Cleaner Wrasses

CynicalCnidaria

CynicalCnidaria

New member
Hello,
As an aquarist I have seen many people buy and sell cleaner wrasses. From the Hawaiian ones to the blue stripe ones. I have even bought one once.

To my understanding, cleaner wrasses are either hard to feed, or they simply have such a high speed metabolism that they cannot be sustained in an aquarium... because the parasites they eat are literally supercharged with fatty tissue that cannot be imitated by the food we use.

So my consensus in cleaner wrasses: Boycot them... they are an almost guaranteed death (not to be confused with a false cleaner wrasse) and they are also a part of a delicate ecosystem. I know Bob Fenner agrees.

What do you guys think?

Should we Boycot them? or are they a great fish that thrives?

I hope for a good discussion so we can get some awareness out there, and educate people... not that I am trying to steer this one way or the other.
 
Not an expert on the fish by any means. I did try one, it perished and crossed it off my list. There have been lots of reports of people keeping these fish long term (a year +). You may even try the search function to find the threads.
 
I have had a cleaner wrasse in each build I have had over the years and never killed one. My current cleaner eats everything I put in the tank including mysis, rods, nori and pellets. Lucky? I suppose so but I have never had a issue with them for as long as I have kept them.

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djkms said:
I have had a cleaner wrasse in each build I have had over the years and never killed one. My current cleaner eats everything I put in the tank including mysis, rods, nori and pellets. Lucky? I suppose so but I have never had a issue with them for as long as I have kept them.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC
Click to expand...

That is interesting. I have definitely heard success stories before, but I have never truly had the experience (or wanted to risk it). It would be interesting to add a poll to see % success or death. I also have no doubt that someone who is experienced and skilled enough to keep a Moorish Idol would be a good candidate to keep a cleaner wrasse alive:)
 
1.5 years and counting. i think its a great fish but should fall into "mature tank only" catagory. they are labled as "expert only"
 
I have had great success (years not months) with African Cleaner wrasses. However, I would not choose to repeat the experience as it drives some of my fish nuts. One point for consideration is that they do not clean parasites such as ich.
 
snorvich said:
I have had great success (years not months) with African Cleaner wrasses. However, I would not choose to repeat the experience as it drives some of my fish nuts. One point for consideration is that they do not clean parasites such as ich.
Click to expand...

Perhaps it isn't the fish itself that is hard to keep, but rather the misinformation surrounding when to be added to a tank. I think that they can absolutely do well with many other fishes (they just need enough to clean off). I have seen them pushed as a solution to ich- meaning that if they do not get good nutrition out of ich, and somebody buys them with the logic that ich is their food, they die.

These are all good thoughts here. I like the discussion so far- definitely changing the way I have thought about them even since yesterday
 
I've had a pair from Africa for almost 2 years, aggressively eat anything. I agree with snorvich, they drive some of my fish nuts. I think they need to be in a very large tank (bigger than my 160) with lots of fish.
 
Boycott? No. Restrict/Expert only? Yes.

I think it depends a lot on how the fish are caugth and handled. I've seen many, like snorvich, have success with African. Myself I have great luck with some that are Phillipine. I've seen my LFS bring in a few from his Phillipine supplier and they all seem to do well. A big key to my sucess is that they don't bother the other fish much. They clean when asked, for the most part, so they are very well accepted. They also eat really really well. I'm sure they are spawing as the females belly gets really big, they seem to be doing the mating dance and the next day its back to normal.
 
I have had mine for 2+ years. He eats pellets, mysis, and even nori. He is actually one of my favorite fish in the tank. He even cleans my hands when I work on the tank. Yes, he annoys new fish, and snails, but it is totally worth it.
 
I've had success with the Blue Streak for 4+ years. It ate everything I fed the other fish, however it just disappeared one day. I never bothered to acquire another; as mentioned earlier, it would drive the other fish nuts.
I've known other hobbyists who have tried the Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse but could never get those to accept prepared foods.

I don't think boycotting is the answer, more education and research on part of the LFS and the aquarists would go a long way.
JM2C
 
FWIW, my red sea four line wrasse that I picked up from DD a couple weeks ago doesn't bother my fish at all and eat both what I feed the tank and pick at rocks and corals.
 
I just bought one about a week ago and the first few days was very active and swimming. Even ate mysis when I fed the tank but out of no where it died about 2 days ago. My tank has been up for 3 years with a good amount of fish. I probably won't be trying to keep this fish again. He was my 3rd tried.
 
I've had one for about two years before he died, he was one of the first fish I ever purchased. He did great, ate great and helped keep things clean! I'll be getting another soon!!

staceyd72 said:
I don't think boycotting is the answer, more education and research on part of the LFS and the aquarists would go a long way.
JM2C
Click to expand...

^^
Agree
 
2 1/2 years and counting! My LFS told me about the differnce with the African cleaners. My eats pellets, flake, and any frozen I throw in. He eats mysis the way Fred Flintstone eats spagghetti! I certainly have heard the Hawaiian ones are near impossible to keep, but maybe it depends on the species or variety?
 
In this day and age, they can be successfully kept in an aquarium with the proper care and settings. I do, however do not think they should really be kept in a fish tank. The reason being is that they are extremely vital to coral reefs in nature. I think they are too important to be taken as aquarium species. One might argue though that all fish are important and what makes cleaners that much more. Its all opinion i guess
 
I've had a cleaner wrasse for over 2 years now. 120g mixed reef. I feed a large variety of foods and it eats everything, even picks at the romaine lettuse I occasionally give the tangs! I should have researched much more prior to buying the cleaner wrasse. Even though I've had great luck, I regret that I bought it. I do believe they are vitally important to the reefs. I also think I am very lucky, I know many people that have tried multiple times to keep them without success. It searchs the fish to find parasites, but I never see it actually finding anything on them. He keeps trying though! I will say he has a great personality and is fun to watch.
 
NEVER mix a cleaner wrasse with scaleless fish. It drove my puffer crazy. He would shoot to the other side of the tank, splash water onto the floor, and then the wrasse would get him again. I was finally able to use a bottle trap to catch him.
 
I too had a clearner wrasse loved him very much. He ate anything I put in the tank had him in there for almost 2 years and one evening do not know what happened found him on the floor. Do not know what spooked him for him to jump out of the tank like that. But I called him Mr. Jitters because he was always speeding back and forth across the tank. He couldn't stay still for one second. I will get another one but only once I can get a screen top for the tank built.
 
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