Is this cleaner wrasse starving?

[krourke]

Hi everyone,

Here's my buddy, I call him Cleaney.

Unlike most cleaner wrasse he will eat everything and quick too!

His Belly is full, but further down his body it looks like I can see his Spine!

Is he underfed? I've had him for only a week or two.

 

[thincat]

Cleaners are "Obligate feeders" and very few last very long in an AQ.
Yours may be eating, but not his normal diet and starvation normaly follows.
Sorry, but that is the normal and they are best left on the reef. If you did not get your fish from Hawaii more then likely it was caught with synide form the Phillipines.
On another note these fish are prime carpet surfers and I hope your AQ is covered.

 

[melosu58]

I`ve never known one to last 4 months. They do not do good in the home aquarium.

 

[krourke]

I resisted getting it in the 1st place, now it's closer to regret...

Any suggestions to keep him full and happy?

I thought the trouble was getting them to eat, so I thought I was set now that he is eating a lot. Is frozen blood worms and mysid the closest to his natural diet?

It took me a min to get the carpet surfer bit, I finished my home made hood last week, completely covered

My thoery was that his full stomach but thin tail meant that he was starving when I got him and is building up tail muscle now that his stomach is full.

 

[melosu58]

Just feed him what he`ll eat. He still wont last long.