blue tang

[5xevy]

I have chromis and they're the wimpiest fish in my tank.

My old Tang (powder blue- RIP) used to go up to them, in a friendly way, and they'd freak out and rapidly swim away. It was kind of funny watching them.

When I first started seeing the Hippos in my LFS, I honestly thought they were dead the way they were lying horizontally on the tank bottom. Then after a little research, and seeing how basically ALL of them did this (that I saw), I realized that's just what they do. Hehe- I find it amusing now.

 

[Germanman]

5xevy how long did you have ur powder blue? my boss has had one for about 3 months now it wen through hell(power outages, ich spells, and fungus) but he got some cleaner wrasse and now her color is a deep deep blue. ive been interested in other peoples success ever since.

 

[5xevy]

5xevy how long did you have ur powder blue? my boss has had one for about 3 months now it wen through hell(power outages, ich spells, and fungus) but he got some cleaner wrasse and now her color is a deep deep blue. ive been interested in other peoples success ever since.

I did not have him for long- I'd say about 2 months if I can remember. That was a while ago and you can see him in my sig. He did come down with ich...I tried the hyposalinity method at that time and little did I know that my hydrometer was off (posted a thread about that about a week ago) by a lot. Then I dosed with Quick Cure but it seemed to burn him and he developed a lesion that got worse by the day. Quick Cure worked on all of the fish but I had no idea, at the time, that it could literally burn the way it did (I actually thought it was the ich getting worse). I also didn't have a QT tank back then- ah, the joys of being a newbie.

I just remembered- I did purchase two cleaner wrasse. Again, I was a newbie and didn't know that they really shouldn't be purchased, don't hold up well in captivity, and are better left in the ocean (I even read an article on how Hawaii banned its collection on cleaner wrasse). They both died within 48 hours.

I know you didn't ask, but since then I...

- Have 2 QT tanks (to hold before placing in main tanks, AND to house sick fish)
- Purchased a refractometer
- Will not use Quick Cure anymore
- Will never purchase cleaner wrasse, regardless of the reason

I wish your boss good luck- they're active and interesting fish with GREAT personalities. I'd buy one again but I try never to buy the same fish twice if one of them previously died under my care. Plus...I don't have the room.

 

[Germanman]

i have a cleaner for the same batch as his they do great and all of them eat brine and sometimes mysis. ive only had mine a few days but it ate brine one hour after putting it in. and my boss has had his for about a month since the tank is 350 gallons there are plenty of fish to clean as well as eating the brine.

 

[bloo1987]

what does wrasse fish actually do?

 

[5xevy]

Germanman- I believe it. I get angry at myself whenever I tell that "story" and think of my Powder Blue's demise. So in a way, I feel like I should also include the lessons I learned during that entire experience.

As far as cleaner wrasse go, it's said that normally they won't live over six months to a year in captivity. I know some people have had them for longer than that; but it's just my personal decision to never buy them again after researching their benefits in our oceans. In fact the very day I bought them before they died, I read and read that night and decided I was going to take them back. Of course, that didn't happen. At the time, for me, I realized I bought them for the wrong reasons.

 

[5xevy]

what does wrasse fish actually do?

Actual wrasse or cleaner wrasse specifically? The cleaner wrasse will pick off some parasites on a fish, or within the fish gills. There are many cool pictures of them doing so online, such as these couple of pictures:


http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfacts/fish/ldimidiatus.htm

It's definitely a controversial subject though. There are many places online where you can read more about them. Purchasing cleaner shrimp and/or cleaner gobies is a highly recommended alternative over buying cleaner wrasse.