Where does your leopard wrasse sleep?

Duke4Life · Feb 9, 2016

Where does your leopard wrasse sleep? I know most do in the sand but do they prefer closer to rock bases or an open area away from rocks, etc.

I am going to be undergoing a partial rescape and wanted to make sure I took this into account for a future purchase.

Kershaw · Feb 9, 2016

I have a malinarus and a leapored wrasse. I have had malinarus for. 9 months and have never seen its sleeping spot. Leapored is 2 months old and I have never seen its bed eaither. They seem to hide when I blink.

DereksReef77 · Feb 9, 2016

My blue star leopards sleep in the sand under rock work. It's funny I just got home to see mine poking his head out sideways from under a mini basketball size rock then I go online and see your post. Haha lol.

YoCamron · Feb 9, 2016

Duke4Life said:
Where does your leopard wrasse sleep? I know most do in the sand but do they prefer closer to rock bases or an open area away from rocks, etc.

I am going to be undergoing a partial rescape and wanted to make sure I took this into account for a future purchase.

every wrasse i have ever had sleeps on my live rock

nova65ss · Feb 9, 2016

Leopard is gonna be in the sand typically near a ock or coral etc.

FarmerTy · Feb 9, 2016

Mine sleeps in the sand adjacent to the rock.

dewboy1127 · Feb 9, 2016

base of my torch

flounder · Feb 9, 2016

Both my leopards sleep under the sand. Of all my wrasses they are first to bed every night.

4FordFamily · Feb 9, 2016

Yup they're quick. I've never seen any of my dozens of sand sleeping wrasses physically bury - they seem to just casually stroll over and dive in. I have seen the small cloud of sand from where this occurs and made a note of it for the future so I can catch them need be.

Don't worry it doesn't ever help. I have to take all the rock out and run my hand through the sand with almost no water in the tank to find them...

Fish traps are God sent but many fish (especially halichoeres) can be very smart and need days or weeks feeding in or near it to fall for it!

eatbreakfast · Feb 10, 2016

Yeah, they usually bury in the sand near some sort of structure, like rock or coral.

evolved · Feb 10, 2016

They're pretty smart about (eventually) finding the area(s) best suited for such, and expect that to be near a structure (rock or coral), in a lower flow area, and (most importantly) the areas in the tank which are deepest in sand.

buzzword · Feb 10, 2016

I have 3 leopards and 1 tamarin wrasse and I know where 2 of them sleep and it is right next to the rock work and almost looks like they burrow under it. Seen them go in the same spot a number of times but mostly you never see it or I just see the puff of sand.

buzzword · Feb 10, 2016

4FordFamily I have had the same experience with getting them in my fish trap. Tried to trap my Meleagris for a week putting food in it 3 times a day and she has still not gone in it. Gave up and she quit picking on the tamarin after about 4 days, now everyone knows their place and we have harmony.

cope413 · Feb 10, 2016

flounder said:
Both my leopards sleep under the sand. Of all my wrasses they are first to bed every night.

When I first got my leopard, she went to bed about 10-15 after blues went off every night. Starting about 3 months ago, she's in bed 45-60 minutes before blues go out. Glad to hear that's not unique.

To OP, when I redid my rock work, my leopard changed her spot, but only by a few inches.