Black leopard wrasse

[TvanB1]

BTW, I don’t agree at all that live foods are require for leopard wrasse. OK, you may come across an adult specimen that can only be tempted by copepods, etc.; but the vast majority that recover from initial acclimation will take frozen. I do have a stash of nutramar ova that is my frozen-of-last-resort food. My issue with the black is not getting it to eat initially, rather keeping on weight. Even with treatment for internal parasites, they just waste away. I have multiple other species that don’t waste away. Curious.

Initially I offered mine LRS, nutramar ova, and fish eggs, but he wasn’t tempted by them.
Im sure many will accept frozen foods after acclimation but live food certainly wouldn’t hurt. Ive also found that it helps them put on weight a little quicker.
Bummer that these guys don’t seem to last very long. How long did you have yours before it began to waste away?

 

[evolved]

The one I have has been in captivity ~4 years now, and still growing. Nearly 3 years with me, and another hobbyist had him for about a year prior.

The Omaha Zoo has had some in their collection for even longer, if I recall correctly.

 

[WMR]

Most of them are tricky to get to eat initially, I’ve used frozen worms( bloodworms & mosquito larvae) & fish eggs, mixed results

 

[MIKE NY]

In my experience most wrasses only live between 5 - 7 years and juvis acclimate better than adults.

 

[OrionN]

Well, I just got this beauty from my local Petco. The manager special ordered it for me. I just wanted a small one but this male come in so I got him. I had them feed him at the store and he ate frozen mysis. Hope I will have luck in keeping this one alive. I will bat .50 if he live for me.
He is not fat by any mean but not thin either. Please wish me luck. The light is going out so the color is a little blue. Will get better picture later.

 

[OrionN]

Here is the one I have in my DT.

 

[TvanB1]

Well, I just got this beauty from my local Petco. The manager special ordered it for me. I just wanted a small one but this male come in so I got him. I had them feed him at the store and he ate frozen mysis. Hope I will have luck in keeping this one alive. I will bat .50 if he live for me.
He is not fat by any mean but not thin either. Please wish me luck. The light is going out so the color is a little blue. Will get better picture later.

Wow! Amazing colors..
Are you putting them in the same tank? I’ve been thinking about getting a juvenile to try and pair with my male.
Really hoping he does well. Best of luck!!

 

[Goodair]

Nice fish, definitely one to try one day. Are these hard to acclimate or just generally hard to keep? Alot of mixed experiences in here.

 

[OrionN]

They are not hard to keep. They eat everything and are not timid fish. Seem like only other leopard wrasses bother them.
It is hard to acclimate them to captivity. Having live food available for them to hunt helps acclimation period

 

[OrionN]

Wow! Amazing colors..
Are you putting them in the same tank? I’ve been thinking about getting a juvenile to try and pair with my male.
Really hoping he does well. Best of luck!!

Thanks. Any recent pictures? The change completed yet?

 

[TvanB1]

Thanks. Any recent pictures? The change completed yet?

Gaining some more color and a ton of weight.
I’m out of town but will get some updated pictures when I get back.

 

[OrionN]

Mine is doing great. I went and got another female. Both are doing well in my QT system. I will release both to my DT in a week or two. The have gain a lot of weight and is eating everything. I feed frozen in AM and pellets with an auto feeder 4 other times a day. When I get home in the PM if they are still out, I feed them with small amount of frozen food again.

 

[TvanB1]

Got a few pictures of the leopard today. Unfortunately the camera didn't want to pick up the colors very well. Its much brighter in person. I added a rabbitfish and pair of clowns a few weeks ago and they are all doing really well. The clowns even spawned a week after being introduced. I got a short video of them preparing their new nest. I'm hoping to get a video of them laying soon. The Amblyeleotris randalli and Cirhillabrus nahackyi pairs are spawning consistently as well.
I am throwing around the idea of adding another black leopard as well as a small starry blenny to pair with my current ones. I'd also like to add a pair of Pseudocheilinops ataenia and 4-6 more prawn gobies.
Anyone know how to sex starry blennies? Ive seen a few different methods but none of them seem very solid. My current plan is to add a small one and hope for the best.

 

[TvanB1]

The pictures aren’t uploading at the moment.
Will work on it tonight.
Conveniently, it turns out the clowns started laying right after I stopped filming. This clutch seems to be a bit bigger than the last.

 

[TvanB1]

 

[TvanB1]

 

[OrionN]

The florescent coloration of the scales of the male Black Leopard is mood dependent. When he is excited, especially with a female then he color really show. Nuptial color so to speak.

 

[OrionN]

I still have my new male and female in QT. Both are doing well and gaining a lot of weight. I wanted to put them in my DT but have not have the time to catch them. I was not in a hurry, but that maybe a mistake that will cost me. My female in the DT is changing.
Here is a picture of her before and one from this AM.
4/18/2019

5/26/2019

7/28/2019

 

[maroun.c]

Took me few years to find a good one here as they seem to ship bad and aren't very commonly requested here. My resident wrasses gave it a harsh welcome but it made it. Now is growing and looking beautiful. I just hope it doesn't turn male.

 

[Hemmdog]

I still have my new male and female in QT. Both are doing well and gaining a lot of weight. I wanted to put them in my DT but have not have the time to catch them. I was not in a hurry, but that maybe a mistake that will cost me. My female in the DT is changing.
Here is a picture of her before and one from this AM.
4/18/2019

5/26/2019

7/28/2019

My back leopard is going through this transition as well. Is it just becoming an adult female or do they change genders?