Sick Leopard Wrasse?

[PotomacBoater]

I got an African Leopard Wrasse from another member last week.

(I did not QT it)

he immediately buried himself in my DT sand (as expected)

 

After a few days he started coming out a little bit at a time (as expected)

 

but what I didn't expect is ...

he swims along the bottom for a few seconds, and then stops and "falls over"

he is acting like he has Narcolepsy - he slowly rolls onto his side for a few seconds, and then gets up and repeats.

Every time he does it, I look to see if he is dead (he looks like he is just lying on the sand)

but he is breathing, and his eyes are moving

This has been going on for days.

I've read a few articles about leopards acting "drunk"

 

I haven't seen him eat anything other then what he is nipping off the rocks

But I don't want to scare him with a syringe full of brine for fear of scaring him into the sand

 

I also didn't want to put him in a bare bottom hospital tank, since I'm worried it would stress him out to not have sand.

 

Any thoughts on what he has

and how to treat it?

 

Every other fish in the tank is active,

no one seems to be messing with him

(none of them are aggressive)

I just don't want them to get sick too

[RJT]

How long did the prior owner have him?

[Coral Hind]

This sounds still kind of nomal for some wrasses when new and they are taking baby steps in the new tank. Lying on the side is kind of a defense thing. I'm sure as it settles in and understands that nothing is going to cause harm it will start to swim more. Is it eating at all?

[PotomacBoater]

The old owner said he was in his tank for a year+

 

He isn't eating any prepared food,

but I've got a good pod population

and he is "nipping" at the rocks

just not sure what he's eating.

 

I'll keep watching him

hopefully he will get more Outgoing.

[Jim]

I have a few leopards, this seems like it is in the realm of normal behavior. I would not put the fish in QT. I've had the best luck getting them to eat dead foods starting with Reef Nutrition Arcti-pods.