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View Poll Results: Indicate those species you keep in your tank
Macropharyngodon bipartitus 67 28.39%
Macropharyngodon choati 12 5.08%
Macropharyngodon geoffroy 24 10.17%
Macropharyngodon meleagris 78 33.05%
Macropharyngodon negrosensis 29 12.29%
Other 26 11.02%
Voters: 236. You may not vote on this poll

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Unread 06/27/2013, 09:45 AM   #2526
impur
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Dang sorry to hear. I hope your next one is much easier. I did not have any troubles with my M. bipartitus from Divers Den so hopefully your next one will go just as smooth.


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Unread 06/27/2013, 07:59 PM   #2527
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3 Month Update: still havent set up the fuge.. regardless, the wrasse continues to stay active and roam the entire tank..still no pellets just frozen. doing great.




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Unread 06/28/2013, 12:30 AM   #2528
gregrocks79
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I almost forgot about my leopard when I was pitting my 12g and 30g into my new 60g!!! Saw her floppin and had to dig her out. She's doing great and eating everything. Frozen, pellets and flakes! Such an awesome fish


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Unread 06/30/2013, 07:13 PM   #2529
TruRacr314x
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Ok...2nd try...

LA was great and replaced my female that perished shortly after arrival. They also had males available...so I thought maybe they'd do better coming in with company.

I received them yesterday (paid the $15 extra for Saturday delivery). I unpacked them and acclimated them together. These were definitely more active than the last one and acclimated great. I decided to try them in my QT just to be able to better keep and eye on them and their feeding. I did the unpack, acclimation, and transfer to QT in very low light...so I didn't get a good look at them. The female quickly found the tupperware container of sand and went to hiding. The male hid under the rock. I let them adjust through the day/night and let the lighting come on as normal this morning. The female stayed in hiding...but the male was out all day. The male appears to be healthy...but cosmetically looks pretty bad. I'm wondering if he isn't still in the morphing process? He is kinda brownish and his marking are kind of dull. Could the stress of shipping deteriorate the coloring that fast? We'll see...I'll try to get some pics soon...

I have my fingers crossed again...but it's already going better than attempt #1...


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Unread 06/30/2013, 07:19 PM   #2530
Triggerfish
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i fed the tank some prime reef flakes and was pretty surprised to see my leopard taking them in. wasn't expecting that to ever happen..


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Unread 07/04/2013, 05:16 PM   #2531
ska d
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here is a juvi, not quite a year, but doing good. eats anything. very sorry for the quality, this is no easy fish to photograph. its just getting some yellowish colour at the tip of the mouth, so ill update with pics ti see changes, but ut may take awhile, as getting a good pic will be tough.


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Unread 07/06/2013, 06:31 PM   #2532
ca1ore
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Was in my LFS yesterday and they had a 2 1/2 inch female Meleagris that was eating frozen Mysis. I've generally steered clear of Leopards, but this one appeared healthy and was going for $20!!! Suffice to say, I now have my first one after almost 30 years of reefing. So far so good. Skipped QT , straight into to fuge and indeed eating Mysis.

My question though is whether a 3 inch Dusky in the DT will present a problem when the time comes, hopefully, to move the Leopard up?


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Unread 07/06/2013, 10:37 PM   #2533
ingtar_shinowa
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My melarunus bullied my female melagris for about 2 hours when I first introduced her, after that she was not to keen on eating with the group and slowly wasted away.


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Unread 07/07/2013, 09:58 AM   #2534
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Added this little fella today, hung around for about 20 minutes before hitting the sand. Was feeding very well in the shop so I snapped it up.


M. bipartus (male) by --Aaron--, on Flickr


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Unread 07/07/2013, 01:48 PM   #2535
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Got a few shots of my meleagris male yesterday I thought I'd share. Cheers.








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Unread 07/24/2013, 02:40 PM   #2536
waspmeat
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Genetics View Post
If you start with live mysis and blend other foods during feeding you can get almost any wrasse on whatever diet you wish. I did live mysis to frozen mysis, to frozen seafood blend.
yea mine started on frozen mysis in the first few hrs


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Unread 07/25/2013, 08:52 AM   #2537
gregrocks79
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Poor girls been hiding for weeks. My Sixline has been harassing her. Made a 2 liter fish trap to get it out. Hope it works

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1374763920.952612.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1374763930.634994.jpg


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Unread 07/25/2013, 10:22 PM   #2538
Ralph ATL
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Wow, some great photos in the last few weeks! And a few males.....

Good luck gregrock! I'm sure you know, your leopard will perish shortly with a six line.


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Unread 07/26/2013, 08:42 AM   #2539
ca1ore
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Gal thriving in my fuge; eating thawed Mysis with enthusiasm. Am a bit nervous about moving her to the DT, however, with a resident dusky wrasse and a few tangs.




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Unread 07/26/2013, 08:43 PM   #2540
gregrocks79
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mysterybox View Post
Wow, some great photos in the last few weeks! And a few males.....

Good luck gregrock! I'm sure you know, your leopard will perish shortly with a six line.
Ugh I know!! Sucks trying


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Unread 07/28/2013, 09:31 PM   #2541
gregrocks79
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Well the trap definitely works. But it caught the wrong two fish haha

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1375068682.123127.jpg


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Unread 08/01/2013, 10:38 AM   #2542
hanig
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Has anyone been able to identify why seemingly fat healthy Choati wrasses die after a few days in our tanks.I'm 1 for 3 with them so far..Why a non stressed eating fish dies so quickly has me wondering what is missing.Is there any documented evidence that intestinal parasites are a cause?Having read this thread,it seems the Prazipro treated specimens are dying too.They are such a beautiful fish,I hate seeing them die without any clue to the cause.


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Unread 08/09/2013, 07:27 PM   #2543
Ralph ATL
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hanig View Post
Has anyone been able to identify why seemingly fat healthy Choati wrasses die after a few days in our tanks.I'm 1 for 3 with them so far..Why a non stressed eating fish dies so quickly has me wondering what is missing.Is there any documented evidence that intestinal parasites are a cause?Having read this thread,it seems the Prazipro treated specimens are dying too.They are such a beautiful fish,I hate seeing them die without any clue to the cause.

here's a quote from Kevin Kohen:

But here is some great info on Leopard Wrasses by Kevin in that thread:

Like other Macropharyngodon spp. these fishes can and do suffer from improper handling along with a multitude of other stressors that can affect them down the road. This genus of Labroid fishes requires very delicate handling, as they are very skittish and highly sensitive to light upon arrival, and must be acclimated properly to temperature, specific gravity, and pH. They can go into shock very easily and are extremely sensitive to fluctuations in temperature, water chemistry and dissolved oxygen levels.

I have stated previously in numerous threads here on RC as well as in an article in the first ReefLife Magazine, this species surely is not for everyone. If one has the experience needed to properly acclimate and care for this species, as well as the proper environment to maintain them, and is willing and able to put the time in to feed these fishes relentlessly for several weeks until they are fully settled into their new home, they can do well long term.

Once acclimated properly, the best scenario is to maintain them in an old, very well established habitat that has a 2”-4” layer fine sand to meet their burrowing instincts so they feel comfortable. Keeping them stress free with no harassment from other tank mates or from their owner will allow them time to adjust to their new environment and settle in with the least amount of stress.

Assuming one obtains quality fishes that have been harvested, handled and conditioned properly; the next challenging step is feeding and proper diet. These fishes hunt for food almost constantly but will soon rely more and more on supplemented foods. Feeding these fishes throughout the day with the proper foods along with maintaining them in very stable, clean water conditions at temperatures of 76 to 77 degrees is a must, as they do not fare well at elevated water temperatures. Supplementation of small frozen mysis as well as live and frozen artemia is critical. This can be accomplished by enriching freshly thawed and drained frozen food in Amino Acid and other vitamin supplements. There are plenty of quality enrichment products available and their use at every feeding is extremely important to help boost the fishes’ immune system and allows them to regain their strength.

Last but not least, and in my opinion the most critical, is having the proper time to feed them throughout the day for the first few weeks or even for the first month. Offering very small quantities of food ten or more times per day will provide them with the nutrition needed to get them through the critical first few weeks of their transition into their new environment.

These are the steps that have worked well for me over the years, and all of them are critical, playing an important role in determining how this species will fare long term in the home aquaria.
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Unread 08/10/2013, 10:36 PM   #2544
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i have tried them nearly twenty times and have had them come dead in the bag up to keeping them for 5 or 6 months only to find them laying on the bottom dead but looking fat and happy . one major observation of mine has been even the slightest of water parameter fluctuations in any way . i think the biggest is alk or ph changes as i have spoken with others on this subject and just the change in water chemistry from killing a few aptasia anemonies has been the observed cause . i have always used prazipro almost every time i introduced my choati's and have spoken with a few wholesalers that told me i was wasting my time and moneyas they fend most parasites off in the wild and will do so in my aquarium but i'm not 100% convinced of this .
they are just so delicate IMO that long term aquarium life is just a very ,very low percentage achievement . mine have usually eaten with in a few days and then always ate with such gusto that they always finished with their stomachs visually full for sure .
i tried variety of foods to the point where they are eating a more diverse meal than i am it seems .i have found that a QT tank was certain death within a week usually and then one time when i got home from far away late at night i just dumped three into my reef tank with absolutely no acclimation what so ever and they all survived for a pretty long time . if memory serves me correctly one died in the first couple of weeks and the other two made it for months but they did die within a day of each other which brings me bact to slight water parameter swings . i did a water change one day and the next one was dead then the other perished the next evening . they need to be stress free , well fed and stable IMO. i worked a few blocks from my house and was going home four times a day to feed along with being able to feed any time in the evening .maybe to much feedings ? i really dont think so but could be .
i have been able to keep all other leopards and tamarins which seem to be the more delicate wrasses that i have found . i currently have four leopards ,two different types and they are at least two years old but i know if i get a couple of choati's they will not make it till Christmas and i dont know exactly why. i have all but given up on this particular fish because of this .
i have spent a few thousand dollars on them and have none to show to this day .okay i am rambling and have no good info left except i have come to the conclusion that its alk,ph related but do admit that i may be missing something .
the collection process and shipping related issues just cant be the total problem as i have purchased them from at least fifteen different avenues .i have done this with super clean tanks right down to less than good times of my tank up keep .
i wish i could figure it out as they are my 100% favorite fish and i have all but thrown in the towel on them .if anyone can enlighten me i would do anything necessary and believe me i have tried almost everything imaginable and failed .
any way i wish you the best but i do believe they are one fish that should be left in the ocean ?
i have contacted Kevin on these fish a few years ago and have tried everything under the sun which i have redundantly stated but i have failed . there IS SOMETHING I AM MISSING HERE and with i could figure it all out some day.
best wishes to all that try


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Unread 08/11/2013, 01:19 AM   #2545
hanig
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I feel your pain IAmwrasseman.I lost my 3rd Choati today.I'm 0/3 now.It not only hurts the pocket book,I feel a real sense of loss because I love these fish so much and have tried so hard to keep them alive.I've read every post on the Internet regarding these fish.

You may have something with the ph theory.There was an unusually high ph spike due to my ATO releasing some kalkwasser that had settled at the bottom of the freshwater holding tank.I was monitoring it on my Ipad Neptune Apex app.My first thought was of the Choati.I rushed to the aquarium to see what was going on and there she was doing her death dance.The ph corrected within an hour but she died a couple hours later.(All other fish including an M. Bipartitus leopard were fine.)My first Choati lasted 2 days,never ate.Second was a male that lasted 3 weeks,died fat.The third ,a female,was my favorite and hurt the most to see die.She had so much personality and ate everything.

I really can't think of anything to do differently .I would estimate the percentage of Choatis that survive from the ocean to aquarium is very small.And of those,the ones that last more than a few days to months even less.Is it worth it to capture 100 Choatis so maybe 3 or 4 can live a year or more in captivity?

There are success stories out there,which give me hope .I may try again,but it is stressful having worry so much about a $250 fish becoming an open buffet for my clean up crew at any moment my water parameters fluctuate .


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Unread 08/13/2013, 02:55 AM   #2546
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Well I dunno how, but I caught her. I think she knew I was helping her. Lot her in the fuge for now and trying to get rid of the Sixline. Although she's doin a nice job of cleaning the fuge up haha






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Unread 08/13/2013, 09:12 AM   #2547
ca1ore
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If the Choati really is that sensitive to the things that will inevitably, though perhaps only occasionally, happen in our tanks, then perhaps they should not be attempted. A friend of mine, who has successfully kept both Meleagris and Bipartitus in his reef tank, won't even try Choati's anymore because he cannot keep them alive.

Saw an awesome trio of Choati (big ones, 2 1/2 to 3 inches) at my LFS this weekend, but at $125 per, and the lousy survival rate, I managed to resist.


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Unread 08/13/2013, 10:08 AM   #2548
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As much as I admire M. choati, it's one I won't even attempt.


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Unread 08/17/2013, 08:19 AM   #2549
gregrocks79
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Leopard Wrasse Primer

What a beast. Survived being attacked by the Sixline, getting put into the fuge and back into the display! And look, she's smiling!! Maybe she needs a bf! Haha

How hard would it be to add a male? Or do I have to get another female and let her morph?!








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Last edited by gregrocks79; 08/17/2013 at 08:33 AM.
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Unread 08/17/2013, 08:40 AM   #2550
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My 3 years old wrasse got eaten by my Red Haddoni carpet.


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