New Leopard Wrasse looking nearly dead after one night

[Enad]

Hi there,

I picked up a healthy baby Leopard Wrasse from my local shop yesterday, maybe 1" in size, it was swimming around actively, and eating frozen food. I brought it home and put it in an acclimation box with some chunks of live rock and a little container of sand for when it was time to go to sleep. She acted totally fine all day, and even voraciously ate some mysis and LRS that evening. I checked on her before going to bed and noticed she didn't go into her sand but wedged herself into some of the live rock.

Now this morning I wake up and she looks dead laying sideways on the bottom of the acclimation box. I gently pick her up(she swam away a bit but not very fast) and put her into the sand container in hopes she may burrow to feel safe, but it has been about an hour since I woke up and she is just laying sideways on the sand, breathing fairly heavily.

This is my first baby Leopard Wrasse so I'm not exactly sure what type of behavior to expect here, but this doesn't seem right. I'm not sure how things could've turned so quickly considered how active and healthy she seemed last night, but maybe I'm overreacting? She has moved a few times and flipped herself over in the sand since I put her there, so maybe she's just playing dead or thinks she's buried? I briefly had a male Leopard wrasse who wouldn't really 'wake up' until many hours after the lights came on in the am, so maybe this is a similar situation?


Any help would be appreciated!!

 

[homer1475]

Sounds like normal stressed behavior. Picking on a sleeping wrasse only stresses them out further.

I have never had a sand sleeper in an acclimation box actually find the sand. They always seem very stressed, which is what it sounds like your describing.

 

[Enad]

Thanks for the reply. I agree moving her was a knee jerk reaction, but I wanted to make sure she found the sand, which she has. I'm very confused by her behavior because now that she's in the little sand bowl, she just swims around it, or lays on her side like a dead fish. I did see her bury herself last night, but then dug herself out and was just laying on top of the sand again. However, anytime food is presented she perks up right away from her dead fish routine and pecks at the food, she's eating just fine ultimately.

I'm just worried about releasing her into the display right now as I don't want her to get picked on...but I suppose that won't be any different in a few days. I think I'd like to monitor her eating at least another day or two before releasing her into the display.

 

[homer1475]

Every leopard I've ever kept(which has been numerous) in an acclimation box, has acted just like your describing.

I'm sure she'll be fine(all leopards are born female FYI) after you release her. Don't be surprised if after you release her, she disappears for a couple days.

 

[Enad]

I ended up releasing her into the display last night - she seems to be up to the same antics..sometimes burying herself then sometimes just laying on the sand like a dead fish. Hoping she'll come around in a few days.

 

[OrionN]

smaller the fish, the less reserve they have to going hungry. 1 inch Leopard is tiny and hard to acclimated. Unless everything is perfect, they tend not to make it. Good luck.

 

[Enad]

Yeah, she didn't up lasting much longer. She was eating well when I first got her so I was surprised she didn't make it, but I think I've learned not to use an acclimation box with a Leopard.