blue striped cleaner wrasse

[flamesfanont]

I am new to saltwater aquarium keeping and I aquired a cleaner wrasse from the local aquarium store. I found out later that most of these fish only feed on parasites and most die in captivity. If I had known this I would never have purchased this fish as I hope they stop selling them. However the good news is my wrasse eats the algea strips I put in my tank for my tang! Guess I got lucky.

 

[delbeek]

Well hopefully you have learned a valuable lesson ... research your purchases BEFORE you buy them. Its hard but you have to resist those impulse purchases.

 

[Anonymous]

But will it actually survive on the algae strips? Offer him various meaty foods, too, mate. Mysids, finely chopped squid, clam, and the like.

 

[flamesfanont]

Well hopefully you have learned a valuable lesson ... research your purchases BEFORE you buy them. Its hard but you have to resist those impulse purchases.

True, but on the other hand when you have a large franchise aquarium store's personel telling you that the fish will be fine then you tend to believe them, after all that is what they are paid for.

 

[delbeek]

Well I guess you just learned your next valuable lesson ... don't always go by what pet store personel tell you. :wink:

They get paid to SELL things ... they receive very little if any training as to how to keep the animals they sell. If you are lucky you may find someone who actually knows what they are talking about, but don't assume just because they work there they do. Also, if you had researched the animal beforehand as you did after you bought it, then you would have realized that what you were told was not correct.

JCD

 

[fishfanatic2]

I have heard of cleaner wrasses eating stuff but eventually dieing from malnutrition. Feed him a variety of stuff like sm said.

 

[Saltykirk]

I have had 1 out of 3 do really well. It lived for about 2 1/2 years. It was my first and only died because a new addition, Miniata grouper ate it. The other two live only 4-5 days so I quit getting them. The reason for the first one living I believe is that is was housed w/ a 12 inch Panter grouper, 8" Queen Trigger, a yellow, purple, and Achilles tang. These were all big fishes and I forgot the Powder Brown. There may have been some parasitic acitivity because the cleaner wrasse grew. I don't recommend them & don't keep one now. If I ever set up a large fish only tank, 250 or bigger w/ lots of fish I will get one to clean everyone in the tank.

 

[WRASSER]

:twisted: I'VE EXPERIENCED MANY DEATHS WIH THE CLEANER WRASSES. 2-3 WEEKS MAX. I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE STRIPS AND CHOPPED UP MEAT TO KEEP THEM ALIVE LONGER. I ASKED AROUND FROM PET STORE TO PET STORE, AND FOUND OUT THAT THE CLEANER GOLBIS ARE A HARDIER FISH. I'VE HAD MINE OVER A YEAR. :twisted:

 

[fishfanatic2]

2.5 years is a good life expectancy, he probably died of old age.

 

[Saltykirk]

That's a good thought, the old age point. Looking @ the fact a Miniata grouper ate him though....
All people considering these fish really ought to look at their lifestyles. They live around latge fishes, & busily clean groupers & the like. Might be a connection. I think most that encounter the trade have been starved too long.