Reefs.org Forums

[houseofha]

fell free to ask me questions about my system, inhabitants and husbandry practices.

Jim Curry

[Laura D]

Very, very nice.

How do the Halichoeres melanurus and the Macropharyngodon meleagris get along? I assume the leopard was in first?

[houseofha]

Believe it or not, the melanarus was first and the leapord was almost dead when i got it in. I revived it and it lived - they don't even bother each other. I recently helped out a reefer buddy by taking his fish included a 6 line wrasse) and THAT is now showing signs of aggression towards the leopard -

The leopard is the least territorial of them all.

House

[Laura D]

Six lines can be rather aggressive!

The leopard that you revived, did you put him in a quarantine tank and get him eating? Or did you put him right in the main tank and he did well from there?

The leopard I had took a while to eat prepared foods. I would imagine that the melanarus in there first would have kept the levels of natural foods rather low right? So how did you beef up the half dead leopard?

Just curious, because I really love the leopard wrasses (lost mine to jumping, sigh) and in the slim chance I see one for sale around here I would love to have another, but I have an established Halichoeres chrysus and I feel he has already made the pod population so low I don't know if I could support a delicate eater like a leopard.

[houseofha]

Laura,

I am ashamed to say that when I got home from picking up the leopard wrasse it was almost 2 am and all I did was revive him by pouring water in and out of 2 ziplock containers. Once I did that I put him directly into my display and he swam/sunk straight to the bottom. Next morning, he was nowhere to be found and I thought for sure it was a goner.

4 days later, it was swimming about in the display - I was so freaked and excited at the same time, I actually called a bunch of freinds (corny I know).

The pod population in my tank has gone down quite significantly but I am proud to say that both the Hoevens and the Melegaris ate prepared from day 1 - both fish are wild caught too, so that is surprising. It has kept me from buying yet another nice one because I don't want any carpet surfers and really enjoy the personality of them both. The six line is a gonner as soon as I get my trap in - can't wait.

Jim