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View Full Version : What cleans the cleaner?



oceanjam
02-21-2008, 07:36 AM
It just occurred to me... If some species of wrasse or shrimp are cleaners of other fish and animals, what cleans the cleaner?

Just a curious observation.

rubber chicken
02-21-2008, 10:46 AM
Mmmm, I really don't know, but, and this is merely a guess, I would suggest that as I have never seen a cleaning station with anything less than two individuals 'working', possibly the cleaners partner ?


I await the definitive answer with interest.

Sarah
02-21-2008, 08:59 PM
Cleaner shrimp.

Mountain Dog
02-22-2008, 04:11 PM
Several members of my dive club are volunteer divers at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, and they have reported that fish will also use the sand or gravel on the bottom for cleaning purposes. They'll just wiggle around on the sand, using it's mildly abrasive action to clean. Maybe the cleaners employ this technique as well.

By the way, the divers themselves act as cleaners in the aquarium by picking up sand and pouring it out of their hands. The fish swim under this sand "shower". They have attempted to introduce cleaning species in the tanks, but the little guys keep disappearing. I guess in an aquarium, the notion of "snack" trumps "cleaner".

Mountain Dog

hbh2oguard
02-22-2008, 06:53 PM
That's funny that they are disappearing because in the Monterey aquarium there are cleaners with some of the bigger fish.

Mountain Dog
02-23-2008, 03:38 PM
That's funny that they are disappearing because in the Monterey aquarium there are cleaners with some of the bigger fish.

I don't know the answer to that. I only know about it second hand from the volunteers in our club. Maybe it's the mix of inhabitants in the tank.

Mountain Dog