Hawaiian cleaner wrasse

Where they come from

The Hawaiian cleaner wrasse (Labroides phthirophagus) is a reef fish from Hawaii that lives on shallow reefs where it sets up little "cleaning stations." Other fish roll up like customers at a car wash and let it pick parasites and dead skin off them. In the wild it spends basically all day doing that, which is exactly why this species is so tricky in aquariums.

Setting up their tank

If you're trying a cleaner wrasse, give it a mature reef, not a fresh build. I mean months-old, crawling-with-life mature. These fish do better when there's constant micro-life and lots of fish activity for them to interact with.

Tank size isn't just gallons, it's "how much reef is in there." A bigger tank with lots of rockwork, swim room, and steady traffic from other fish gives them a routine. They like to cruise, dart in, inspect, and duck back into the rock.

• Established reef tank with stable parameters (swings stress them fast)
• Plenty of live rock with caves and branching spots to retreat into
• High oxygen and strong, random flow - they are used to surge zones
• Tight lid or mesh top - wrasses jump, especially during acclimation
• Peaceful to semi-peaceful community where fish aren't hiding all day

What to feed them

This is the whole game. In the wild they eat tiny parasite-like bits all day long, not two big meals. Most Hawaiian cleaner wrasses slowly waste away because they don't get enough frequent, calorie-dense food.

The ones I've seen hold up the longest were already taking prepared foods at the store and went into tanks where the owner could feed 4-6 times per day (or use an auto-feeder for small items). Even then, you have to watch body shape weekly.

• Start with what it will take immediately: live baby brine, live blackworms (if you can source safely), or enriched frozen cyclops
• Transition to frozen: mysis (small), chopped clam, roe, finely chopped shrimp, LRS-style blends
• Pellets can work for some individuals, but only after it's reliably eating frozen
• Soak foods occasionally (vitamins/HUFA) - not magic, but it helps with long-term wear and tear

How they behave and who they get along with

They are busy, bold little workers. You'll see them hover, do quick inspection passes, and sometimes "dance" to advertise cleaning. A healthy one is out in the open a lot.

Tankmates matter more than people think. If all your fish are shy, the cleaner has nothing to do and often doesn't settle. If you have aggressive fish that punish it for getting close, it gets stressed and stops eating.

• Good tankmates: tangs, rabbitfish, larger wrasses (non-bullies), angels that tolerate cleaning, active peaceful communities
• Be cautious with: dottybacks, hawkfish, triggers, puffers - many will harass or eat it
• Avoid: fish that are hyper-territorial around rockwork, or predators that see a small wrasse as a snack

Breeding tips

Breeding Labroides in home aquariums is basically not a realistic project for most hobbyists. They are pelagic spawners with complicated social cues, and raising the larvae would be the hard part even if you got spawning behavior.

If you keep more than one, you might see chasing and display at dusk, but I would not plan a setup around breeding them. Focus on long-term feeding and stability instead.

Common problems to watch for

Most problems with this fish come down to stress plus calories. They can look "fine" for weeks and then suddenly you notice they're thin, hiding, and ignoring food.

• Slow starvation: weight loss, pinched belly, reduced activity
• Refusing prepared foods: common in newer imports or stressed fish
• Jumping: especially first week, after lights out, or after being chased
• Harassment: nipped fins and constant hiding from aggressive tankmates
• Disease: they can still get ich/velvet even though they are "cleaners"