New Leopard Wrasse in QT - Need Advice

JaaxReef · Nov 25, 2020

I just received a very healthy looking shipment of wrasses that I put in QT yesterday. A Ruby Longfin Fairy, Pintail, and Female Leopard Wrasse. The Longfin and Pintail ate within 2 hours of being added after acclimation. The Leopard Wrasse (no surprise) hasn’t really taken to food yet, although she did chomp a pellet that she spit out so I think that’s a good sign. They are all a good weight to start with at least, so I think that helps, should have some time to try a few different foods and get her eating,

I put a fairly large Tupperware container with about 3” of sand in it in to the QT for the leopard wrasse, but she hasn’t found it yet this evening and is sleeping by the PVC pipes instead...

1. Any tips on getting her to eat? I’ve tried frozen brine, frozen mysis, and a pellet food from NYOS (the one she spit out).
2. Will she eventually find the sand in the container to sleep in? I don’t want that to cause undue stress.

Thanks for all of your help! This is my first time with a leopard wrasse in QT. Had great success in the past with an ornate leopard, but that was when I was not QTing any fish and she went right into the display.

homer1475 · Nov 25, 2020

Never had a wrasse find the sand in a QT, even though I always offer one. They usually shrink down next to a pipe like your seeing.

Garlic can often times be used to entice picky eaters to eat. My last leopard was the same way. Soaked some mysis in garlic, and it ate it. It now eats anything you put in front of it.

Getting this fish to eat anything but pods, is why they are labeled as expert only. Good luck!

JaaxReef · Nov 25, 2020

homer1475 said:
Never had a wrasse find the sand in a QT, even though I always offer one. They usually shrink down next to a pipe like your seeing.

Garlic can often times be used to entice picky eaters to eat. My last leopard was the same way. Soaked some mysis in garlic, and it ate it. It now eats anything you put in front of it.

Getting this fish to eat anything but pods, is why they are labeled as expert only. Good luck!

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I think part of it is just waiting for her to be less stressed and to try again tomorrow. I do add garlic to my frozen food. I also have a homemade food mix that I will try that all the fish in my display go crazy for. Has blended scallop, tilapia, shrimp, fish eggs, reef chili, squid, and nori.

If that doesn’t work, I’ll go pick up some live brine shrimp from the LFS and try mixing it it’s frozen brine shrimp for a while.

BlennyTime · Nov 25, 2020

homer1475 said:
Never had a wrasse find the sand in a QT, even though I always offer one. They usually shrink down next to a pipe like your seeing.

Garlic can often times be used to entice picky eaters to eat. My last leopard was the same way. Soaked some mysis in garlic, and it ate it. It now eats anything you put in front of it.

Getting this fish to eat anything but pods, is why they are labeled as expert only. Good luck!

Agree with you on that, the challenge is getting them to eat. What worked for me was feeding a variety of foods. Mine liked PE Calanus after a few days, and eventually learned to like it all.

homer1475 · Nov 25, 2020

Ahh yes PE calanus. Forgot about that one. I feed it, when I can find it. Since the pandemic hit, I have yet to find anyone that has it in stock.

JaaxReef · Nov 25, 2020

homer1475 said:
Ahh yes PE calanus. Forgot about that one. I feed it, when I can find it. Since the pandemic hit, I have yet to find anyone that has it in stock.

I think my LFS New Wave Aquaria has some in stock and they have 20% off frozen food for Black Friday. Might need to trek up there today.

Kal93 · Nov 25, 2020

My leopard tears up fresh oysters and clams. After shucking it, I put it into the water and the juices attract all my fish. She is larger (~3-3.5") and will hunt amphipods.

She will find the sand. Mine won't go to sleep in the sand if she thinks that she's being watched. If she circles the sand area close to lights out, she probably is sleeping in the sand.

JaaxReef · Nov 25, 2020

Kal93 said:
My leopard tears up fresh oysters and clams. After shucking it, I put it into the water and the juices attract all my fish. She is larger (~3-3.5") and will hunt amphipods.

She will find the sand. Mine won't go to sleep in the sand if she thinks that she's being watched. If she circles the sand area close to lights out, she probably is sleeping in the sand.

If I thaw out a frozen clam, do you think she might try for that? She is about 2.5” long.

jolt · Nov 25, 2020

I’ve quarantined a few leopards. The sand in a glass baking dish worked for me. For getting them to eat, I hatched fresh brine shrimp. Always worked to get them started. Then started mixing in frozen mysis at the same time that I squirted in some brine shrimp.

JaaxReef · Nov 25, 2020

Update: Leopard Wrasse is on her side and breathing heavily after lights on this morning. Not looking good. Any chance she will pull through? Any ideas?

Kal93 · Nov 25, 2020

JaaxReef said:
Update: Leopard Wrasse is on her side and breathing heavily after lights on this morning. Not looking good. Any chance she will pull through? Any ideas?

That's not good. I'd dim the lights. Is there any aggression from her tankmates? If the QT tank isn't cycled, could be from ammonia. Could also be flukes.

JaaxReef · Nov 25, 2020

Kal93 said:
That's not good. I'd dim the lights. Is there any aggression from her tankmates? If the QT tank isn't cycled, could be from ammonia. Could also be flukes.

The QT was just emptied out after going fallow with 5 fish in there for 9 weeks. So ammonia is a hard no; it’s definitely cycled.

No aggression from the other wrasses while watching them all for a couple hours yesterday.

I turned the lights off for now. Only some natural light coming from an egress window. Might turn them back on later just to check on her.

Is it worth adding general cure to see if it helps with flukes while she is stressed or will it make matters worse?

Kal93 · Nov 25, 2020

It's a tossup. General cure would be more gentle on her than Prazipro or a fresh water dip, so it might be worth it. It also helps that she isn't in your DT, so you don't have to worry about capture stress. If she looks bad, I'd go for it.

Edit: you may also want to increase oxygenation

Jimmyneptune · Nov 25, 2020

This is just an opinion based off my personal experience.
Don't mess with him.
If you want to help place a pile of sand, no container on the floor of the tank. Often no qt and or established system is the best for this type of wrasse. He may not be able to find the sand.

JaaxReef · Nov 25, 2020

Maybe I add the general cure and just let her be. Can’t hurt the other wrasses right?

Jimmyneptune · Nov 25, 2020

Often the fish is just spooked by having a drastic change in environment. doing more to stress it more may not help.

Jimmyneptune · Nov 25, 2020

Is he sick? or just spooked?
Its probably a judgment call.

Jimmyneptune · Nov 25, 2020

JaaxReef said:
Update: Leopard Wrasse is on her side and breathing heavily after lights on this morning. Not looking good. Any chance she will pull through? Any ideas?

Due the lights ramp up or just turn on full?