Clenaer Wrasses

[tuwhada]

I know there is extensive debate on the aquisition of cleaner wrasses and how it is deterimental to the habitats etc. I am also aware of the fact that they are VERy hard to keep.

Well the store I work at had these beautiful bicolor cleaners. And I just could not resist especially since I have been having reoccuring problems with parasites. (plus I got him for $7.00)

So now that I have this guy I was wondering if there are people out there that have succesfully kept these guys and if they could give me any tips to help keep this guy alive.

I have had him now for about 3 days, and he is doing an awesome job with the parasites, my tang has never looked better. He seems to only clean the tang and the other fish go right up to him but he ignores them. I did hear taht they will stick with one fish until it is clean though.

So anyways, any advice would be greatly appreacited.

Christina

 

[Guest]

And I just could not resist especially since I have been having reoccuring problems with parasites. (plus I got him for $7.00)

Mabye so, but there are just as effective ways of dealing with parasites besides a wrasse. A cleaner shrimp would do just as well, and stick around after the parasites have diminished.

 

[tuwhada]

unfortunately I have a porc puffer so the shrimp would not survive. I did notice today that he was eating a little bit of food.

Like I mentioned I am aware of all that you mentioned but that is irrelevant now b/c I have him, I was asking about tips on keeping him alive. Maybe I can be succesful

Christina

 

[rayjay]

All of my cleaner wrasses just love ground up beef heart. The smaller the cleaner wrasse, the smaller the mesh size of the beef heart.
When I find a cleaner wrasse that won't eat, they have always taken to appropriately sized beef heart mush.
THIS APPLIES TO CLEANERS FROM SRI LANKA.
I haven't had any cleaners from elsewhere to try the beef heart on them.

 

[Guest]

How long have you had your cleaners, and have you tried any other foods? I don't think feeding any beef type food to a marine aquarium is to good. At least it's not at all natural.

 

[tuwhada]

well I have noticed this guy eating some of the brine and some remanents of what my other fish don't eat so hopefully he will continue to do so.

Thanks
Christina

 

[rayjay]

Although I prepare my own beef heart food, it is sold at the LFS as a prepared fish food in cubes.
Beef heart has excellent nutrients including Vit B complex and has high protein levels.
While the beef heart in itself is not the total food, it fits in well with a combined mixture for my fish for close to ten years now.
As mentioned before, when I find a cleaner wrasse that doesn't eat, it will eat beef heart, and that eventually leads to feeding on other foods like brine shrimp.

 

[Guest]

Hmmmm very, very interesting. Can you please PM me how you prepare it? I would love to know how. Ive always liked cleaner wrasse, and if it is possible to keep them sustained id love to know how.

 

[rayjay]

First, it's a MUST to find where your supplier is going to get the cleaner wrasse from. IT MUST BE FROM SHRI LANKA.
With the history that the cleaner wrasse has, there obviously is a problem with many of them, but SRI LANKA wrasses are the ones I get and there is no problem with mine.
I partially freeze the beef heart to make it easier to work with. Using a very sharp knife, cut the outer membrane as well as the inner membrane and discard. Then cut out all the gristle and veins and any other parts that aren't pure meat and discard these.
At this point, I put the good meat through my meat grinder and then place tennis ball size quantities on a waxed papered cookie sheet for fast freezing.
Place the portions in zip lock bags and return to the freezer.
When I want to use it, I take a portion out and grate it while frozen, on a metal cheese grater, (the large openings) into ice cold water. (Just do enough for about 3-4 days feeding) Filter the grated heart through a brine shrimp net, squeeze excess moisture from it, and place it in a small container to be refrigerated. (I use small jars that jam comes in packed in gift baskets)
Some of this I mix with mysis and brine for feeding to all my tanks, and some is kept separate if needed, for targeting hard to start eating cleaner wrasses.
Keep in mind to make sure the food particle size is appropriately sized for the size of the wrasse as they need very small particulate pieces when small.

 

[Guest]

Why must they be from SHRI LANK, and are these just the common cleaner wrasee? Thanks for the info

 

[tuwhada]

THe one I got was from Bali.

Christina

 

[rayjay]

Because the evidence to this point is that cleaners from other areas don't survive, especially from Hawaii.
What's the point in getting one from somewhere else only to watch it die?