New Cleaner Wrasse

untamed · #1 02-03-2009, 10:08 PM

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.

GreenSpottedPuffer · #2 02-03-2009, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by untamed

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.

No they cannot, your right. Ich is generally too far under the skin for them to get at. They do remove the dead skin after the ich has left the fish. I have seen cleaner wrasse try to remove ich from my Hippo Tang and it REALLY ****es the tang off. He actually chases the cleaner away. I don't think it feels good to the fish to have ich which is under the skin being picked at.

That same hippo though will often open his mouth or gills for the cleaner to get right in and clean.

Johnny Reefer · #3 02-04-2009, 06:31 AM

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.

fishoholic · #4 02-04-2009, 07:27 PM

My cleaner wrasse seems to help to remove the white spots right off of my fish. Most of my fish seem to welcome his removal skills, they will swim up to him to get cleaned.

GreenSpottedPuffer · #5 02-04-2009, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Reefer

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

He also taught my rabbitfish to do it too.

phillybean · #6 02-04-2009, 09:03 PM

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.

JDigital · #7 02-04-2009, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phillybean

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..

0sprey · #8 02-05-2009, 01:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Reefer

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.

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!

phillybean · #9 02-24-2009, 06:20 PM

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!