The Wrasse Lover's Thread!

[cancun]

Wow nice pics....how hard to keep is a Radient Wrasse? I got one yrs ago...he was doing good for several weeks...then went into the sand at lights out and never came out again...I would love to get another....but I am a tad bit gun shy....

 

[cancun]

That’s why I asked. I figured but thought I would make sure. The store only has a 48 hour policy on fish. So just want to make sure she’s ok. I will refrain from doing so.

I kept some of the food and will feed later tonight if they are out.

Hi there! Were they eatting at the store where you bought them? I know my Leopards love Mysis....yea I agree to not disturb a Leopard in the sand. It took my Moyers 3 weeks to come out of the sand. The rest of them never went into the sand except to sleep. So it is not uncommon for leopards to stay under the sand for some time while acclimating.

 

[Mini Coop]

Nice Leopards!!!!! I didn't quarantine my four Leopards. I just dripped them and put them in...had them all for a long time. A blue star...like yours....Moyers which is like a Kuiters..... Ornate....and a Melegris.

Thank you!! I have waited a long time to get them. Yes, I have heard the same thing with wrasses. They are difficult to quarantine. However, when you have been through the hell I have been through with ich, you don’t take risks. Four instance, this is my fourth McCosker before having one survive. And even he needed up with velvet after a week and a half in QT it showed itself. Up till 3 am with a FW bath, reef rally bath, brand new QT and into copper for 30 days. He’s doing great, but it was a struggle.

Same with the new ones. I am hoping to run prazi and do observation only unless they break out with something. Hopefully I can get them out of the sand and eating.

 

[cancun]

Thank you!! I have waited a long time to get them. Yes, I have heard the same thing with wrasses. They are difficult to quarantine. However, when you have been through the hell I have been through with ich, you don’t take risks. Four instance, this is my fourth McCosker before having one survive. And even he needed up with velvet after a week and a half in QT it showed itself. Up till 3 am with a FW bath, reef rally bath, brand new QT and into copper for 30 days. He’s doing great, but it was a struggle.

Same with the new ones. I am hoping to run prazi and do observation only unless they break out with something. Hopefully I can get them out of the sand and eating.

Wow....yea I totally get it for sure! Don't worry your leopards will hopefully come out soon and eat....I am sure you prepared...but I like to have several different foods on hand to dump in the tank as soon as you see them.....keep us posted! [emoji3]

 

[Brautumn]

Wow, never had a problem with any of my wrasses. I have 7 leopards but 12 total wrasses. The leopards I never qt'd but would do a paraguard dip then add them to the tank. They would be out the next day and eating. The only picky one was my choates, took a month for her to eat everything added to the tank. Have had the meleagris trio for 2 1/2 years. Good luck and hopefully one will transition to a male eventually like mine is.

Thank you!! I have waited a long time to get them. Yes, I have heard the same thing with wrasses. They are difficult to quarantine. However, when you have been through the hell I have been through with ich, you don’t take risks. Four instance, this is my fourth McCosker before having one survive. And even he needed up with velvet after a week and a half in QT it showed itself. Up till 3 am with a FW bath, reef rally bath, brand new QT and into copper for 30 days. He’s doing great, but it was a struggle.

Same with the new ones. I am hoping to run prazi and do observation only unless they break out with something. Hopefully I can get them out of the sand and eating.

 

[jake_francis]

Wow nice pics....how hard to keep is a Radient Wrasse? I got one yrs ago...he was doing good for several weeks...then went into the sand at lights out and never came out again...I would love to get another....but I am a tad bit gun shy....

I had my radiant wrasse for a out 3 years now. Earlier this year it was acting funny. It buried itself for a week. He is fine now. He is a good eater. Over the years I learned to make sure the wrasses are eating before I buy them. If I don’t see them eating I pass.

It is eating like a pig. I feed all my fish 4 times a day with pellets, and mysis shrimp and bloodworms at night. Nori seaweed every day.

 

[cancun]

I had my radiant wrasse for a out 3 years now. Earlier this year it was acting funny. It buried itself for a week. He is fine now. He is a good eater. Over the years I learned to make sure the wrasses are eating before I buy them. If I don’t see them eating I pass.

Yea I am with you....I never buy ANY fish especially the more difficult Wrasses without seeing them eat. That is great you had that Radient that long. I saw one at my LFS last weekend....but it didn't eat and didn't look so hot after coming up out of the sand.....so I passed.

 

[Mini Coop]

Yea I am with you....I never buy ANY fish especially the more difficult Wrasses without seeing them eat. That is great you had that Radient that long. I saw one at my LFS last weekend....but it didn't eat and didn't look so hot after coming up out of the sand.....so I passed.

These all looked good. And all ate at the LFS despite them having just come in the night before. That’s why I didn’t order them online.

 

[cancun]

These all looked good. And all ate at the LFS despite them having just come in the night before. That’s why I didn’t order them online.

Great!! Yea I never order on line...I guess I am lucky to have several great LFS by me....

 

[UABsleeper]

Ok guys I could use a little advice.. I should be receiving a leopard wrasse tomorrow from liveaquaria.. and I’m wondering.. anybody else use an acclimation box to decrease aggression and allow the fish to become acclimated for a few days to a new tank..? (I have a melanarus, pintail, and purple tang that can be pretty aggressive to new tank inhabitants and the acclimation box seems to help)

Should I use an acclimation box with a leopard wrasse since I’m unable to put sand in my acclimation box? Or would putting it in a box with the inability to burry itself just increase the stress on the fish? Thanks in advance!

Here is the box I’m using

 

[eatbreakfast]

Ok guys I could use a little advice.. I should be receiving a leopard wrasse tomorrow from liveaquaria.. and I’m wondering.. anybody else use an acclimation box to decrease aggression and allow the fish to become acclimated for a few days to a new tank..? (I have a melanarus, pintail, and purple tang that can be pretty aggressive to new tank inhabitants and the acclimation box seems to help)

Should I use an acclimation box with a leopard wrasse since I’m unable to put sand in my acclimation box? Or would putting it in a box with the inability to burry itself just increase the stress on the fish? Thanks in advance!

Here is the box I’m using

I provide pvc pieces to give them somewhere to hide.

 

[UABsleeper]

I provide pvc pieces to give them somewhere to hide.

PVC in the acclimation box like the one that’s currently in there? Or just in the tank?

 

[evolved]

I provide pvc pieces to give them somewhere to hide.

Agree

PVC in the acclimation box like the one that’s currently in there? Or just in the tank?

Heh, yes - like the one already in there. I didn't see it until you mentioned it either - blends with the photo.

 

[eatbreakfast]

PVC in the acclimation box like the one that’s currently in there? Or just in the tank?

Yes, just like that.

 

[jake_francis]

Ok guys I could use a little advice.. I should be receiving a leopard wrasse tomorrow from liveaquaria.. and I’m wondering.. anybody else use an acclimation box to decrease aggression and allow the fish to become acclimated for a few days to a new tank..? (I have a melanarus, pintail, and purple tang that can be pretty aggressive to new tank inhabitants and the acclimation box seems to help)

Should I use an acclimation box with a leopard wrasse since I’m unable to put sand in my acclimation box? Or would putting it in a box with the inability to burry itself just increase the stress on the fish? Thanks in advance!

Here is the box I’m using

Good luck. Buying fish on line is a hit and miss. I never had luck with leopard wrasse. The one guy I had lasted 9 months. I have an ornate wrasse that I had for 1 year and is doing ok.

 

[UABsleeper]

Good luck. Buying fish on line is a hit and miss. I never had luck with leopard wrasse. The one guy I had lasted 9 months. I have an ornate wrasse that I had for 1 year and is doing ok.

Yeah unfortunately online is pretty much my only option.. my nearest lfs is 2 hrs away.. so pretty much all my fish and coral have come from liveaquaria.. but I have had pretty good luck so far

 

[UABsleeper]

Agree

Heh, yes - like the one already in there. I didn't see it until you mentioned it either - blends with the photo.

Awesome thanks! So another question I have on your more sensitive fish how long do you typically keep your more sensitive wrasses in the acclimation box.. do you make sure their eating well first? Or do you just strictly use it for say 2-3 days until other fish have gotten used to it..?

Hopefully this one arrives in good health.. my first leopard from liveaquaria was doa.. probably could have been prevented.. liveaquaria shipped my leopard wrasse but held my corals an extra day due to snow storm.. Didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me ..

 

[evolved]

Awesome thanks! So another question I have on your more sensitive fish how long do you typically keep your more sensitive wrasses in the acclimation box.. do you make sure their eating well first? Or do you just strictly use it for say 2-3 days until other fish have gotten used to it..?

Hopefully this one arrives in good health.. my first leopard from liveaquaria was doa.. probably could have been prevented.. liveaquaria shipped my leopard wrasse but held my corals an extra day due to snow storm.. Didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me ..

Almost always 3 days, unless someone is still being aggressive and if so at that point I'm usually rethinking things. And this is after at least 6 weeks of QT.

LA shipments come from California, and DD shipments come from Wisconsin.

 

[cancun]

PVC in the acclimation box like the one that’s currently in there? Or just in the tank?

I never have used a acclimation box with my leopards....in my opinion it would be added stress.....others that have used one though might give your more info....is there a way to put some sand in there?

 

[OrionN]

I am still very new at keeping Fairy wrasses. From everything I read about these wrasses, they suppose to eat out of the water column and not bother any mobile surface invertebrates. Maybe I misunderstand what I read, but my observation about my Laboutei wrasse show that this is wrong about my Laboutei and Carpenter wrasses. When the light start to come up in my tank, they go crazy eating pods and other crustaceans of off the rock, glass and macro algae in my QT tank. Both are very fat now and only been fed in AM, then two more in the evening.

Anybody else observe their Fairy and Flasher wrasses gorge themselves on Pods?