Cleaner wrasses

[mpoletti]

Who has them? What are your experiences? I was thinking of adding one to my reef. Will they bother fairy wrasses?

Thanks

 

[Lockhartia]

I managed a LFS and we always ordered cleaner wrasses. Through my experience, they are a very sweet fish. Within minutes of them going into holding tanks, they do this little dance, which I always assumed was the "please don't eat me" dance.

I never had one in my tank, but friends of mine do and they've carried that sweet personality with them.

That being said, just my observations, they don't tend to be long-lived in the home aquarium. I know some people have them for a few years, but eating always seems to be the problem. They either A) Won't accept food and slowly fade away, or B) Eat food like pigs but still lose weight and fade away.

Other than that I have nothing but good things to say about them. I had one that when I would put my hand in the tank, come up to me, do his little dance, then procede to try and "clean" my arm. It felt a little bizarre lol!

 

[cl2ysta1]

I have five of them. They all eat very well and are very fat, but they are hard to get eating, and acclimated. they do not seem to ship well. if you do however get a healthy specimen and it is eating you shouldnt have a problem...

here is a pic of two of mine in the middle of breeding

female full with eggs

 

[reef_doug]

I have a regular Indo-Pacific one for 2 months now. He eats anything, including algae strips. Still early to tell on the longevity issue.

I previously had a Hawaiian multi color and I didn't see him after the first 2 days.

 

[cl2ysta1]

mine also eat nori

 

[redhdmedic]

we've had our pal "Hoover" in our 215 for about 6 mos now...he feeds all day off our porc and cows on krill and spectrum flake...hopefully our good fortune will continue...he also does perfectly well with our leopard wrasse...