Utility Fish- One Step Closer To a Low Maintenance Tank

[gofor100]

Hey Guys,

So I'm planning an upgrade (a pretty large one in fact) to a 72"L X 30"-36"W X 28"T tank, and was thinking briefly of a fish list (which is always fun of course).

And other than a few "must have fish" that include a Yellow Longnose Butterfly and a Regal Angel, I was thinking of what fish out there are good "utility fish"... meaning, what fish are actually "good" for the aquarium either because they eat nuisance algae (i.e., Scribble Rabbitfish apparently eat bubble algae), eat parasites (i.e., cleaner wrasse), etc.

So if you wouldn't mind helping, I'd like to compile a list of fish for what they do that might help us keep our hands out of our tanks more often

Thanks in advance for your input...

 

[32mm32]

I enjoyed my white cheek tang and he cleaned house and got along with the rest of the crew. No algae was safe, he ate it all (including bubble algae)

 

[SDguy]

Halichoeres species wrasses for general pest patrol.

 

[tcmfish]

Cleaner wrasses and shrimp don't control parasites!!!!!!!

+1 to SD's post.

Nuisance algae, shouldn't be planned for IMO, you can avoid that.

Solid clean up crew. Wrasse for pest control. Maybe a lawnmower blenny for some algae control.

 

[gorey]

My foxface is an algea champ!!

 

[jimroth]

My foxface is also a bubble algae asassin! He even got the PBT to start eating it.
+2 to the Halichoeres, they are fish with few negatives.
I like the copperband butterfly for aptasia control, but I realize it's not a fish for everyone.

 

[gofor100]

So far...

Algae:
> Lawnmower Blenny- I've got a Starry Blenny, and you have to love these little guys. They eat some algae (in my experience, they like the shorter growing stuff) and have great personalities to go with it.
> Tangs (in general)- now I know that some are great algae eaters, and others aren't so much. 32mm32 mentioned the whitecheek tang being a good overall algae eater. Does anyone have any insight as to ones that aren't that great and those that are?
> Rabbitfish (in general)- good overall algae eaters. I've heard (and as mentioned above) the Foxface and the Scribbled Rabbitfish are good algae eaters. I like the look of the Scribbled a bit better...

Pest Control
> Halichoeres wrasse: I think I heard they eat flatworms (is that right?) as well as other pests like predatory snails (I might be wrong)... but like people have said, mostly beneficial and no real negatives here.

Although, I somewhat agree with the fact that there are ways to avoid nuisance algae, I've seen the most careful of aquarists have some form of nuisance algae "sneak" in their tank either through a coral colony already attached to rock or what-not.

I'd also like to put Mandarin Dragonet out there for comments... I've heard some people say they might eat flatworms.

Dottybacks eat bristleworms... although I think most agree that small bristleworms are actually beneficial, so no sure if there is a huge benefit here.

Any others out there?

 

[gofor100]

Duplicate Post...

 

[Jacob D]

+3 on Halichoeres sp. They won't cut your maintenance down but they may keep some pests under control... and they are nice reef fish.

Here's my new buddy fresh out of QT snacking on some planaria treats

I have had doliatus rabbitfish eat bubble algae as well as other types of algae and all of my zoanthids also! I'm not against using fish to control algae, but IME most fish that are capable of making a substatial dent in the algae situation add quite a bit to the tank bioload... but it's easier to skim out poop than it is to remove bubble algae by hand.

 

[sneakerpimp]

My lemon peel angelfish eats algae all day.

Also if you're interested in getting a cleaner fish, get a neon goby. I'm not sure what he really cleans off fish, but he's a better option than a cleaner wrasse.

 

[gofor100]

My lemon peel angelfish eats algae all day.

Also if you're interested in getting a cleaner fish, get a neon goby. I'm not sure what he really cleans off fish, but he's a better option than a cleaner wrasse.

Absolutely agree... when I originally posted I meant the cleaner "gobies" since I'm not a big fan of keeping the cleaner "wrasses" since they have a lower survival rate. I think they eat the dead scales and stuff, but either way, very helpful (along with cleaner shrimp).