Will All Cleaner Wrasses Starve?

[tdileo]

Something I’ve heard for a while that turned me away from these beautiful fish is that they will ALWAYS starve to death in captivity. I finally decided I’d give one a try since my store had some very nice looking ones in and I had seen them eating for days. I picked up the fattest one they had and he’s been doing great in my tank. Eats LRS, mysis, flakes, pellets, nori, and my regal and foxface let him clean them all. He has definitely fattened up since I bought him as you could see some ribs but that’s to be expected only eating twice a day in the store. At home my fish have access to frozen once or twice a day as well as a feeding of dry, and nori is in for a few hours. I don’t see how he could starve to death at this rate. I think he’s more of an aggressive feeder than my trigger LOL. Has anyone had long term success with these fish?

 

[ca1ore]

I find the reputation of the bluestreak to be curious. I have not had any issues keeping one for periods of years. They are motivated jumpers, so a screen is essential. Perhaps the other cleaner species are tougher.

 

[tdileo]

I find the reputation of the bluestreak to be curious. I have not had any issues keeping one for periods of years. They are motivated jumpers, so a screen is essential. Perhaps the other cleaner species are tougher.

I’m not sure exactly which species I bought. I thought there was just one to be honest. It looks like a blue streak and a hawaiian, but the entire front of the body isn’t gold. Only the top half of the head. Of course it’s also very hard to photograph for a positive ID picture. He seems to be doing well though, and I do have a lid.

 

[ca1ore]

Since the vast majority for sale are the bluestreak, it's probably that. The Hawaiian is reputed to be much tougher, though ice never kept one so cannot say from personal experience.

 

[tdileo]

I finally managed to get a decent picture while he was picking at the very top of the rocks just below the waterline. This is just a normal bluestreak, right?

 

[eatbreakfast]

If a bluestreak is readily eating prepared foods they do much better. Though I have found they do best in tanks 150g+ with at least a few big fish.

 

[crayon]

My blue streak is now 6 years old. He eats everything, including Nori. He still checks out the other fish, but the tank is pretty much parasite free, so I’m thinking this is a behaviour thing as opposed to a food source.
From what I understand the bit of yellow on their head is a male vs female thing. Not sure if that’s true or just a plausible easy explanation.

 

[eatbreakfast]

My blue streak is now 6 years old. He eats everything, including Nori. He still checks out the other fish, but the tank is pretty much parasite free, so I’m thinking this is a behaviour thing as opposed to a food source.
From what I understand the bit of yellow on their head is a male vs female thing. Not sure if that’s true or just a plausible easy explanation.

Most of their natural diet is other fish's slime coat.

 

[alton]

All my fish have a love hate relationship with my african bluestreak cleaner wrasse. One minute they love the cleaning, the next they are chasing him around.

 

[Eastlake]

I'm with eatbreakfast, I think the only way that this fish can be maintained long term is to have at least a couple of larger fish that it can clean so it can get that slime coat in its diet.

 

[RobertP]

My bluestreak is one of the cool fish in the tank. Always hunting on the rocks, powerheads, and other fish. Anyone new comes in and he examines them and always seems to have something to pick off of them. Added 2 yellow tangs about 9 months ago and one had a growth on his top fin and BLUE AT IT...then that part of his fin grew back normal. Mine eats everything I put in the tank and is always first to come see you. It eats nori, flakes, pellets and frozen. Likes to nip on my arm if I stick it in the tank but very gentle...not like it is actually biting. The cardinals are the only fish that dont care for blue's love but they are kind of loners until its feeding time.

 

[ca1ore]

I finally managed to get a decent picture while he was picking at the very top of the rocks just below the waterline. This is just a normal bluestreak, right?

Yes

 

[ca1ore]

I think the only way that this fish can be maintained long term is to have at least a couple of larger fish that it can clean so it can get that slime coat in its diet.

That may well be. I have had long-term success with the cleaner, always in a big tank with some big fish. Causation ..... or just correlation?

 

[Eastlake]

Yes, lol. You could have cause the cleaner to have good health correlated with the amount of slime coat it ingested while picking at your bigger fish or whichever ones were willing to tolerate its obligatory cleaning services. I have no proof whether or not this is true of course, it's just what I've noticed over the years. Larger tanks that in turn can house larger fish that are more willing to put up with the being picked over seem to have more success with the blue streak cleaner wrasse than smaller tanks where they don't have a group of tangs, large angels, dwarf angels, so on and so forth v a sub 75 gallon tank more suited to clownfish and the like who don't seem to want to be pestered. I think another big part of being successful with them, like most other finicky fish, is having a specimen that is willing to take prepared foods or finding some thing that they'll nibble until you can get them into the display.

 

[Kyl]

Mine will swim along side the C. cyanopleura and pretty much eat whatever he eats (pellets, nori, mysis, LRS frenzy), and the occasional cleaning attempt. I bought it early on, but it's always ate pellets no problem.

 

[evolved]

Larger tanks that in turn can house larger fish that are more willing to put up with the being picked over seem to have more success with the blue streak cleaner wrasse than smaller tanks

Exactly.

The blue streak is certainly sustainable in captivity, but it is substantially easier if it is in a large (>200g) tank with a few large fish it can pester.

However, this does not extend to other species, like the Hawaiian. Always avoid it.
There are also other fish sold as "cleaner wrasses" in the hobby that are not really such.
All of this discussion really only applies to the blue streak specifically.

 

[Thomashtom]

Should cleaner wrasses be quarantined? LOL but seriously. Thanks

 

[eatbreakfast]

Yes. They can still get diseases and be carriers.

 

[ca1ore]

However, this does not extend to other species, like the Hawaiian. Always avoid it.

Do we have a sense as to why this is? I have never kept the H, never even seen one for sale actually, but does it just not eat? Must confess that if I did see one at LFS I'd be sorely tempted.

 

[evolved]

Do we have a sense as to why this is? I have never kept the H, never even seen one for sale actually, but does it just not eat?

I sure wish we did. Even when it eats, it tends not to last but a few months.
I have heard of a handful that did last years, but it seemed the common denominator was always "big tank and big fish". Clearly it seems diet related, but no idea what the "it" is.