Keeping Potter's Wrasse?

Reefltx · Apr 15, 2017

Anybody have success keeping them?

I've tried twice and both died within a week or 2. My LFS even had some more in and the owner even told me they died within a week as well. It seems, it's quite hard to get them adjusted to tank life and eat. I haven't had any problems with other leopards.

Triggreef · Apr 15, 2017

Lucky to not have problems with other leopards. They are a challenging fish. Took me several as well before finding a potters that made it long term. My best success has been with a dedicated 72g tank set up with a ton of liverock,sand, and full of life including tons of pods to the point they are all over the glass etc. Which basically means a well cycled tank that is being fed enough to grow sufficient pods. No other fish in the tank so that the pods explode. Then after a couple days of receiving the leopard(s) I dose prazi pro. I do a water change 3 or 4 days later and day 6 another dose of prazi. Repeat day 12 if there were any signs of flashing/scratching in the meantime.

I've quarantined a TON of leopards and that is by far the best most successful way for me. I also feed everything under the sun from live black worms to live brine, and a quality frozen food like larry's or rod's or that gumbo one.

saltyhog · Apr 15, 2017

I've had mine 2 years and once I got him eating he has been bullet proof. He had a pretty bad pinched belly and it took about a week to get him eating well. Frozen blood worms did the trick (didn't have access to live worms at the time) and shortly after he started eating them he started eating everything. Super aggressive eater but doesn't bother anything in the tank. I think QT without competition and getting them eating are the key. One of my favorite fish.

In QT

Potters%20wrasse2%201%20of%201_zpsos2l1qg0.jpg

A couple of months later

Reefltx · Apr 15, 2017

Yes, they are beautiful. I wish I could find one that will eat.
I have a leopard and blue star wrasse. I got them to eat on day 1. I've tried everything with the potter's, thinking about stocking up on some live food on my next go.

eatbreakfast · Apr 16, 2017

Potters can certainly be more sensitive than other leopards.

A calm tank and a variety of biofauna can certainly help ease them in to captive life.

ca1ore · Apr 16, 2017

Agreed. Other than Choati, probably the toughest of the leopards.

Joshky · Apr 16, 2017

Have a potters and ornate (unfortunately both males) going on over a year in captivity, ornate definitely is a jerk to the potters at times but nothing serious. I've tried adding females of other species and the ornate doesn't let them come out, so no more leopards for me sadly.

Triggreef · Apr 17, 2017

Joshky said:
Have a potters and ornate (unfortunately both males) going on over a year in captivity, ornate definitely is a jerk to the potters at times but nothing serious. I've tried adding females of other species and the ornate doesn't let them come out, so no more leopards for me sadly.

There may come a time when you need to remove the ornate. I had one that kept my potters (after being together for about 6 months) buried for about 4 months, i had wrote the potters off as dead. Until i got up early once morning before lights on, and saw the potters alive eating off the rocks. He was chased into the sand as soon as the ornate woke up. Removed ornate and potters lived happily ever after. Ornate moved to another tank.

bsagea · Apr 17, 2017

Got very lucky finally with one from LiveAquaria. Was the healthiest potters we ever had and had very little difficulty getting him to eat. He was eating cyclops and hatchery food then started on mysis with the combo of the others. Also had put in some live pods for him. He was gaining weight and had beautiful color. Unfortunately, 3 months later he jumped out of the tank. Broke my heart that day!
bsa

Joshky · Apr 17, 2017

Triggreef said:
There may come a time when you need to remove the ornate. I had one that kept my potters (after being together for about 6 months) buried for about 4 months, i had wrote the potters off as dead. Until i got up early once morning before lights on, and saw the potters alive eating off the rocks. He was chased into the sand as soon as the ornate woke up. Removed ornate and potters lived happily ever after. Ornate moved to another tank.

Yeah unfortunately ornate leopards have a tendency to have a bad attitude, so far they both coexist with a little chasing and that's it. I'm hopeful that things won't change since it's been over a year together but I'd definitely be happy to remove the ornate to add some different species in its place.

AlbinoTang · Apr 2, 2018

I got like with mine. He was buried for a week or so when I first got him , and as soon as he come out my Blue star male was chasing him, but after a while he got used to and now after one year they live very well together. He eats spectrum pellets. The Blu Star is about 5" and he is about 4.5"

4FordFamily · Apr 2, 2018

Mine was hardy from the jump but died 18 months later in my power failure disaster feb 2017

Myk · Apr 2, 2018

I think that getting them into good care right from the start is most important. Get them from the diver as soon as possible and get them feeding with live food and frozen worms. Work them up to other foods from there. When we get ours in from the diver we usually get them in groups of 6 at a time and so far we have had very few losses. Have been getting good feedback from our retail customers that have taken them home after our QT process and plenty of them in our clients tanks for well over a year. Make sure that wherever you get yours from that you can trace them back to who collected them and make sure that they have not been sitting for weeks at a wholesaler without proper care and feeding.

Reefltx · Apr 3, 2018

Myk said:
I think that getting them into good care right from the start is most important. Get them from the diver as soon as possible and get them feeding with live food and frozen worms. Work them up to other foods from there. When we get ours in from the diver we usually get them in groups of 6 at a time and so far we have had very few losses. Have been getting good feedback from our retail customers that have taken them home after our QT process and plenty of them in our clients tanks for well over a year. Make sure that wherever you get yours from that you can trace them back to who collected them and make sure that they have not been sitting for weeks at a wholesaler without proper care and feeding.

Good point. I’ve stopped buying them, even some of my lfs couldn’t keep them alive for more than 2wks.

AlbinoTang · Apr 6, 2018

Mine is the boss of the other leopards

AlbinoTang · Apr 7, 2018

GucciReefsExploda · Mar 12, 2020

Love

AlbinoTang said:

Love the anthias right by the potter together. Nice coloring!!!!

RMS18 · Mar 12, 2020

I have one. Have had it for a year now. Unfortunately all my fish (12) are in qt for ich at the moment. So hopefully they all make it through copper. Blue star leopard, potters, yellow tail, and m and f earmuff, make up the wrasse gang.