cpalminteri
Active Member
put what I thought was a cleaner wrasse in QT with my Blue tang and today I found out about false cleaner blenny….. he hangs out and isn’t always swimming. Is he a false cleaner that’s probably just stressing my tang???
Is this not a cleaner wrasse
- Thread starter cpalminteri
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Not the cleaner wrasse I’m used to seeing.
That looks to me like a neon cleaner goby (Elcatinus oceanops), which acts as a cleaner but may still stress a tang if it does not want cleaned. They don't cause direct harm, but some fish like the cleaning and others do not.put what I thought was a cleaner wrasse in QT with my Blue tang and today I found out about false cleaner blenny….. he hangs out and isn’t always swimming. Is he a false cleaner that’s probably just stressing my tang???
I have seen my butterflyfish want the cleaning and get annoyed by the cleaning at different times.
cpalminteri
Active Member
Yep this is him! Got him from Petco. So normally cleans? I just want to make sure he’s not mimic cleaning and actually trying to nip at my tang
I don't think the cleaner gobies are big enough to actually cause harm.
Yep this is him! Got him from Petco. So normally cleans? I just want to make sure he’s not mimic cleaning and actually trying to nip at my tang
They eat small parasites, which is a benefit to the cleaned fish, but they also eat mucus/scales/shed skin, just not enough to cause actual harm to the living tissue of the fish.
Though they don't cause physical harm that I am aware of, they can be a nuisance to a fish that does not want to be cleaned which can stress the fish.
Sharkbait19
10K Club member
As mentioned, that’s a neon goby. It does the same job and will eat parasites off of fish. I have heard that they may irritate fish, not sure how common this is.
blaxsun
10K Club member
Definitely not a cleaner wrasse (they're out and about harassing the fish like the squigee guys standing on the corner). 
On the plus side, cleaner wrasses can be real ****'s. Mine killed the valentini puffer I introduced and even took a swipe at the new mandarin before he figures out what it was (and why they're generally avoided by fish).
I still have the cleaner wrasse, but I do have to watch him closely for the first day whenever I introduce a new fish.
On the plus side, cleaner wrasses can be real ****'s. Mine killed the valentini puffer I introduced and even took a swipe at the new mandarin before he figures out what it was (and why they're generally avoided by fish).
I still have the cleaner wrasse, but I do have to watch him closely for the first day whenever I introduce a new fish.
cpalminteri
Active Member
LOLDefinitely not a cleaner wrasse (they're out and about harassing the fish like the squigee guys standing on the corner).
Spare time
10K Club member
SlugSnorter
2500 Club Member
looks like a neon blue cleaner or maybe sharknose gobyput what I thought was a cleaner wrasse in QT with my Blue tang and today I found out about false cleaner blenny….. he hangs out and isn’t always swimming. Is he a false cleaner that’s probably just stressing my tang???
Lbrdsoxfan
5000 Club Member
This. Mine would harass the hell out of a new fish. Upside it lasted some years, prolly wont replace it now that it passed.Definitely not a cleaner wrasse (they're out and about harassing the fish like the squigee guys standing on the corner).
On the plus side, cleaner wrasses can be real ****'s. Mine killed the valentini puffer I introduced and even took a swipe at the new mandarin before he figures out what it was (and why they're generally avoided by fish).
I still have the cleaner wrasse, but I do have to watch him closely for the first day whenever I introduce a new fish.
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