New Cleaner Wrasse

[Johnny Reefer]

Originally Posted by spoot

What is considered long term?

Originally Posted by naesco

A week or two to a couple of months. ....There are rare exceptions....

I've had three Cleaner Wrasses in 4 years. Been in the SW hobby only 4 years, so not all that experienced. First Cleaner was bought Dec 9/05 (I keep a log) and died Dec/06. Why? I moved. Cleaner didn't survive the bucket trip. But one year ain't bad. Second Cleaner was bought May/07 and died the same day. Why? I neglected to feed the resident fish first. My Bursa Trigger (RIP) ate the Cleaner for dinner when the lights came on. Third Cleaner was bought Aug 2/08 and still going strong. Six months. Rare? If I can do it twice beyond a week or two, or a couple of months, I should start buying lottery tickets again for that rare winfall. Not saying everyone should now go out and buy a Cleaner Wrasse, but I wouldn't say it's rare, under that definition of long term.

Cheers,

[naesco]

Like I said, several posters who have been successful will post.

Here is what a couple of expert fish authors have written.
Robert Fenner
This is the genus of obligate Cleaner Wrasses most celebrated for establishing stations in the wild that are frequented by "local" reef fishes and pelagics for removing parasites and necrotic tissue. Perhaps shocking to most aquarists, all the Labroides rate a dismal (3) in survivability, even the ubiquitously offered common or Blue Cleaner Wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus. None of the Labroides should be removed, not only for the fact that almost all perish within a few weeks of wild capture, but for the valuable role they play as cleaners.

Scott Michael
These wrasses are engaging fishes, but conscientious reef aquarists should refuse to purchase them.

I agree 100% with Osprey.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I have had three different ones now. First one lived in my tanks for three years before jumping Second one lived with the first one for about 8 months before being eaten by a Lion fish (in front of me) and the current one is...I think 8 months too now and fine.

I do hear they can be hard to keep but I have found them to be easier than many other species of wrasse.

[Johnny Reefer]

Originally Posted by naesco

Like I said, several posters who have been successful will post. .....

You missed the point. Redefine the definition of "long term". A week or two to a couple of months is not long term, IMO. If I have my current Cleaner for 3+ years, then I will consider it a success. Until then, the jury is still deliberating.

You also missed the part where I admitted to failing on the second wrasse, due to my own neglect of not feeding the resident fish first before the wrasse went in the tank.

Cheers,

[lammarkk]

I guess they just need time to get along...
My fishes didnt like my cleaner wrasse when I first introduced her to my tank...

[BlueAbyss]

Cleaners Wrasses aren't the only cleaners out there guys and gals... if you want a cleaner that has a good chance of survival, that is...

There's the Sharknose Goby, Elacatinus evelynae (syn. Gobiosoma evelynae, Gobiosoma genie). He gets to about 2" max, tiny by any standards, but there are good accounts of them cleaning much larger predators... one cleaning a trumpetfish http://www.reefnews.com/reefnews/new.../trptgby2.html and a moray eel http://www.reefnews.com/reefnews/new...03/gmoray.html, though these accounts are probably (circumstantial) at best. I did read somewhere that they are known to clean fishes from 1.5 to 15 times their size.

Might be worth a try for some people, if you really wanted a cleaner type fish. I'm pretty sure I came across another also, if I can find the page I'll edit this post.

[untamed]

My experience with a cleaner wrasse was that it pestered my existing fish to distraction. It caused an immediate change in general stress level of the tank. It seemed that every fish was darting around trying to escape the cleaner's attention. It was the only fish I've lost that didn't bother me when it disappeared about two weeks later.

Mine never appeared to eat anything I fed.

I'm not aware of the experience that they are capable of removing ich from a fish. That just sounds a bit too good to be true to me. Cleaner shrimp are also sometimes said to remove crypto parasites, but I don't think that is the case either.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by naesco

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.

Originally Posted by JDigital

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.

[phillybean]

Just wanted to update everyone on this fish, still very happy and fat. From looking at the pictures from the 1st page of this thread to now, it is noticeable how much fuller her belly is. She is still eating Mysis and Nori. It's been about 7 months since I've had her now.

I had one scare when I checked on my tank one night, she was laying, motionless on the sand. I thought she died and I went to scoop her out, turned out she was sleeping. I'm not sure who was more scared, the fish or a half sleep reefer realizing he has a zombie fish...

[bowkry]

i have had the same cleaner wrasse for over a year now and he is healthy and great