Yellow Cleaner Wrasse - NOT REEF SAFE

[AJsTank]

Those yellow tailed cleaner wrasses are NOT reef safe. This is 100% my fault for not doing the research on it first. I would have never thought a cleaner wrasse was not reef safe. You can pull up tons of articles on them and see that they eat corals. I feel like an idiot for putting him in.

It gobbled up the polyps on about $300 worth of high end SPS pieces and killed them. It ate half of a head of my hammer coral and it broke off 2 small pieces of my monti cap by munching on the ends of it.




Here is a pic of the devil, itself.
It took a friend and I over an hour to get him out. PURE LUCK to get him out of a 400 gallon display, I can tell you that!! But I'm relieved.

 

[ritter6788]

I wouldn't have guessed either. Thanks for the heads up. Sorry about your corals.

 

[PaulKreider]

Dang!!! Sorry to hear that, Hungry little sucker.

 

[Eienna]

Ooouch!

Just as a side note for anyone considering a cleaner wrasse in the future (this one or otherwise), they generally don't do well in aquariums because they soon starve to death in the absence of a fresh supply of fishy parasites. A few learn to eat prepared food, but most do not, so be sure to get one already enthusiastically eating frozens if you do decide to take the risk at some point.

This note is not aimed at the OP, just newbie reefers who may not know yet

 

[AJsTank]

Ooouch!

Just as a side note for anyone considering a cleaner wrasse in the future (this one or otherwise), they generally don't do well in aquariums because they soon starve to death in the absence of a fresh supply of fishy parasites. A few learn to eat prepared food, but most do not, so be sure to get one already enthusiastically eating frozens if you do decide to take the risk at some point.

This note is not aimed at the OP, just newbie reefers who may not know yet

The only reason I actually took him was because he was taking Cyclopeeze. I guess that's not the only thing he was taking

 

[Eienna]

The only reason I actually took him was because he was taking Cyclopeeze. I guess that's not the only thing he was taking

Apparently not, lol!

 

[evolved]

Diproctacanthus xanthurus

Yup, not reef safe as an adult. Not really a "cleaner" wrasse either (wrong genus).
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A solitary species (Ref. 90102) occurring in coral rich areas of shallow lagoons and sheltered seaward reefs. Adults feed mainly on coral polyps while juveniles remove ectoparasites from small territorial fishes (Ref. 2334, 9710). Adults swim in small groups. Usually, only small juveniles clean other fishes (Ref. 48636).

​

This biology is not unique to this "cleaner" wrasse either. Larabicus quadrilineatus is another example which behaves exactly the same way.

Yet both of these two species are sold to unknowing buyers as peaceful, simple cleaner wrasses. Always do your research prior to purchase! (not a jab at the OP; just a blanket PSA reminder to all).

 

[Dottybackgobygoby]

Is he brother any of your softie?

 

[Largeangels]

"they soon starve to death in the absence of a fresh supply of fishy parasites" I don't quite agree with this statement. Part of the reason people may think so is probably the capture and handling method and maybe what food are offered to them. I think we are still learning about cleaner wrasses. I've had cleaner wrasses for years thriving and growing on the same foods (pellets, flakes, mysis, etc.) that are fed to all the other fish. If I didn't know anything about cleaner wrasses except what I see in my tanks I would say they are open water plankton eaters who occasionally clean fish and pick at rocks sometimes. Just last night I was watching as I dumped a bunch of mysis in one of the tanks and the cleaner wrasse went crazy looking for and eating the smaller pieces of mysis. I do feed often and I feed food that will fit in their mouths.