How to get a leopard wrasse to come out of the sand?!

[SharkBait48]

Does anyone know how to get a leopard wrasse to come out of the sand after you bring it home from the LFS?!

[windcoast reefs]

Leave it alone until it decides to come out itself. If you rush it, you will stress it out which cause it to bury itself in the sand again, and run the risk of it never coming out again.

[Madreefer]

Last week there was a big problem of some sort and you were selling everything off. All good now?

[Rice Reef]

Leave it alone until it decides to come out itself. If you rush it, you will stress it out which cause it to bury itself in the sand again, and run the risk of it never coming out again.


+1. Usually a couple days...also Leopards tend to have an internal clock within them. Are you home thru out the day? If so you'll have a chance to see it when it is comfortable of its new surroundings... If you work from 9 to 5 then you may have a slimmer chance to get a glimps of it. Mine is up at 8 and in the sand to sleep around 5ish...

[SharkBait48]

I've heard they have a circadian inner clock like you said, I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
Is there a time frame I should be worries about? Like if he dosent come out after "x" amount of time?

This will be his 4th day under the sand come out yet, I can barely wait to catch a glimpse of him if I ever do since they're pretty fragile fish.

And yes everything is resolved thank the maker, everybody gave great ideas of how to fix it.

[Rice Reef]

I've heard they have a circadian inner clock like you said, I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
Is there a time frame I should be worries about? Like if he dosent come out after "x" amount of time?

This will be his 4th day under the sand come out yet, I can barely wait to catch a glimpse of him if I ever do since they're pretty fragile fish.

And yes everything is resolved thank the maker, everybody gave great ideas of how to fix it.

Tough to say... When I got my first leopard I went home for lunch everyday... It took almost a week and when he came out it took another few days to get it eating... I soaked everything in garlic for a good week to get it eating. Now he eats everything I put into the tank. Also want to share that I had a ornate missing for mth... Thought it was a goner but it then came out of the sand.... Very weak and thin. I think it was dying as it could not swim anymore... Tried saving it but it was just too late. Good luck with your leopard... They are a great fish to have and they have lots of personality!

[SharkBait48]

Okay excellent to know!
Man they can stay under the sand for a long time... I hope I don't have to wait a month just to see him perish.
The garlic sounds like a good plan too.

Thanks!

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

With Leopard wrasses, really just need patience. I love them. Got 4 in 3 diff. tanks. An Ornate, a Reg. and 2 Black Leopards.

[SharkBait48]

Great collection, I'm really wanting to get into this species like you

They're some of my fav too, its just worrying.
But if there's one thing I've learned about reef it's to be paitent.

[Aquattro]

Just be aware it may not come out. Very fragile, I've found out. This year, I got in 5 small blacks, and they all died. Some within a couple days, one took a month. I found that strange as my first one, an Ornate, was bought in the bag from a new shipment and was out swimming the next day. My current black was a resident at the LFS for several years when I got him, so well proven.

[hfp75]

During the day watch for him/her. You need to feed during their day cycle. Don't get a leopard and come home late for a long time or you'll miss your chance to feed it. Seeing it is nice but feeding it during the day is more important IMO.