Leopard wrasse question

Phlynamjax · Jan 4, 2018

I went to the local fish store and saw this blue star leopard wrasse cruising around the tank. He looked really healthy. So I picked him up and dropped him straight to my display tank as my QT does not have any sand in it. He burrowed right away. I woke up next day and I saw the wrasse cruising around my tank. I gave him some live blackworms and mysis shrimp. He ate both right away. He has been active and was eating well. Five days later, I felt like he is not as active. He was still eating fine. The next day, he did not come out from the sand then, I found him dead next day. I am really shocked how this could happened.... I do have another kind of leopard wrasse in the tank that I had for 2+ years, he was bullying him initially, but nothing serious. Normally, I have good sense of why my fish is dead, but clueless on this one. I have 17 fishes in this tank and this is my second loss. The most aggressive fish in the tank is my male Lyretail Anthias who usually leaves wrasses alone.

eatbreakfast · Jan 4, 2018

Leopard wrasses are very susceptible to internal parasites. If it wasn't treated, that would be my prime suspect.

Crabs McJones · Jan 4, 2018

Phlynamjax said:
I went to the local fish store and saw this blue star leopard wrasse cruising around the tank. He looked really healthy. So I picked him up and dropped him straight to my display tank as my QT does not have any sand in it. He burrowed right away. I woke up next day and I saw the wrasse cruising around my tank. I gave him some live blackworms and mysis shrimp. He ate both right away. He has been active and was eating well. Five days later, I felt like he is not as active. He was still eating fine. The next day, he did not come out from the sand then, I found him dead next day. I am really shocked how this could happened.... I do have another kind of leopard wrasse in the tank that I had for 2+ years, he was bullying him initially, but nothing serious. Normally, I have good sense of why my fish is dead, but clueless on this one. I have 17 fishes in this tank and this is my second loss. The most aggressive fish in the tank is my male Lyretail Anthias who usually leaves wrasses alone.

Even though there is no sand in the qt tank, you really should have qt'd him before adding him to your main tank. Instead of just the one fish dead you could be looking at all 17 of your fish dead had he introduced something into your tank. Do you have any pictures of him to see if there was any illness? Or were his fins all chopped up like he was being bullied?

Phlynamjax · Jan 4, 2018

I generally QT all my fishes. Although this tank is fish only so I dose copper and prazi as necessary. I did not see any major illness or external damage. Last time I saw, he was just little "less" active. However, still eating very well.