Clam and Cleaner Wrasse Trouble

[alton]

When I got home last night my Clam was closed up. After watching the tank for a while the Clam opened back up and my Cleaner Wrasse started biting the Mantle and it closed again. The Cleaner Wrasse is now in time out in my Q.T. tank. Has anyone else had this problem?

[seamonkey2]

I think I do, I'm taking him out today

Jose

[Isis]

The problem is that the poor cleaner wrasse is cooped up in a tank and needing to clean. Cleaner wrasses aren't recommended for tanks since they will eventually bug the heck out of your tank mates trying to clean them. Out in the environment, cleaner wrasses have 100s and 1000s of fish to clean. The fish that are cleaned don't mind the occasional cleaning, even though it can be somewhat annoying and painful after a while. (Imagine someone pinching you all the time trying to remove mites) You cleaner wrasses has more than likely worn his welcome with the others and has moved on to the clam. At the very least, cleaner wrasses should be left in the ocean. But if you are really wanting one, it is best that they only go in really large tanks so that they don't annoy the fishes with their constant cleaning.

Some people have had luck in feeding cleaner wrasses prepared foods, but this can be difficult and not necessarily stop them from cleaning and being PITAs.

[alton]

I have had one with my queen angel for years in another tank and when he is not cleaning the queen he swims around happy go lucky and eats regular fish food. My emperator chases this one to no end. When I first put him in the emperator swam up to him for cleaning and the cleaner just swam off. Later I saw him cleaning him in the corner. I have only had two cleaner wrasses in the 15 years I have had saltwater aquariums. The first one I sold after I sold my large clown trigger and then I picked up my second one after my old clown trigger ate the cleaner shrimp. This is my third one, he also eats mysis shrimp and regular fish food. I guess he just like's clam meat? Oh if your wondering about the multiple clown triggers, my wife gave me the queen angel for our anniversery so I can never sell it. So I get a juvenile clown trigger and he stays until he picks on the queen. And then someone gets a cheap adult clown trigger. I am on my 4th clown trigger. I miss the days when they were $10

[FireEater]

My cleaner wrasse has been doing good so far. He was big and healthy when the LFS got him in. Has been eating like a pig on prepared food.

Some of the other fish have come up to him looking to be cleaned but he has not bothered with them. He mainly stays by himself on the end of the tank. I've seen him look to pick on the foxface once but didn't actually clean him.

Mark

[Thunderkat]

Cleaner wrasses love to nibble on clams. Mine does just fine in my tank but I have no clams. When I had my copper banded butterfly I used clams to start the feeding response in it. The very first fish to starting eating on the clam on the feeding clip was the cleaner wrasse. It would bite and twist, kind of like a dog, it was pretty cool to watch. From what I have read also cleaner wrasses will also nibble on decorative clams. All I can say is you have to choose between the clam and the cleaner wrasse. Cleaner wrasses should not be removed from reefs so if you get rid of the one you have now you will probably want one again later after you start thinking about how cool it was so keep the wrasse that way you don't end up removing another from a reef. Clams suck anyways (anybody know how many gallons per hour they suck?). :lol

[FireEater]

Well with 6 clams in my tank I had better keep an eye on him! Though he does stay away from them never going down into the tank. He stays up along the top and mid-upper level.

Mark

[TheCampbells]

My sixline used to nibble at my clam, but I started hatching brine shrimp and feeding them 3 times a week, and he quit.