cleaner wrasse

[johnfallon135]

they beneficial or more trouble makers in less than a hundred gallons?

 

[Dmorty217]

If you get one from Africa is the only way they will live. All of the others won't accept prepared foods and need a very large fish population to "pick" at and annoy... Also your tank should be parasite and disease free, so there for no food source even in large well stocked tanks

 

[eatbreakfast]

Many cleaners wl not take prepared foods, but many do. African cleaners have a reputation for being hardier, but I have been just as successful with cleaners from other regions as well.

I would recommend against one in a tank less than 150g, due to not enough potential 'clients', otherwise they may become a bother.

 

[evolved]

I would recommend against one in a tank less than 150g, due to not enough potential 'clients', otherwise they may become a bother.

Agree!
And even then, the odds are better if you have several large-ish fish which will tolerate the cleaner.

 

[Dmorty217]

they beneficial or more trouble makers in less than a hundred gallons?

Tj and Hunter are the wrasse experts here on RC

 

[ThRoewer]

If you get one from Africa is the only way they will live. All of the others won't accept prepared foods and need a very large fish population to "pick" at and annoy... Also your tank should be parasite and disease free, so there for no food source even in large well stocked tanks

I don't think the survivability depends actually from where the fish comes but rather how they were caught.
African fish are all hand caught (as are those from Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Mauritius, Australia, Fiji, Solomons,...) while fish from Indonesia and the Philippines are way too often caught with cyanides. Especially Indonesia has gotten bad.
That's why I'm always very careful with fish from those locations.

The symptoms described for cleaner wrasses wasting away even when eating is a clear indicator of cyanide damage.

 

[nuxx]

Big fish and a big tank they are great.

Our Common (African) Cleaner is a great addition.

Seeing if I really want to try adding a Hawaiian as well. Basically they are not collected, but will from time to time end up in a collectors haul for the day by mistake. Waiting for one to show up that way, wouldn't ask for one deliberately.

Thinking would have a better chance with me anyway...

 

[eatbreakfast]

I don't think the survivability depends actually from where the fish comes but rather how they were caught.
African fish are all hand caught (as are those from Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Mauritius, Australia, Fiji, Solomons,...) while fish from Indonesia and the Philippines are way too often caught with cyanides. Especially Indonesia has gotten bad.
That's why I'm always very careful with fish from those locations.

The symptoms described for cleaner wrasses wasting away even when eating is a clear indicator of cyanide damage.

I've seen just as much success with Indonesian and Filipino cleaners as those from any other region. They are easily collected without cyanide, even in regions where this is a common practice.

Big fish and a big tank they are great.

Our Common (African) Cleaner is a great addition.

Seeing if I really want to try adding a Hawaiian as well. Basically they are not collected, but will from time to time end up in a collectors haul for the day by mistake. Waiting for one to show up that way, wouldn't ask for one deliberately.

Thinking would have a better chance with me anyway...

Be sure to remove your common cleaner before adding the Hawaiian. Cleaners are quite intolerant of one another.

 

[nuxx]

Be sure to remove your common cleaner before adding the Hawaiian. Cleaners are quite intolerant of one another.

Little worried about that...

Hoping in our size tank they'd be OK.

That is if the Hawaiian gets through QT. Kind of a mission of mine, but only if one comes in by mistake.

 

[Dmorty217]

I don't think the survivability depends actually from where the fish comes but rather how they were caught.
African fish are all hand caught (as are those from Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Mauritius, Australia, Fiji, Solomons,...) while fish from Indonesia and the Philippines are way too often caught with cyanides. Especially Indonesia has gotten bad.
That's why I'm always very careful with fish from those locations.

The symptoms described for cleaner wrasses wasting away even when eating is a clear indicator of cyanide damage.

I specifically meant the ones from the Red Sea and Hawaiian don't fair well in captivity for the most part

 

[jraker]

if you wanted a fish that cleans other fish, get a group of neon gobies

 

[ThRoewer]

I've seen just as much success with Indonesian and Filipino cleaners as those from any other region. They are easily collected without cyanide, even in regions where this is a common practice.

I also had success with fish from Indonesia and the Philippines, but also a fair share of failures that may related to cyanide.
Also, just because a fish is easy to catch without cyanide doesn't mean it was collected without. Whatever gets stunned by the cyanide cloud gets picked up, regardless if it was actually targeted or not.

I specifically meant the ones from the Red Sea and Hawaiian don't fair well in captivity for the most part

Then I assume you didn't mean the regular cleaner wrasse species but rather the endemic species found in the Red Sea and around Hawaii.

 

[Dmorty217]

I also had success with fish from Indonesia and the Philippines, but also a fair share of failures that may related to cyanide.
Also, just because a fish is easy to catch without cyanide doesn't mean it was collected without. Whatever gets stunned by the cyanide cloud gets picked up, regardless if it was actually targeted or not.



Then I assume you didn't mean the regular cleaner wrasse species but rather the endemic species found in the Red Sea and around Hawaii.

Yes or the "more colorful" ones

 

[Dmorty217]

if you wanted a fish that cleans other fish, get a group of neon gobies

Since their life expectancy is only around 2 years this drives a lot of people away from them

 

[SDguy]

Be sure to remove your common cleaner before adding the Hawaiian. Cleaners are quite intolerant of one another.

Cleaner wrasses can be REALLY aggressive... I tried pairing mine... total disaster. I tried adding a sankeyi pseudochromis and to this day it can't leave the rock structure without getting attacked by the cleaner. It's a 240g 8' long tank And it's been 3 years... :-/

 

[LargeAngels]

I had a pair of Phillipine cleaner wrasses for many years. Ate just about anything.

 

[nuxx]

I had a pair of Phillipine cleaner wrasses for many years. Ate just about anything.

What size tank?

 

[LargeAngels]

First a 180 then moved to 300.

 

[nuxx]

Thanks!

Were they added at the same time?

 

[LargeAngels]

No. But close. Small one first and then the larger one. Yes, I kept a very close eye on them and first and added the big one in a separate container to see how they behaved. Both went through QT first.