Leopard Wrasses Introduced and Hiding

[Phycodurus]

sorry to hear about the losses.

leopard wrasses quickly became one of my must-haves when i got back into reefing, and started sorting my wish list. sadly, i also lost a pair of black leopard wrasses (they didn’t even make it out of quarantine).

i’m aware of their penchant for hiding sometimes up to a week when first introduced. i remember trying fresh clam or shrimp juice, etc. (just a few drops) ... something that would prove too irresistible and encourage them out of hiding. i guess it really depends on the individual personality of each fish.

this thread gets me wondering now if there’s a preferred entry order within the Macropharyngodon genus (when it’s not possible to introduce all the target M. species all at once). ;Bookworm

 

[mattzang]

@evolved what is your opinion on aggression of the various leopards? most are compatible in a decent sized tank no? i thought i read somewhere that numerous people reported that the potters were actually the more aggressive ones

 

[evolved]

@evolved what is your opinion on aggression of the various leopards? most are compatible in a decent sized tank no?

Mixing different species of leopards is easy - provided all of them of every species is female. Males of any species present can make it a crap shoot.
And yes, as always, the bigger the tank, the more you can get away with.

 

[alimac122]

Sorry to hear about your leopards

I just purchased a female on 8/20.
I had her in the acclimation box for 2 full days, then I sank the box with the t open.
Left that at the bottom of the tank for another full day (it has exposed metal so I didn’t want to leave it in very long)
She was swimming around nicely and even ‘danced’ with my male fairy wrasse for a little while. They shared his cave during the day.
Woke up today and haven’t seen her yet. The lights still aren’t 100% on (morning just blues) but I’ve fed once and no sign of her poking her head out just yet.
I also have lots of hermits so I am crossing my fingers I don’t find them digging her up and munching any time soon.

when you move the aggressive wrasse to the new tank, are you going to try with the same species or a different one?