I introduced a tiny (about an inch long) cleaner wrasse into my tank yesterday and my existing fish (all bigger than it - minimum twice the size) run away from it when it tries to clean them. Very amusing to watch. So far I have seen the tomato clowns, purple firefish and the blue damsel all run. It hasn't tried to clean the sixline wrasse or the decorated goby yet (well, if it has I haven't seen it) Good thing the cleaner wrasse eats prepared food also
Fish scared of cleaner wrasse....
- Thread starter Kitiara
- Start date
are you sure they're scared? i used to have one of these guys [he'd eat prepared as well] and the other fish would run from him cause they were irritated by his constant pecking. especially my copperband butterflies.
It's hard to tell, but looks like scared - the poor wrasse barely even gets close before the other fish is off. I think most of my fish are tank bred so wouldn't know what a cleaner fish was (the cleaner wrasse is wild caught - I bought him off the guy who collected it)
Be interesting to see what the fish make of the coral banded shrimp should it decide to start cleaning.....
Be interesting to see what the fish make of the coral banded shrimp should it decide to start cleaning.....
hard to tell why the fish are running away... scared or irritated, they just swim away. haha. did you notice this behaviour as soon as the wrasse was added or after a while, maybe because it became too persistent in it's cleaning? my fish that were bothered by the wrasse had no problem with my skunk cleaners.
They did it pretty much from the start. The wrasse had only been in the tank less than an hour before the other fish were taking off.
Maybe they will get used to the idea. I think the poor wrasse will be disappointed if the other fish continue taking off on it.
Maybe they will get used to the idea. I think the poor wrasse will be disappointed if the other fish continue taking off on it.
Ide say its just what alcohologist said and they are just getting annoyed. In nature they go to the cleaners when they want too not get chased around all day by the cleaner. Are you sure its def a cleaner wrasse?? There is a mimic that looks exactly the same but bites scales and tiny bits of flesh off other fish instead of parasites ect.
good point about the mimic. there's a subtle difference. the true cleaner has a terminal mouth - for picking at parasites, while the mimic has an underslung mouth, kinda like a shark's. but i doubt this is the problem.
hard to see as it's very small and doesn't stay still but I'd say it's a wrasse (it also sleeps in the sand - do mimics do that?)
Not totally sure but im 99% sure the mimics are blennies so doubt they sleep in the gravel so sounds like you have a proper cleaner but he is just annoying your other fish. Hopefully he gets over it after a few days/weeks of all the fish swimming away from him and sticks too whatever food he gets from you.