Cleaner Wrasse Primer

["Umm fish?"]

I have a pair of cleaners in a large tank for the last year or so. I made sure that they were eating frozen in the LFS and they have continued to eat everything since. These two were in separate partitions in the dealer's tank. They kept coming back to be near each other without any "fighting" posturing at each other, so I took them both. They do well together and spawn nightly. Problems: They do pester my big tang (but not horribly), they do pick at the foot of large snails when they are on the glass, and they love to steal and eat the eggs of other fish.

 

[JHemdal]

As far as I'm concerned, buying cleaner wrasse that were collected in East Africa makes all the difference in the world. Every cleaner I've worked with that I knew came from there did well. Every cleaner that I've worked with that came from Jakarta or Manila died in a few days to months.

Is it difference in collection / handling practices, or is it a regional dietary difference? I can't say, but my own observations have been repeated by enough other people that there is definately a trend there.

Jay Hemdal

 

[Mr.leee]

2 cleaner wrasse in a 120, doing great and eats frozen the first day. add both at the same time, one is 2times bigger then the smaller one. had them for about 6months, mines are from Eastern Asia.

 

["Umm fish?"]

Jay-- Have you noticed differences between wholesalers as well? I've had a lot of luck with lots of Quality Marine's fish. My experience with other wholesalers has been rather mixed.

 

[iamwrasseman]

i special ordered a few and they all died within a few weeks so i think i got some that were poorly collected but dont really know .

 

[michealprater]

Mine is still doing well. He is interested in all food, but so far only eats frozen. A tiny bit of ich flares up on my tangs from time to time, I believe he enjoys that also.

 

[Western_reefer]

Blue Streak Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus)

• Source: LFS, got it when they JUST brought it in from the wholesalers, it was still in the bag.
• Method of introduction: Drip, float, and straight to tank.
• Tank set up: SPS/LPS Dominated reef, 28 gallon Nano DT, 30 gallon Sump/fuge, tank has been set up for a year +, I also have a thick sandbed, several inches.
• Other attempts: This is my third one, all 3 were Labroides dimidiatus, I had 2 in my 180 gallon before it cracked and now I have one in my 28 gallon nano, I had one live for 3 weeks then disappeared in the 180 gallon, then I got another one several weeks later, it lived for 6+ months in my 180 gallon then the tank cracked and I sold it to a local who still has it a year later, so, its been in captivity for 1.7+ or so years and is still doing well, and now I got my third Labroides dimidiatus yesterday for my 28 gallon nano.
• Tank mates: Other friendly wrasses.

Its about 2" or so in length. Its already eating frozen foods on the second day! WOOT! I'll post pictures soon.



Also, Mods, if you can, put this Cleaner Wrasse Primer in the Fish Primer Series please.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1851232

 

[Western_reefer]

Here are a few videos of the tank. I fed the Cleaner Wrasse small caviar last night and it was going nuts on it!

View My Video
View My Video

 

[iamwrasseman]

nice and thanks for sharing !

 

[michealprater]

My cleaner did eventually perish after 6 months. He would eat anything in the tank, but I have to believe all his dietary needs from nature were not being met.

 

[SaraB]

Mine is still going strong after 1 year ... knock on wood!

 

[joeteng]

My cleaner wrasse always. The first copies lived for 8-10 years in the aquarium.
My present copy was over 5 year ones.
At me in the aquarium ikráztak too. 2-3 were the roe daily in the evenings.
A video was made of him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyoB0sAGSWY

 

[nickbuol]

Wow. Old thread. I had a cleaner wrasse for about 6 years before a tragedy killed everything in our tank (home furnace kicked in non-stop over a 3 day weekend when we were out of town and literally cooked everything).

Like others say, he was a swimmer, He was in a 75 gallon FOWLR and ate everything and the other fish got along with him just fine.

One note, I had my tank up and running with other fish for about a year before I added him. I wanted to make sure that there was plenty of stuff in the tank and enough fish to clean before I got him.

After 8 years away from the hobby since that horrible loss, I am a couple of weeks away from my first livestock purchase for my new 120 gallon FOWLR. A cleaner wrasse is already on my stock list, but again, I will wait at least a year before I get one.