Help! Ornate Leopard Wrasse seems stressed

[Kuhn]

I need help!
I moved recently and I had to get rid of a lot of my mature sand as I was moving several states away.

I tried to preserve my mature live rock but I'm sure my tank has been set back drastically due to the move...

My Ornate Leopard Wrasse was doing great prior to the move and seemed healthy. I have now settled at my new place with new sand but with the same live rock and noticed my Leopard Wrasse is doing this... laying on top of the sand and not moving much. It did bury a couple times the last few days but today it's just out in this corner and it seems stressed out...

What can I do? I couldn't avoid this move and I tried my best to preserve what I could when I had to take the tank down

Is it doing this because its resettling in?
I had the tank set back up for about 5 days now. I'm just worried the tank won't be back up and mature enough for him to survive.
I'm going to the LFS now to get some copepods in hopes I can bring his energy back up

What should I do? I'm so worried

 

[blaxsun]

Is he eating, swimming and otherwise behaving normally? I find that with my wrasses they all like a very particular spot that they've scoped out (most likely a wrasse thing).

@i cant think might have some helpful insight for you.

 

[Kuhn]

Is he eating, swimming and otherwise behaving normally? I find that with my wrasses they all like a very particular spot that they've scoped out (most likely a wrasse thing).

@i cant think might have some helpful insight for you.

I never seem to know or tell if it's eating but it normally doesn't seem to swim around either. Typically I find it hiding in sand.

But with it out like this I feel like this isn't normal behavior but then again I'm relatively new to keeping wrasses so I'm not sure if weird acts like this is typical

 

[Slocke]

Leopard wrasse have very sensitive mouths and they often get damaged in transport unfortunately. If you see it swallow food that would be a great sign.

Typically it would bury itself and either heal or not under the sand. Unfortunately I don't see too much you can do. Copepods may help and reducing the light. I've even put some of thus plastic hides from freshwater in to give my stressed fish a good place to hide. I'm not saying any of this will do much more then give it a little extra time to settle.

#fishmedic

 

[JCM]

I never seem to know or tell if it's eating but it normally doesn't seem to swim around either. Typically I find it hiding in sand.

But with it out like this I feel like this isn't normal behavior but then again I'm relatively new to keeping wrasses so I'm not sure if weird acts like this is typical

How long did you have it before the move? Did you see it eating then? See it swimming around normally then?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I need help!
I moved recently and I had to get rid of a lot of my mature sand as I was moving several states away.

I tried to preserve my mature live rock but I'm sure my tank has been set back drastically due to the move...

My Ornate Leopard Wrasse was doing great prior to the move and seemed healthy. I have now settled at my new place with new sand but with the same live rock and noticed my Leopard Wrasse is doing this... laying on top of the sand and not moving much. It did bury a couple times the last few days but today it's just out in this corner and it seems stressed out...

What can I do? I couldn't avoid this move and I tried my best to preserve what I could when I had to take the tank down

Is it doing this because its resettling in?
I had the tank set back up for about 5 days now. I'm just worried the tank won't be back up and mature enough for him to survive.
I'm going to the LFS now to get some copepods in hopes I can bring his energy back up

What should I do? I'm so worried

Is breathing rate slow or elevated?
was a different type of water used?
If you used the same rock and sand and had tank set back up in hours, should be fine.
Have you tested ammonia and Nitrate to see what the levels are and how are you testing ?

 

[Kuhn]

How long did you have it before the move? Did you see it eating then? See it swimming around normally then?

I had it for about a month before the move…
It didn’t swim much but it did hide in the sand regularly

 

[Kuhn]

Is breathing rate slow or elevated?
was a different type of water used?
If you used the same rock and sand and had tank set back up in hours, should be fine.
Have you tested ammonia and Nitrate to see what the levels are and how are you testing ?

I’ll have to retest my water
But it does appear to be breathing regularly.
I am using the same rock but I was unfortunately unable to bring the bulk of my sand. I brought a couple cups full but otherwise he sand is new.

 

[Kuhn]

Do you all think it might need more time to settle since the move?

 

[Kuhn]

Update:
I found that my Harlequin Basslet has been harassing him.
My basslet has not done this before the move. But now he isn’t letting the Leopard wrasse find a place near any of the rock work… and I have a LOT of rocks and more than enough spots for both fish to find a spot at hide but for what ever reason my basslet will not let the wrasse anywhere near the rockwork… I’m very puzzled and I don’t want to have to turn in my wrasse to the LFS cause I love it so much but it is technically the newest of the group. My basslet has been a model citizen so I’m not sure what changed unless he is just trying to find a new spot to claim as his own? Considering the rock work has been changed since after the move ….

Do you think this behavior will subside over time? Would it be best for my wrasse if I turned him in to the LFS? What are your thoughts? He just seems so miserable and I feel terrible…

 

[JCM]

How big is the tank?

If you haven't seen it eating and actively swimming around in the month+ you've had it, it probably wasn't very healthy to start with, or has never been comfortable. They are very active swimmers when happy.

 

[Kuhn]

How big is the tank?

If you haven't seen it eating and actively swimming around in the month+ you've had it, it probably wasn't very healthy to start with, or has never been comfortable. They are very active swimmers when happy.

My display tank volume is about 180-190 gallons

It has now hidden in the sand... I am desperately waiting to receive a brine shrimp hatchery and eggs in hopes to get it to eat.
We'll see if it helps...