6 line wrasse or cleaner wrasse

[n_sarno]

I am looking to probably get a wrasse of some sort.. I am debating on a 6 line or a cleaner..
Will the cleaners eat food or do they just pick at the other fish and eat the stuff off of them?

 

[promisetbg]

Cleaner wrasses are a bad choice.The very beautiful multi-colored ones will live only a short while.The common blue one will eat food, but they will also try to clean your fish of any parasites or old skin. They can be quite a pest about this, to the point of harrassing your other fish.
Go with the sixline or perhaps consider a yellow corris wrasse, a great fish.

 

[mrdc]

I've heard the cleaner wrasse will eventually starve for MOST people. There are some that claim to be able to keep them. I wouldn't chance it.

 

[nm reef]

I'd also urge hobbyists to avoid the cleaners...they simply don't have a good enough long term survival record in typical home systems.

 

[n_sarno]

great thank you everyone for the help! :cheer:

 

[lion_crazz]

Yep, they really should not be removed from the ocean because all they are doing is dying at LFS'. If you are looking for a cleaning fish, go with a neon goby or a cleaner shrimp.Both are far more hardy.
If you are looking for a wrasse, the sixline would be nice. Fairy wrasses are also very beautiful (if you have the appropriate tankmates). Most fairy wrasses stay very small as well.

 

[enriqueb]

make sure that if you buy a sixline, it has been at the store for a while and you see it eat. i lost a sixline within a few days of getting him and found out afterwards that they ship very poorly and although i thought he had been there for a while, i think the lfs just told me that to get me to buy him. just a caution with the sixlines. beautiful fish though and i will definately get another in time.

 

[dragonladylea]

I would also be careful of the sixline if you have inverts, while some sixline seem to be okay the majority of them are not invert friendly namely shrimp and crabs.

 

[seannmelly]

my sixlined wrasse is fine with the inverts

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally Posted by enriqueb
make sure that if you buy a sixline, it has been at the store for a while and you see it eat. i lost a sixline within a few days of getting him and found out afterwards that they ship very poorly and although i thought he had been there for a while, i think the lfs just told me that to get me to buy him. just a caution with the sixlines. beautiful fish though and i will definately get another in time.
I definitely agree with this.

 

[dragonladylea]

Some are okay but I have seen many that are very aggressive towards inverts. Had one that was returned to the LFS that I go to 3 times for eating everything in the tanks it was put in. It was being sold to someone with a FO tank. This is only one case. I just recommend before buying one to watch it for awhile.

 

[dogstar]

Originally Posted by N_Sarno
Will the cleaners eat food or do they just pick at the other fish and eat the stuff off of them?
It takes a long time for most to learn to eat introduced foods and many starve because of this. They also need to have fish to clean as well so they can get the required nutriants they need from the slime coats of the fish. All fish will not allow them to clean them. They need some what larger systems with many fish so they can survive.
As said, not an easy fish and many/most do die after a short time.
The Six line is very hardy and most are not aggressive in a reef. I have never seen mine bother any other fish or any decorative inverts.

 

[mrdc]

My LFS guy told me not to mix a mandarin with a six line because the six line will eat the mandarins source of food (pods) quickly. Take it for what it's worth since I have never had either fish.

 

[dogstar]

Any/all/every fish needs to be in a ' PROPER SYSTEM ' for that fish or combination of fish or any other livestock. Research and patients and self control is the key. And a little luck cant hurt either. ; )

 

[tnt]

I adore my sixline. He eats anything I put in the tank very greedily. He has never bothered my cleaner shrimp, blue leg hermits, or emerald crabs I have in with him. He also lives with a cinnamon clown, yellowtail damsel, and a purple firefish (which I haven't seen since I put it in there), I haven't seen him harass anybody yet. I've had him probably a month. I love the way he swims in and out of the rock constantly.

 

[alyssia]

My sixline eats well and has never bothered any inverts.

 

[jailbreak]

Originally Posted by N_Sarno
I am looking to probably get a wrasse of some sort.. I am debating on a 6 line or a cleaner..
Will the cleaners eat food or do they just pick at the other fish and eat the stuff off of them?
deff. the cleaner make sure they eat at the pet store first if not pass on it and find one that does