New ornate leopard wrasse is missing

[Krzydmnd]

Hi all. I added an air ornate leopard wrasse to my tank 9 days ago. She was eating the first day none of the other fish bother her at all and then the next morning she was gone. I have not seen her since. I know that they bury themselves and I'm just wondering if it's too long for her to be missing at this point to write her off.

 

[VSVP bet]

I had a leopard wrasse disappear on me. Checked everywhere around my tank to find a dried up jumper. However, I couldnt find anything. I was hoping it buried itself in the sand and would return, but after a week and a half i figured it had died. I never saw a carcass or anything, but likely my clean up crew would have left nothing...

 

[Oscaror]

They can bury themselves for quite some time, 9 days is really pushing it though. Hopefully she resurfaces

 

[LJLKRL05]

I had one disappear too. Been a couple of months and has not come back yet. I assume it is dead.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

I’m not saying this is normal, but when I worked at a LFS in college we had a Leopard show up 4 weeks after putting him in a tank.

 

[Js.Aqua.Project]

I have seen leopard wrasse go two weeks in the sand bed without blinking an eye.

 

[ca1ore]

Not at all unusual for them to bury. They also come in with their ‘clocks’ backwards so it may be emerging in the middle of the night. 9 days is premature to write it off; I had one bury for three weeks before venturing out. They expend very little energy hunkered down in the sand, and can emerge after many days no worse for wear. Ornate is the twitchiest of the leopards (other than choati) though. If you can see up through the tank bottom often you can spot it. If it does die in the sand you’ll never find any evidence. The key to leopards is that they are not thin when you get them. Those almost never survive.

 

[Ocdreef]

I’m not saying this is normal, but when I worked at a LFS in college we had a Leopard show up 4 weeks after putting him in a tank.

4 weeks, wow that's nuts. I would say based on my years of experience with leopards that you can probably write her off at about the two week mark. Even if she does resurface she will be too emaciated and undernourished to survive I'm sorry to say.

 

[Krzydmnd]

Thanks all! I'll give her a few more weeks before the funeral. I had a Yasha goby disappear after day one for over 4 weeks and one day there he is anything is possible!

And I'll update when slash if she shows up so there is some anecdotal info for others...

 

[justjes45]

I had this EXACT same thing happen.... man I hope he shows up!!