Long Term Cleaner Wrasses (Labroides dimidiatus)Success?

[hypermikie]

I was at reputable LFS that I hadn't visited in a while and noticed they had several Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) for sale.

They had some that looked rather emaciated, some fat, others quite small, some really big, and some in between.

While I don't want to start a thread of "How these fish need be kept on the reef" or "Why NOT to buy these" debate. I was curious of those here who have kept these long term with success. (Yes, some have had success!)

So to be perfectly straight forward, I did purchase one. I picked out a medium sized, "healthy looking" specimen. I dripped acclimated him for 1 hour. Within minutes/hours of adding him to my display he was eating. He first began "cleaning" my Powder Brown Tang.

Since adding him he voraciously attacks my veggie clip, eating Green Nori, Red Algae, and Brown Algae sheets that I rotate feeding my tang. I have also witnessed him eating Blood Worms, Mysis bits, Formula One Flake, and Cyclopeeze. I feed at least 2 times daily and more often when I can.

Has anybody else had this much success with getting them to eat such variety and still fail to keep one long term. It seems most relate their death to starvation or lack of nutrition or dietary needs.

[Gary Majchrzak]

Labroides dimidiatus is an obligate cleaner. Obligates (by definition) get all or virtually all their nutrient from their cleaning activity, therefore a very large aquarium containing a good number of large fishes is a prerequisite for long term success with this species.
I've not yet seen long term success with this species in a typical home (read: small) aquarium. (Of course, many people will have a different idea of what "long term success" means.)
It's not unusual at all for Cleaner Wrasses to attack prepared foods with gusto.
In a small aquarium these Wrasses often pester other fishes with their willingness to clean them to the point of stressing them out. Aquarists adding a Cleaner Wrasse in order to remove ick (or similar) often create a situation that further weakens the very fish that they are trying to help.

[pinkie]

I have had mine for about a year. He eats very well and has not lost weight since I have gotten him. He hasn't cleaned off the fish in probably 9 months, as they got sick of it relatively early. He eats brine shrimp, mysis, cyclopeeze, and various other diced meaty foods. I am not expecting him to last for a really long time, but based on his eating habits, appearance, and activity, I have no reason to expect him to die in the very near future.

[hypermikie]

Gary thanks for the info... I had read that much or all nutrition came from their parasitic cleaning activity, but was curious if with the additions of new foods and advances in marine nutrition if it had helped in long term success of keeping them.

Let me clearify and say, I by no means purchased him as means to clean or rid my fish of disease. He did however immediately work on my PBT as the tang "presented" itself to the fish. Since then I have not seen him "clean" him or any of my other fish. The PBT is the only Large fish I have, which sounds bleek for the cleaners nutrition.

W

[adtravels]

To repeat they often eat very well I have had one and a fellow reefer also has one, they both eat all foods, I would not buy one to get rid of any parasites except larger isopods, they will eat scales and so may weaken fish, However if you like the fish have a large tank and dont expect it to clean per se they can be a good addition.

I found that in smaller tanks they seem to do somersaults most of the day against their reflection.

[hypermikie]

Mine has also had a calming affect to my other fish. The wrasse is always out and constantly swimming, moving, etc.

My Powder Brown used to be the only fish that was constantly out and active. Since the addition of the wrasse all of my other fish tend to be out and more active.

[GoingPostal]

I was given one a while back that was almost dead, I fed it in a nano for a while to see if it would make it and it lived in my 33 gallon for seven months eating mysis, brine shrimp and algea sheets until it stopped eating one day and disappeared a couple days after that. Showed no signs of anything wrong with it up until then.

[coryjac0b]

one of my LFS has a large display tank, ~700-800g, not exactly sure. It has about maybe 30 tangs, some anthias, wrasses, and other fish. Ever since i have been going there, there has been 2 cleaner wrasses in there, always near one of the larger tangs picking at it. I have been going there about 4 years now.

[sundancer]

I have had mine for a few months now. Eating well and cleaning where cleaning is needed(or wanted). Fat and active. This guy holds his own with a shoal of 15 Anthias during feedings. I think cleaners,like Anthias,require small frequent feedings(5+ times per day) to keep successfully.

[cirujano]

I have mine for over a year eating flakes, frozen, anything in 46 gal tank. I have a 29 refugim that I believe helps a lot.

[JHemdal]

Here is an excerpt from my "Advanced marine Aquarium Techniques" book:

Cleaner Wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus
Some might ask why this species is listed in an advanced aquarium book; as they are found in almost every aquarium store. Expert aquarists are aware however, of the dismal record these fish have in captivity. Although they will feed on normal aquarium fair such as live brine shrimp and even flake food, cleaner wrasses typically starve to death after a few months in captivity. One method to keep them healthy is to house them with a large species of fish that produces copious skin mucus, such as a grouper. It turns out that cleaner wrasse are able to thrive just feeding on the slime coating of larger fish. Cleaner wrasses kept in this fashion have survived for over five years and have even spawned in captivity (although no young have been raised).

As an addendum, since I wrote that, I have found that cleaner wrasse from East Africa do much better than ones from the central West Pacific. Can't say if it is collection/handling that is different, or maybe the ones from Africa are not such obligate cleaners. In any event, importers have noticed this as well, selling the two types for different prices.

Jay Hemdal

[adtravels]

interesting, fish in brilliant condition, eating really well for a long time just a stones throw from death, could be any other fish we catch and keep in our reefs.

[hypermikie]

Jay thanks so much for the great infomation...precisely the type of information I was looking for!

Now I may have to go pick up your book!

[jimdogg187]

I had mine for over a year at this point. It seems to be growing quite rapidly.

It readily eats all prepared foods (even pellets) but I also have a lot of fish in the tank for it to "clean".

Jim