it will have better chance of surviving QT.

But it's not impossible to QT one you just order, bc I've done it with 3 different leopards. When I first get them I take rock and chaeto from my main tank sump and put it into the QT to help provide pods for at least the first few days. During that time I also obsessively try to get them to eat prepared or live foods and do water changes to keep up with the waste that creates. I will keep adding new rock and chaeto loaded with pods until I get them to eat prepared foods. I keep every type of food on hand I can think of to try. In addition to frozen foods, I've had the best luck with masstick, it seems to attract them. I may have just been lucky, but I have not had one starve. In fact, all that have shipped well are with me today. I did not treat with meds but observed for 90 + days.

You don't need sand in you whole QT tank, you can just add a tray of it. I don't recall sand affecting the meds, but others could be more definitive on that.