Canreef Aquatics Bulletin Board - New Cleaner Wrasse

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- Marine Fish (http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=122)

- - New Cleaner Wrasse (http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=48897)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Reefer (Post 384339)

I added some corals to my FOWLR recently (wait a minute....FOWLR?....Corals?....I guess I might have to start calling that tank Reef #2)...anyway....added corals and while doing so, my Cleaner Wrasse was pecking at my arm (kinda cool, actually). Anyway, they bite hard sometimes. Feels like a needle prick. So I can see why some fish might get PO'ed on occasion. Mine do,...sometimes.

Yes mine does this too and it can be quite hard. Not quite as bad as my yellow tang though...he bites the hairs on my arms and actually pulls on them :rolleyes: He also taught my rabbitfish to do it too.

Mine did that the other day. Freaked me out!

He is still doing great, the Six Line is living in my fuge so the tank is his. One of the more active fish, the CBB and Naso have no problem with him. Hasn't swam in any gills yet.

Still eating Mysis like a pig, twice a day. I'm hoping to get him to switch over to Catherines homemade food when I get it in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by phillybean (Post 384471)

I'm hoping to get him to switch over to Catherines homemade food when I get it in.

Shouldn't be a problem... the first time I put michikas food in my tank, EVERYTHING came out of the woodwork to have a taste.. haha..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Reefer (Post 384339)

Heheh... my cleaner shrimp do that all the time. They climb on my hands and clean out all the dead skin... and then start working their way up my arms. Annoying when I have a lot to do in the tank- they pinch on the inside of your arms!

Figured I've give a quick update.

Still doing great, eating Mysis like a pig when I feed it. I also picked up a CBB that won't touch Mysis or Brine, so I started feeding live clams on the half shell. The cleaner wrasse went nuts over it and still does.

Infact, oddly enough now my Naso and both clown fish go after the clam when I feed it. Anything left overnight the bristle worms take care of in the morning. No matter what size clam I feed my tank, in the morning it is a shell with no meat on it at all!

Quote:

Originally Posted by phillybean (Post 382457)

It's no problem. I have 6 tangs full of ich in a 75 gallon and I am adding a few more next week. He will have lots to clean/eat :)

Your problem is not having a cleaner in your tank... or ich in your tank

Your problem is having too many tangs in one tank... just having 1-2 is already too many ... tangs should be in tanks over 4 ft long... and in 100+ gallon tanks...

Quote:

Originally Posted by MCC (Post 402008)

LOL..he was just kidding ;)

Heh, good reminder for me actually.

Cleaner Wrasse still doing well. Loves Brine, Mysis, Nori of all colors and clams.

Quote:

Originally Posted by naesco (Post 382466)

A week or two to a couple of months.
The cleaner wrasse will be out and about as normal and the next day its gone. There are rare exceptions and unfortunately most reefers are reluctant to post their failures (often multiple attempts to keep them). Some reefers don't post because they cant take posts like JGs. The very rare successful keeper of cleaner wrasse are very happy to post their success. Human nature, eh.

Every author of books in the marine hobby will confirm the same and will tell you they are best left in the ocean to do their cleaning duties.
Most LFS staff will tell you the same as well. No one will tell you they are easy to keep.

Ya, Cleaner Wrasse are on the list of "creatures that should be left in the ocean" imo. Although I would define "long term" as over a year.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JDigital (Post 382747)

Wouldn't you rather see a CW taken home and given much better conditions/chances of survival than those at a LFS. It's already out of the ocean, and no chance of going back,

Absolutely not. The more people buy a certain fish, the more that store will continue to stock them. If a store keeps losing difficult to care for fish because they aren't selling and the stores can't keep them alive they will quit bringing those fish in.

I have had my cleaner wrasse for almost 5 and a half years now.Never had a problem