Cleaner Wrasse Feeding

Discussion in 'Fish Food' started by Kaianuanu, Jun 19, 2009.

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  1. Kaianuanu

    Kaianuanu Peppermint Shrimp

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    I just got a new cleaner wrasse and from what i've read, cleaner wrasses only last about 6 months in aquariums because there isn't enough food for them to pick off of other inhabitants, but, i 've discovered that mine accepts free-floating foods. i saw that when my new trigger inhaled a small frozen shrimp, a cloud of small shrimp particles squirted out of his gill holes and i observed the cleaner eating a bunch of these small bits. Anyway, what type of food should i try for him, i was thinking about frozen newly hatched brine shrimp or frozen cyclops copepods, what do you guys think i should try?
     
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  3. fishluver

    fishluver Sea Dragon

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    I was just going to buy a cleaner today!!
     
  4. Kaianuanu

    Kaianuanu Peppermint Shrimp

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    really, id do it, especially if you have tangs. i wanted a yellow tangs blue tangs for some time but was put off by their vulnerability to ich, now i might have enough courage to get one since i have an edge in the battle against ich . how much did you see it for?.
     
  5. PackLeader

    PackLeader Giant Squid

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    Best of luck!
    Feed it whatever it will eat. But, just so you know, even while eating like a hog, there is a 99.9% chance it will still die a LOT sooner than that six months. These fish have VERY specialized requirements that can not be duplicated in captivity, and should be left alone in the ocean instead of being brought home to a certain death IMHO. I haven't seen one in a quite a while. Most reputable LFS's will not carry them.
     
  6. Kaianuanu

    Kaianuanu Peppermint Shrimp

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    if he dies, i'll get a neon goby.
     
  7. fishluver

    fishluver Sea Dragon

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    Mine were for 20$ and currently im fighting ich with a tang.
     
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  9. dahos

    dahos Feather Duster

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    I agree with Pack and wish i had not gotten one. I did not do proper research before i got him. The cleaner wrasse i bought lasted about a month.

    When he died i bought a neon goby and he regularly cleans my fish, even inside my diamond goby's mouth!!

    I have had him for about 8 months and he seems to be doing ok. He has a fat stomach so i assume that is a good sign of life.

    The cleaner goby now will sit himself on my hand and eat food out of it. It is pretty cool.
     
  10. Kaianuanu

    Kaianuanu Peppermint Shrimp

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    dont they have yellow neon gobies too?
     
  11. Kaianuanu

    Kaianuanu Peppermint Shrimp

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    i havent really researched them but is there any difference other than color?
     
  12. rayjay

    rayjay Gigas Clam

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    I have been buying and conditioning cleaner wrasses for a lot of years.
    I buy only Sri Lanka cleaners as they adapt fairly readily and are hardy while others sourced cleaners were hit and miss.
    The major problem is they jump out when chased after having nipped a fish a bit too hard if there is no cover over the tank.
    I start with feeding them ground up beef heart, ground with respect to the size of the individual cleaner. Small cleaner, very small food particles.
    By the way, it has been shown that they don't really clean much in the way of ick off fish in aquariums.
    I eventually get them eating spirulina flake food, small ones by the 6 month stage and larger ones after about 3 months.
    Once they eat frozen foods plus the spirulina flake food, I resell them to others that have problems getting them to survive. (Other than the ones I keep in my tanks that is.)
    They get to be about 8 inches long after a number of years, and spirulina is the only food I feed most of them after having conditioned them.
     
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