blue streak cleaner wrasse

The first one I had was 7 months in my tank until it jumped out and attempted to clean my floor. I got 2 more as a replacement, one large about 3 inches and one medium at about 2. They've been thriving ever since, going on 3 months now.

The original one ate and the new ones do eat everything that goes in the tank. They pick at nori sheets, shrimp, pellets, flakes, and my hands/arm when it goes in which is kind of cool. I now have egg crate on my tank too. All three I had purchased from local stores and while I'm sure there's truth too it out there regarding their difficulty, I've always been amazed how easy they were for me. It could be that I feed so heavily that they have food all the time. Your mileage may vary of course.
 
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I'd love to change to something else because I feel the egg crate reflects too much light away from the tank personally. I'll look into that. Thanks!
 
i was just so curious as to why they are listed as difficult when researching them,

i have one, hes about 3 inches long, and hes one of my favorite fish , he dosent stop swimming all day,and eat anything in the tank , flakes pellets nori , etc..

i purposely keep the thew water line 3 inhes down and my tank has a two inch lip all around, should i get a mesh cover?
 
I bought one last night and it lasted about 3 hours. I spent a half hour looking for him on the floor but no sign of him.
 
11+ years and 5 years. Neither are still alive. Current cleaner is a little over 1 year.
Myles
 
So they get a bad wrap because they say it's hard to get them to eat ??

So is the hawian cleaner wrasse pretty much the same ? Or are they actually very hard to keep ?
 
I have to confess that I don't really understand why these fish are considered hard to keep. Perhaps it's a function of where they come from. I have kept the African cleaner without any issues. My current charge ate everything from day one. I believe the Hawaiian version is very tricky.
 
that's always such a great feeling. did you do a HaPpY DaNcE? i've had that happen with fish, found them swimming happily after a couple of days, did a HaPpY DaNcE. good thing i don't have neighbors. ;)
 
So they get a bad wrap because they say it's hard to get them to eat ??

So is the hawian cleaner wrasse pretty much the same ? Or are they actually very hard to keep ?

The trouble is they aren't great shippers so true casualty or longevity numbers aren't easy to find. You also have to consider that those able to keep them for several years are happy to talk about it but lose who lose them aren't so keen to share. More importantly though they do a much better job in the wild where research has shown that removing them can also lead to a large loss of their clients in the area.
 
Yup and also they since their job is to eat parasites off fish and also part of their nutrition . They say that even if they are eating they will eventually die from malnutrition.

Which is total BS ! The one I have now which has snarfed from my buddy is doing great and eats everything. And my buddy has him for two years before I got him.

I really wish I could get a Hawaiian clear wrasse also they would be really something in my tank !
 
Hawaiian cleaners are generally considered a lot harder to care for. There are much fewer success stories than the common cleaner, I believe they are harder to feed and their lifespan is not great in captivity from what I've heard. It's not impossible as there are a few who keep them, and I too would like to try one some day. I have also had no problems keeping a common cleaner but as I've never kept a Hawaiian I can't offer much advice except from be prepared with many types of food to get them feeding.
 
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