Leopard wrasse transitioning (1 Viewer)

[frankc]

I got this beauty from @Luman01 not quite two years ago. Here is how she looked last August.

The last couple months I started noticing more green appearing, and eventually it dawned on me that she was transitioning into a male. Here is what he looks like today.

I wonder what triggered the change. The one I had previously was 5-6 inches and stayed a female until it died. This one is only 3-4 inches, and in both cases the only leopard wrasse in the tank. The only thing I can think of is this started happening after a number of bigger fish died in November due to the ick/velvet outbreak. She became the third largest fish in the tank, behind the blue tang and Clarkii clown, so maybe she figured if I'm one of the big bad dudes left in the tank, I might as well actually be a dude.

 

[voooooo]

that’s pretty

 

[Luman01]

@frankc omg he looks amazing had to correct my self there almost put she. I’m really glad he’s doing great! But now it almost resembles an orante leopard wrasse.

 

[eraser2001]

Nice

Sent from my SM-G975U1 using Tapatalk

 

[ITreefer]

Awesome Frank!
Crazy how it happened without other leopards in the tank..

 

[frankc]

Sadly, this guy died a couple years ago. I have been trying to get a group of small females ever since, but it hasn't been easy. Twice I order a group from Live Aquaria, only to have them cancel the order - I assume because they didn't really have 3 in stock, even though the website took the order.

They finally came through, and I got a beautiful trio of Blue Star Leopard Wrasse a little over a week ago. One stayed buried in the sand for the first 6 days, but she seems fine. They are eating frozen mysis and brine shrimp, though not as eagerly as I hope they will. Hopefully in a few years I will be posting to this thread again, showing one of them has transitioned to a male.

 

[Cody]

Sadly, this guy died a couple years ago. I have been trying to get a group of small females ever since, but it hasn't been easy. Twice I order a group from Live Aquaria, only to have them cancel the order - I assume because they didn't really have 3 in stock, even though the website took the order.

They finally came through, and I got a beautiful trio of Blue Star Leopard Wrasse a little over a week ago. One stayed buried in the sand for the first 6 days, but she seems fine. They are eating frozen mysis and brine shrimp, though not as eagerly as I hope they will. Hopefully in a few years I will be posting to this thread again, showing one of them has transitioned to a male.

Man, those fish are gorgeous!!! I haven't had a Leopard Wrasse in forever. I should get one soon!

 

[frankc]

Man, those fish are gorgeous!!! I haven't had a Leopard Wrasse in forever. I should get one soon!

Yeah, they're among my favorite fish - these look like little jewels. This is the first time I've had more than one at a time, and I can't wait to get them into the display tank.

 

[Cody]

Yeah, they're among my favorite fish - these look like little jewels. This is the first time I've had more than one at a time, and I can't wait to get them into the display tank.

I didn't realize you can keep multiple of them either. Then again, never really looked into having multiple. I always thought wrasse were very hit and miss to keep together.

 

[frankc]

I didn't realize you can keep multiple of them either. Then again, never really looked into having multiple. I always thought wrasse were very hit and miss to keep together.

Actually, Live Aquaria recommends keeping the leopards in groups of 3 or more, as long as you add them at the same time and there is at most one male. If more than one of mine decides to turn male, I may have problems.

With the fairy and flasher wrasse, it is best to keep only one of a species. Apparently, even if you have a breeding pair, the female eventually becomes another male and then they fight.

 

[RR-MAN]

@frankc
Did you use any copper in quarantine? Wonder how they handle copper treatment since some wrasses don’t do well.

 

[frankc]

@frankc
Did you use any copper in quarantine? Wonder how they handle copper treatment since some wrasses don’t do well.

I have not. I only use copper or other medications if there is a problem, and so far these seem very healthy.

I tried another food today - Reef Nutrition's fish egg product, R.O.E. - and they loved it, at least the two that were still up. One of them is still out of the sand only a few hours a day, one a few hours more, and one is up most of the day.

 

[frankc]

I guess it's time to admit defeat. One of them died one day short of 4 weeks, which is my usual quarantine time. The other 2 went in the big tank, but one buried herself and has not been seen since then. Given that was 3 weeks ago today, it's probably pretty safe to assume she did not make it. The other one is doing great - active all day and eats flakes like a pig, so hopefully she will be around for many years. I may never know what it's like to keep more than one long term.

As if that didn't suck enough, yesterday my pintail fairy wrasse jumped out of the tank and landed in the worst possible spot behind the tank where I can't reach. I was eventually able to reach her with a grabbing tool. Between the fall onto tile and possibly getting squeezed too much in my attempts to pick her up, she was not doing well. She was alive and swimming somewhat last night, but she was dead this morning. I had her since November and she never showed any propensity to jump, but it only takes once. I had the screen top off because the plate coral had moved to a bad spot.