Leopard Wrasses

[Nemoose]

I have been spending a lot of time looking at reef safe wrasses and I have become very interested in Leopard Wrasses. Rvery site I see says they are expert only because they mainly eat pods and worms. Has anyone here ever kept them? How difficult is it to ge them to eat other foods? Or would I need a constant supply of pods to keep them?

 

[Cubbies]

First off I would recommend a VERY established tank. Trying to get them to eat prepared foods goes on the same line as Mandarins. You need patience and time. If you are going to train them you will run the chance of them not making it. You can usually find them eating prepared foods but you have to be patient and wait for them to pop up. Also they are very shy at first and in my experience very finicky. I've tried on different occasions different kinds of Leopards and all of the ones I tried WERE eating. So far I still haven't been able to keep one alive. Usually cause of their shyness they will hide and hide and eventually die. Also Leopards in particular are very prone to internal parasites so QT I would say is a must for internal parasites. Again this has been my experience I'm sure there are plenty of success stories out there as well.

 

[Downbeach]

I would QT them, not only to prevent the spread of 'pests', but also to get them eating in a stress free environment. They will need a soft DBS too, so put some oolitic sand into a tupperware containter in the QT.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-07/hcs3/index.php

 

[Nemoose]

Well I will be tearing down my 30 gallon and resetting it into an 80 gallon. So, maybe it would be best to stay with fairy and or flasher wrasses until the tank settles in and gets reestablished.

 

[Isoprene]

I kept one for 6 months, eating mysis just fine in a 8 - 9 month old 55 gallon tank. She got skinny, faded and died (along with a black clown as well) all in a few days. I don't know what happened to either fish. This is my only experience with them. Everyone I have spoken to has had similar problems (just dying or starving) if they can even keep them for a few months. I was out of my league getting mine, beginner mistake I think. I should have had a QT tank for the new clown and a more established tank.

If you do get one my best advice (if buying from a LFS) is to watch them eat mysis or some other prepared food before you buy them if they are going in a younger tank.

 

[3Twinklets]

I have the Blue Star Leopard wrasse. 1 male and 2 females and they eat a lot and everything. I feed a wide variety of foods but they seem to eat even flake food.

 

[Anemones Clowns & Corals]

+ 1 on the mixed foods. we have had quite a few come through the store and our best advice is to match the salinity of the shipper or store before acclimating. We feed a mix of otohime and/ or very small pellets mixed with cyclops two times per day. Check out the Lubbock's Fairy Wrasse they are one of my favorites and they seem to be in every store lately.

 

[evolved]

There's a lot more to leopards than just the eating aspect.

Sure, that's what you have to worry about once you get them into a system. However, it's getting them to a system alive and healthy which can be the most difficult part. They are not a wrasse I'd even think to suggest to an inexperienced keeper (not to imply anything about your background; simply making a blanket statement).

Lastly, I hate to direct you to a competing forum, but there is a "Leopard Primer" thread in the Reef Fish forum on Reef Central which is many, many pages in length and tells you EVERYTHING you'd ever want/need to know about Leopards before you dive into them.

 

[e.litvin]

My leopard wrasse eats anything you throw in the tank whether it is flakes, pellets, frozen food, you name it. They may be difficult but not mine at all! Furthermore they are beautiful fish and a joy to watch. Good Luck

 

[Rabidgoose]

There's a lot more to leopards than just the eating aspect.

Sure, that's what you have to worry about once you get them into a system. However, it's getting them to a system alive and healthy which can be the most difficult part. They are not a wrasse I'd even think to suggest to an inexperienced keeper (not to imply anything about your background; simply making a blanket statement).

Lastly, I hate to direct you to a competing forum, but there is a "Leopard Primer" thread in the Reef Fish forum on Reef Central which is many, many pages in length and tells you EVERYTHING you'd ever want/need to know about Leopards before you dive into them.

This.......

 

[maharsreef]

I have had my Leopard wrasse for over 5 years, and consider myself to be very lucky to find a healthy specimen from the start. It just recently turned male, probably because I added a Melanurus wrasse. He is a pig that eats everything, including Nori sheets. He is my favorite for sure. But you definitely need a well established tank full of pods, and a sand bed. I use crushed coral with no problems.