Cleaner Wrasse

[roka64]

Thanks for the info. I won't purchase him. That's too bad he will probably still be sold and starve. Thank you all for the excellent advice!

 

[macman7010]

Yeah I know, he will either likely starve in the dealer's tank or in some aquarist's tank. The only time I have seen robust and healthy cleaner wrasses are in very, very large displays at commercial or public aquariums. In those cases, when the display tank's volume is in the thousands of gallons and it is stocked ripe with fish, the wrasse can get enough food to survive. Even a thriving fish in captivity does not replace the loss of that same animal on the reef though, and truth is often times a single cleaner will operate a station for a small patch of reef.

 

[Ziggy953]

Just to echo what others have said, this like several others is a fish best left in the ocean! One of the LFSs that I visit had a Moorish Idol the other day. I said something about it and they told me it was a special order for a guy with a very large tank, but he decided not to take delivery of the fish. It was in their tanks for about a week when another guy I know bought it. I've sine found out that it has died. I asked the LFS whether or not they plan on ordering them again and the guy told me that he would never order another Moorish. Hopefully he will stick to it. He also said he had a list of fish that he will not sell under any circumstances. The Blue cleaner wrasse is on the list. fortunately there are a few LFSs out there that have enough sense not to sell a fish that is doomed to death in the home aquarium.....

 

[roka64]

That's just a shame!