Utility working fish - help me build a list

[sammy33]

I have a short list of utility fish for reef aquariums. These are working fish that actually can help the aquarium with algae control or pest control. These fish really earn their keep.

I think some of these fish are must haves in most reef aquariums. These fish seem to be pivotal in the eco system chain and seem to contribute to the overall balance of reef life. This is especially true with the hebivores. They are able to break the chain of excessive algae growth choking out other life in the tank!

Algae eaters

Lawnmower Blenny
(5in, 55gal, may nip clams and corals if not well fed)

Bristletooth Tangs
(7in, 75gal, smaller than most tangs and one of the least aggressive)

Rainfordi Goby
(2.5in, 20gal, grazes on algae)

Foxface Rabbitfish
(7.5in, 75gal, VENOMOUS SPINES (use caution when handling), may nip corals if not well fed)

The pest eliminators are sort of the "bug catchers" of the reef. They help sort of guard the other animals from parasites. These fish may not be "must haves" but do serve well in certain style aquariums. The Six Line is great for tanks with clams and the Gold Coris is great with clam tanks and even great in frag tanks (with sand).

Pest eliminators

Six Line Wrasse
(3in, 20gal, helps control parasitic pyramidellid snails and flatworms)

Gold Coris Wrasse
(4.5in, 30gal, may eat fanworms or small snails or small shrimps, will feed on fireworms or flatworms or pyramidellid snails, requires a deep sand bed for night sleep)

Any other ideas on working fish?

 

[FutureInterest]

This is a good idea! Although you have to include angels in the Algae eating section.

Also, you should add 2 more sections:

Gravel/substrate cleaning - where you include sand sifting creatures, like gobys and certain inverts.

Fish cleaning - cleaner shrimp, neon gobies, cleaner wrasse and so forth.

 

[jetchris]

diamond gobies work well on keeping sand clean

 

[ouling]

FutureInterest;57411 wrote:
Fish cleaning - cleaner shrimp, neon gobies, cleaner wrasse and so forth.

My cleaner shrimp like to eat my ultra expensive Christmas Tree Worms. My Neon Goby, which was caught by me yesterday thank god, bothers every clam I put in my tank that is over 4''; the fish just sits in the clams mantle and bits on the thing! Clam is always too slow to catch the neon goby.

Hope you have better luck with them than me!

 

[lifestudent]

Great thread idea Sammy!

More Pest eliminators

The 8 line wrasse.
(Length 4", 55+, eats flatworms)

Copperbanded Butterfly.
(4-5", possibly a a 55G/75+ is better. They eat aptasia, but they will also nip clams and eat tunicates and feather dusters.

 

[mojo]

We need to get all this in the Wiki. MattTVI already started added

 

[cameron]

Any chance for the wiki to get added into the search engine and a clear jump spot on the forum menu bar such as Articles/Wiki rather than Articles?

 

[mojo]

Sure- I'll try to do both in the next day or two. I'm getting slammed at work right now...

 

[nano_reefer92]

<span style="font-size: 16px;"><u>Dragonface Pipefish</u></span>
This species of pipefish has been found to consume the micro-amphipod commonly referred to as the dreaded "Red Bugs" that have now become prevalent in reef aquariums that contain Acropora coral. Red Bug infestations on Acropora corals have been shown to inhibit polyp extension and growth, while causing shifts or loss in coloration. After the pipefish is accustomed to the surroundings and tankmates in the reef aquarium, they will quickly seek out these red bugs as a food source.

this is out of this link they are 19.99

 

[sammy33]

Big D;57353 wrote: <span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;">The Canary Wrasse supposedely will eat pyramidal snails... hmmm, that's probably also called a Gold Coris though isn't it?...</span>

<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;">Big D</span>

Canary Wrasse, Golden Wrasse, Yellow Coris (Halichoeres chrysus</em>) are all the same fish. :fish:

 

[sammy33]

Nestor - Excellent suggestion on the Pipefish for SPS tanks. I would like to see somebody set up an SPS dominant tank with these fish as the main attraction.

 

[nano_reefer92]

so would i was thinking about that to looks very cool and help to catch redbugs shock and aww so you kill two birds with one stone

 

[wbholwell]

sammy33;58800 wrote: Nestor - Excellent suggestion on the Pipefish for SPS tanks. I would like to see somebody set up an SPS dominant tank with these fish as the main attraction.

I agree- that would be very cool. But wouldn't high flow be bad for the pipefish?

 

[sammy33]

wbholwell;58810 wrote: I agree- that would be very cool. But wouldn't high flow be bad for the pipefish?

Hmm? - This is what makes it such a challenge.

Chill zones with lower flow would help. I would think old school water movement (powerheads) would not work but large volume wavemakers (like a tunze wave box or wave2k) would likely work. I think it is the jets of water that seahorses/pipefish are not fond of.

Maybe one of the more experienced pipefish folks will chime in?

 

[dough]

Pseudochromis for small bristle worms

 

[dough]

butterflies for aiptasia

 

[sammy33]

Brians previous post got me to thinking...uh oh. :lol2:

It seems that a good number of these potentially beneficial fish have a price:

blenny - may nip clams
rabbit fish - venomous spine
pipefish - great for redbugs on sps but prefers low flow

:unsure:

So let's look at the working fish categories we have here so far:

Algae eaters
Pest eliminators
Sand cleaners
Fish cleaners

What would be the best fish for each of these categories?

 

[dough]

Well, I guess you can say Pipefish for Acro's for which the RB are associated with. But not all SPS need high flow.

 

[nano_reefer92]

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16&cat=1873&articleid=1859">http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16&cat=1873&articleid=1859</a>
some info on these pipefish
[IMG]http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=2017&articleid=3150">http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=2017&articleid=3150</a>
more info
[IMG]http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=37547">http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=37547</a>
fourm post
[IMG]http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Transwiki:Red_acro_bug">http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Transwiki:Red_acro_bug</a>
info on redbugs
[IMG]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-11/totm/index.php">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-11/totm/index.php</a>
tank of the month and see how he did it he has pipefish and sps