black leopard wrasse

Macropharyngon negrosensis

any on this site have one, or ever had one?
Ive been looking for reef safe wrasse and saw one advertised by a local vendor - but having researched , I find many sites describing them as difficult due to dietary requirements

has anyone had one and what have you suceeded in feeding it with?

Steve

 

I've had one for a little over two weeks now... I havnt been successful with getting him to eat prepared foods yet. He runs around the tank eating pods and whatever else he can find, I just happen to be lucky enough so far for my pod supply to be able to support a red scooter, mandarin and now this little guy. In the event u can't get him to eat after he takes down your pod population, it may be a good idea to be prepared to build a pod farm if you are serious about adding home to your system

 

thanks Daniel
depending on others responces I may leave it to be honest
Its not on my wanted list, Its just I have never seen one in the flesh before and it got me interested

Steve

 

I saw a leopard wrasse at the fish store last week, They are so cool looking. But I have heard the same. Very picky and temperamental. You thinking of getting one steve??

 

I tried once and it was the same story couldn't get him to eat anything but pods. Had better luck with the second one. I kept him in a small tank for two weeks and fed him live brine. After he started eating them I switched to frozen misis. I had him for a couple years and then he dissapeared. This is a good method for Mandarins as well.;D

 

I was crazy reef love prior to the googling I did, not so much now though

Thanks Vinny - might be a fish I can try a year or so down the line, once pods population has established

Steve

 

Yeah Vinny what else did you have in the tank. They are very peaceful fish. I was thinking about putting one in my 55 but after looking at everything else in my tank. The leopard wrasse would be dead over night. My two dottybacks would destroy him probably. I suppose the leopard wrasse does better in a peaceful reef community...... Unlike mine ha ha

 

With any Leopard Wrasse, it's most important that it's eating, active and in good health before you purchase it. A local guy has a negrosensis and it does very well for him. I found a small meleagris, at about 1 1/4", that was very healthy looking and actively hunting and eating at the lfs. She ate frozen food from day one. I thought about getting a negrosensis after I saw the local one, but i really like the colors of the "common" meleagris.

 

I don't put anything else that eats pods in the tank when I am keeping either a Mandarin or Leopard Wrasse. I have a large refugium on my tank but rarely do I see any bugs in there.Im assuming its from lack of food because I don't believe in feeding anything but my fish and that food gets trapped by my filter sock. I just use piles of small to medium rocks in the back of my tank to keep the populations up. This more then anything I think has really helped me keep Mandarins and leopard Wrasse even if they won't take prepared foods. Good Luck!!! Also beware Leopards are jumpers!!!!!
P.S. My current Mandarin has been in my 90 for a year.
My niece named him Prince Diamond.

 

we had a mated pair in the PSU tank. One jumped and dried up after 2 months but the other still lives nicely in the tank to this day.

They both ate anything put in the tank- cyclopeeze, mysis, nori, sinking pellets, flake, etc...

IME all wild wrasses placed in my tank usually take very easily to prepared food and almost immediately to cyclopeeze and frozen shrimp.

I believe that Eric currently has a few different types of leopard wrasses