Labropsis Xanthonota Information Needed...

[ryangrieder]

i just picked up a Labropsis xanthonota. before buying i sat outside in my car for a half hour and looked up on my phone some information on it. first site i read says reef safe, hardy, picky eater, and can jump. next site said the same but not hard to feed. and next site said generally the same. so i got him. after i pushed my overflow pipe down to lower my water level because i saw him poking his head out of the tank ready to jump all night, i went to bed. woke up, missing wrasse. first place was look all over the floor. nothing. overflow box nothing but some fuge plants. so, i tried looking farther into information about him online and books and now im reading that every other site saying something different about this species. does anyone have this species and know about it, or know a trustworthy site with correct info on this fish, or if not just correct information about labropsis? i now just read something saying its picky eating because it prefers polyps or sps. then i ready a great reef safe fish. then i read it jumps, then i read its a deeper species and safe in any open top aquarium. then i read its very unhardy and hard to keep. then i read a nice fish easy to keep in most aquariums. im sick of it. so now i come to you guys...

im trying to find out...
its REAL natural diet. will it thrive on just pellets or do i have to suppliment feed it something else?
since its a wrasse could it be possible like others and hiding in my sand bed like my melanarus wrasse does every fricken night?
max size it gets? someone said 3", someone else 5" online 6"... what really is it?
reef safe? friggen better be....
and general information...

thanks

also, other names are comet wrasse or yellowback tubelip wrasse...

its this one...

 

[albano]

I don't know about THAT wrasse, but I can say that "lowering the water level", does NOT help with a 'jumper'. I have had wrasses jump out of a 5g bucket, that was less that 1/2 full.
If you're keeping him, you need to cover the tank.
He's probably sleeping under the sand...and IME many wrasses do not 'wake up' just because the lights are on...they come out, when you're ready!

 

[MatthewScars]

Since it's gone, i wouldnt worry about it - hah.

 

[Levito]

I'm also not sure about that specific wrasse, but +1 to albano. There's a good chance it's sleeping in your sand or possibly hiding in the rock. Depending on the setup and other fish in your tank, it could be several days before you see the fish again.

 

[ryangrieder]

when i put the fish in, it did not once even go behind the rock. it swam all throughout the front of the tank. seemed all happy, following other fish around. ate the first time i put food in. then later at night i noticed it was swimming with its fin out of the water like a shark. it was also sticking its head out of the water. then every now and then a little dart movement out of the water. then when lights went off and i woke up, still missing. im not scared, ill give it some time and see what happens. what i am concerned about in the facts on this fish...

 

[NYreefNoob]

http://www.reeflex.net/tiere/2222_Labropsis_xanthonota.htm

 

[KathyC]

Did you find out what it was eating from the store where you purchased it? Did you ask them to feed it prior to buying it?

All wrasses are jumpers - end of discussion - you need a cover on the tank.

As mentioned, the fish is on it's own timetable from wherever it originated (usually opposite ours!) and may stay in the sand bed until IT decides it is time to wake up and feed.

I'd tempt it with live foods to start. I have never had a wrasse that didn't like mysis.

Best of luck with it