Leopard wrasse poor color

nova65ss · Mar 2, 2018

Hello I have a 4 year old ornate that I've had since it was a juvenile. I recently had an ich/ maybe velvet outbreak a few months ago. Only survivors were my leopard and a blue hippo. Both fish show no signs of disease or parasites for going on two months or more and the wrasse never did show any signs. Both fish eat fine and the leopard will eat nori lifeline and frozen at any given time.

I'm concerned with his color tho he is very dull and doesn't show hardly any color at all. I'm wondering if he is still dealing with a problem? Any thoughts? I do have plans to qt both fish soon.

Thanks

Big G · Mar 2, 2018

Let's get the wrasse experts to help @eatbreakfast @4FordFamily

4FordFamily · Mar 2, 2018

nova65ss said:
Hello I have a 4 year old ornate that I've had since it was a juvenile. I recently had an ich/ maybe velvet outbreak a few months ago. Only survivors were my leopard and a blue hippo. Both fish show no signs of disease or parasites for going on two months or more and the wrasse never did show any signs. Both fish eat fine and the leopard will eat nori lifeline and frozen at any given time.

I'm concerned with his color tho he is very dull and doesn't show hardly any color at all. I'm wondering if he is still dealing with a problem? Any thoughts? I do have plans to qt both fish soon.

Thanks

So both of these fish survived velvet?

Fish can live with velvet for some amount of time if they build a resistance, but it’ll continue to tear up the gills, where the fish is unprotected and eventually kill the fish. The loss of color is from the gills not doing their job due to damage. If you didn’t treat and run the tank fallow, it’s still present.

That tank needs to be run fallow and those fish treated ASAP before the gills can no longer function as necessary to survive.

Nutrition can also lead to color loss, what do you feed?

nova65ss · Mar 2, 2018

Well I'm not sure it was velvet but I suspect it was considering how quick my clowns and Achilles's died. Ich I am told doesn't kill quickly?

I feed daily one cube of mysis. And every two days or so I also feed one cube of lifeline veggies. And nori almost every day. The wrasse will eat all three.

Neither fish shows any sign of stress.

Big G · Mar 2, 2018

Have you considered feeding black or white worms. Lots of protein. Culturing black worms is a lot of work; culturing white worms is a lot, lot easier. Here's Paul B's thread. I"m culturing some these days. Pretty easy.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/give-your-white-worms-a-bath.350754/#post-4365170
Bought mine from Mad River Seeds. Great price. Quick delivery. https://madriverseeds.ecrater.com/c/1780299/other-items

4FordFamily · Mar 2, 2018

nova65ss said:
Well I'm not sure it was velvet but I suspect it was considering how quick my clowns and Achilles's died. Ich I am told doesn't kill quickly?

I feed daily one cube of mysis. And every two days or so I also feed one cube of lifeline veggies. And nori almost every day. The wrasse will eat all three.

Neither fish shows any sign of stress.

Color-loss is a sign of stress. If you didn’t treat after an aggressive parasite wiped out some of your fish, they are definitely stressed.

I know it’s a pain and you don’t want to hear that, I’ve been there myself!

nova65ss · Mar 2, 2018

4FordFamily said:
Color-loss is a sign of stress. If you didn’t treat after an aggressive parasite wiped out some of your fish, they are definitely stressed.

I know it’s a pain and you don’t want to hear that, I’ve been there myself!

Makes sense thank you!

eatbreakfast · Mar 3, 2018

Do you have a pic of the leopard?

nova65ss · Mar 3, 2018

Best I can get now

eatbreakfast · Mar 3, 2018

nova65ss said:
Best I can get now

Your ornatus' colors are different now because it is now a male, so it's base coloring is darker than the bright red it had as a female.

nova65ss · Mar 3, 2018

Yea it was never red and I am not an expert by any means but has it not been a male all along?

eatbreakfast · Mar 4, 2018

If it never had a red base, possibly.

MIKE NY · Mar 5, 2018

X2....my Ornate leopard is about 4-5 years old also grown from a juvi....and as it matured into a super male it has grown darker only really showing its true beautiful red coloration when it shows dominance towards the other leopards in my tank....