Looking for a fish that...
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scooter31707
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I assume any fish that is considered a Herbivore may not eat pods. Just guessing.
ThRoewer
New member
My Ecsenius bicolor go after pods more viciously than my pipefish (or mandarins for that matter). I lost a pair of pipefish due to that, as I couldn't replenish the pods fast enough.
All herbivores will supplement their diet with pods that live in or on the algae they eat. Most so called herbivores are actually omnivores that will also take meaty foods if they can get it.
I would assume the fish that don't go after small pods are predatory fish like groupers, lionfish, stonefish, trumpet fish - anything that rather eats larger fish and shrimp than going after tiny stuff.
The other group of fish that may leave pods alone are food specialists like orangespot filefish or Corallivore Butterflyfish.
All herbivores will supplement their diet with pods that live in or on the algae they eat. Most so called herbivores are actually omnivores that will also take meaty foods if they can get it.
I would assume the fish that don't go after small pods are predatory fish like groupers, lionfish, stonefish, trumpet fish - anything that rather eats larger fish and shrimp than going after tiny stuff.
The other group of fish that may leave pods alone are food specialists like orangespot filefish or Corallivore Butterflyfish.
If a fish is very small, it'll eat pods. Very few fish are exclusively herbivorous, and all herbivorous fish will eat any pods that happen to be on their algae.
The only non-pod-eaters are big fish that eat big food (groupers, lions, etc) and those few species of fish that exclusively eat corals and sponges and the like.
The only non-pod-eaters are big fish that eat big food (groupers, lions, etc) and those few species of fish that exclusively eat corals and sponges and the like.
Silly clownfish
New member
So the question remains: what small reef fish will eat the fewest pods? I would also like suggestions of fish who would not compete with my mandarin. She is my biggest concern for adding fish to my tank.
Fwiw - i don't think my ocelaris clown or randall's goby eat pods, except incidentally. My fox face rabbit fish picks at LR, but primarily for algae - I'm sure he occassionally eats a pod that is in the algae. My flame hawk and solaris wrasse don't pick at the rock, but are the species that I think would be most interested in pods.
Fwiw - i don't think my ocelaris clown or randall's goby eat pods, except incidentally. My fox face rabbit fish picks at LR, but primarily for algae - I'm sure he occassionally eats a pod that is in the algae. My flame hawk and solaris wrasse don't pick at the rock, but are the species that I think would be most interested in pods.
They are. But they don't go into the rock work to pick at pods. They kind of just sit there waiting for food to come by.
ThRoewer
New member
I think you never really watched your clownfish or goby.
My clownfish go after every pod the spot - they pick them off the glass and rocks all day long. Same goes for my gobies. Both are actually more diligent and effective pod pickers than my mandarins.
If the mandarin is of concern and the tank has not enough pods to sustain it, you either need to get it to eat frozen food or build a live brine shrimp feeder like Paul B. has.
