Incoming leopard wrasse - quarantine?

[Alenya]

My leopard wrasse female arrives tomorrow (airport to airport).

I am considering putting her straight into the DT as a better natural option - rock, sand and pods - after acclimation.

I have a flasher wrasse and fairy wrasse in the tank I can trap for a day or two to allow her to get her bearings in peace.

The other option is to put her in the QT (also established with a sand bed) but this is smaller with no decent pod population. It’s currently holding another flasher wrasse that needs to go to the shop. If I put her in QT I’m concerned about stress moving her twice.

Thoughts?

 

[Dempsey941]

You’ve spent valuable time QTing your wrasses no reason to throw it all out the door. I’d continue your QT regiment; maybe you have to do increased multiple feedings, or supplement the current pods in QT but it’s only for what? A few weeks right?

 

[Alenya]

Well that’s true

 

[ca1ore]

Leopard wrasses don't need pods to survive/thrive. It's a common misperception. Given the opportunity, they will certainly eat them, but a combination of calanus, mysis and brine almost always works. Of the two dozen or so leopards I have had, only two failed to take frozen once through the initial acclimation. Have a viviens and lapillus in QT right now and they are eating frozen with no issues.

 

[piranhaman00]

QT all new fish.

 

[Alenya]

Cheers crew she has arrived and is settling in the QT tank

 

[Idoc]

Leopards coming out of wholesalers are also very prone now to having untenable parasites/worms. I lost one to this in quarantine before i could get her trained over to frozen foods/medicated food. I wouldn't put one directly in a DT without quarantining it first.

 

[Alenya]

Thanks for the advice @Idoc

She looks in good shape and is relaxed today. Unfortunately not very tempted by live blackworms, frozen brine or frozen Mysis. Just picking away.

I have live brine cooking and ordering pods for Tuesday as it looks like it might take a while to get her into frozen.

She’s stunning. I would love a tankful of these <3

 

[mfinn]

For wrasses I always make sure to pre-order Tigger Pods. 1 bottle will usually do the trick with a single wrasse.
Just use the Tigger Pods as a light feeding. I also keep ROE on hand and Hikari mysis cubes.
When I do feed frozen I add small amounts in the stream of a powerhead so it is moving across the tank.
That seems to get a feeding response with many fish.

 

[Alenya]

For wrasses I always make sure to pre-order Tigger Pods. 1 bottle will usually do the trick with a single wrasse.
Just use the Tigger Pods as a light feeding. I also keep ROE on hand and Hikari mysis cubes.
When I do feed frozen I add small amounts in the stream of a powerhead so it is moving across the tank.
That seems to get a feeding response with many fish.

I meant to preorder pods this week but didn't get to it - I've ordered some to be delivered Tuesday - some live phyto, diatoms, copepods and amphipods to seed the refugium, plus extra copepods for el snackos in the tank. Hopefully this will help!

 

[ca1ore]

Added these to my QT a week ago .... both already eating frozen.

 

[Idoc]

Thanks for the advice @Idoc

She looks in good shape and is relaxed today. Unfortunately not very tempted by live blackworms, frozen brine or frozen Mysis. Just picking away.

I have live brine cooking and ordering pods for Tuesday as it looks like it might take a while to get her into frozen.

She’s stunning. I would love a tankful of these <3

Leopards are absolutely beautiful. I started with live brine shrimp, then add a few frozen brine to that mixture...once eating the frozen brine, then I started mixing in some frozen mysis. It took a few weeks doing it slowly, but she took to it nicely. But, I started with two and one had internal parasites/worms and I could not get her to eat the frozen in order to mix with meds...so, sadly I lost one of the two!

 

[Privateye]

Leopards coming out of wholesalers are also very prone now to having untenable parasites/worms. I lost one to this in quarantine before i could get her trained over to frozen foods/medicated food. I wouldn't put one directly in a DT without quarantining it first.

Yes, please consider this post. This has been my experience. I recommend prazi if possible.

 

[Bob Weigant]

I always qt every fish I get from LFS.

 

[Alenya]

She ate one blackworm and a couple pieces frozen brine/mysis, spitting out a lot but at least she’s checking it out! Hatched baby brine went in also. She is still finding pods which is good. Hopefully making progress

 

[Alenya]

Wormed the tanks this weekend which put all the fish off - ran carbon etc yesterday and they are savaging food today. Leopard wrasse is spitting out the couple bits of frozen mysis she tries, but is picking for pods with some vigor so feeling hopeful.

and the pods should be here tomorrow.

 

[Alenya]

Just an update - thanks for all the help. She is doing extremely well and is in the DT. Smashing frozen and picking at pods. She has a fat little tummy and looking bright.