How big does Blue Cleaner Wrasse get?

Blue Cleaner Wrasse reaches an adult standard length of 8–11 cm (excluding the caudal fin). Size the tank for that, not for the juvenile you bring home — the difference is often several times over, and upgrading later costs more than buying once.

What water does Blue Cleaner Wrasse need?

24–27 °C, pH 8.1–8.4, 7–12 dGH, 7–9 dKH, specific gravity 1.023–1.026. That is only 3 °C wide, so stability matters more than hitting a particular number.

What is the smallest tank for Blue Cleaner Wrasse?

At least 200 L, and no shorter than 120 cm. That is the floor for long-term keeping, not for short-term survival: volume buys water stability and length buys swimming room, and neither substitutes for the other. It is not a schooling fish, so a single specimen or a pair is fine.

What is Blue Cleaner Wrasse like to keep?

Temperament: peaceful. Difficulty: advanced. It occupies the middle and is carnivore. Reef safety is "Reef safe".

Can Blue Cleaner Wrasse be kept with its most common tank mate?

The checker returns "Not recommended together". Blue Cleaner Wrasse and Six-line Wrasse is a recorded conflict in this atlas. Predation, territorial fighting or conspecific aggression is the usual outcome, and a bigger tank does not change it.

G-01 / 58Marine

Blue Cleaner Wrasse医生鱼

Labroides dimidiatus · Labridae

Blue-and-black striped cleaner that services other fish; fascinating but very hard.

Illustration to come

G-01 / 58 · Blue Cleaner Wrasse Labroides dimidiatus

SpecificationsFish atlas

Name: 医生鱼
Scientific name: Labroides dimidiatus
Family: Labridae
Origin: Indo-Pacific coral reefs
Adult size: 8–11 cm
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Carnivore
Water level: Middle
Level: Advanced
Min. tank: 200 L
Min. length: 120 cm
Reef safe: Reef safe

Water requirementsMarine

Temp.24–27 °C

pH8.1–8.4

Salinity1.023–1.026 SG

Alkalinity7–9 dKH

Units: temperature in °C, hardness in German degrees (dGH / dKH), marine salinity as specific gravity at 25 °C, volume in litres. These are the values recorded for the species and do not follow the site unit switcher.

Keeping notes

1Feeds on parasites and mucus off other fish; prepared foods rarely suffice.
2Refusing food is common and most waste away within months; not for beginners.
3Sets up a cleaning station; too few client fish means starvation.
4Six-line wrasses harass it and break up its cleaning station.
5It is no substitute for quarantine; relying on it to cure disease is a myth.

Check a tank mate

Jump straight to the verdict for Blue Cleaner Wrasse against this one — no need to pick it again.

Recorded conflictSix-line WrassePseudocheilinus hexataenia→

Frequently asked questions

How big does Blue Cleaner Wrasse get?: Blue Cleaner Wrasse reaches an adult standard length of 8–11 cm (excluding the caudal fin). Size the tank for that, not for the juvenile you bring home — the difference is often several times over, and upgrading later costs more than buying once.
What water does Blue Cleaner Wrasse need?: 24–27 °C, pH 8.1–8.4, 7–12 dGH, 7–9 dKH, specific gravity 1.023–1.026. That is only 3 °C wide, so stability matters more than hitting a particular number.
What is the smallest tank for Blue Cleaner Wrasse?: At least 200 L, and no shorter than 120 cm. That is the floor for long-term keeping, not for short-term survival: volume buys water stability and length buys swimming room, and neither substitutes for the other. It is not a schooling fish, so a single specimen or a pair is fine.
What is Blue Cleaner Wrasse like to keep?: Temperament: peaceful. Difficulty: advanced. It occupies the middle and is carnivore. Reef safety is "Reef safe".
Can Blue Cleaner Wrasse be kept with its most common tank mate?: The checker returns "Not recommended together". Blue Cleaner Wrasse and Six-line Wrasse is a recorded conflict in this atlas. Predation, territorial fighting or conspecific aggression is the usual outcome, and a bigger tank does not change it.