3 Fish that do a job in my tank.

atoll · Feb 25, 2023

I have 3 fish in my 100 gallon that are there not just because I like them and they fit in with my other fish, they're also there to do a job each.
1/ Black leopard wrasse. To eat any possible coral eating bugs.
2/ A Copperband butterfly. To eat any Aiptasia's that get into the tank.
3/ A Mimic tang. To browse on any algae that pops up in the tank.

I don't see any of the 3 things I want to keep at bay in my tank.

I also have a couple of chalk gobbies that help stir the top layers of my sand.

KrisReef · Feb 25, 2023

I just added some damsels that are supposed to eat flatworms (they also cause memory loss? as I can't remember what they are)

How does the black leopard wrasse interact with other fishes and corals, clams(?) in your tank? I might like to find one if it's a good community member?

I was given a rescue/sick Copperband Aiptasia Eliminator and that fish made me smile because it lived and thrived and destroyed the enemy!

I've just rescued a Naso from Petco. They had it mispriced and I've always wanted one, it's keeping the weeds trimmed nicely, slowly gaining weight and I should be with me a long time.

UtahReefer · Feb 25, 2023

Same here... Three wrasses plus a pink spotted goby to aerate and keep my sand in good shape. We paid for them, we fed them, they might as well earn their keep!

atoll · Feb 25, 2023

KrisReef said:
I just added some damsels that are supposed to eat flatworms (they also cause memory loss? as I can't remember what they are)

How does the black leopard wrasse interact with other fishes and corals, clams(?) in your tank? I might like to find one if it's a good community member?

I was given a rescue/sick Copperband Aiptasia Eliminator and that fish made me smile because it lived and thrived and destroyed the enemy!

I've just rescued a Naso from Petco. They had it mispriced and I've always wanted one, it's keeping the weeds trimmed nicely, slowly gaining weight and I should be with me a long time.

I don't have a clam but can't see a problem if I did with my black leopard wrasse. It bothers no other fish and no other fish bothers it.

KrisReef · Feb 25, 2023

atoll said:
I don't have a clam but can't see a problem if I did with my black leopard wrasse. It bothers no other fish and no other fish bothers it.

Excellent. I have been considering picking up a clean up fish crew member, so now I'll have to be on the look out for a BLW! Thanks
Kris

shakacuz · Feb 25, 2023

i have a yellow (coris) wrasse and a tomini tang in my tank. i have a midas blenny that does pick at algae once in a while

Idech · Feb 25, 2023

I have peppermint shrimps for aiptasia and bumble bee snails for vermetid snails. And a cleaner shrimp to annoy the corals by stealing their food.

Lavey29 · Feb 25, 2023

I think having utilitarian fish in the tank is as important as having a good diverse cleaner crew too

One you guys didn't mention that I have is a blue streak cleaner wrasse. He is constantly cleaning the fish of dead scales and parasites.

vetteguy53081 · Feb 25, 2023

KrisReef said:
I just added some damsels that are supposed to eat flatworms (they also cause memory loss? as I can't remember what they are)

How does the black leopard wrasse interact with other fishes and corals, clams(?) in your tank? I might like to find one if it's a good community member?

I was given a rescue/sick Copperband Aiptasia Eliminator and that fish made me smile because it lived and thrived and destroyed the enemy!

I've just rescued a Naso from Petco. They had it mispriced and I've always wanted one, it's keeping the weeds trimmed nicely, slowly gaining weight and I should be with me a long time.

Springieri damsel?

Garf · Feb 25, 2023

I got a filefish that’s done a right number on the Aiptasia in the tank. We laugh at him now because he hangs around the overflow comb, where he stares at the Aips on the overflow pipes

KrisReef · Feb 25, 2023

vetteguy53081 said:
Springieri damsel?

Bingo!
I went to a couple of LFS's, one person tried to sell me a blue, then a saphire damsel....

MPS · Mar 10, 2023

It would be faster if I listed the fish that don’t have “a job” but…
File fish- took a while to turn on but once it did, the Aiptasia quickly disappeared.
Lawnmower blenny is the best algae eater. My Gem, Sail fin and Tomini tangs are mostly worthless
Fairy wrasses take care of multiple bugs and worms.
Diamond goby does a great job at keeping the sand clean
Blue streak cleaner wrasse and skunk shrimp for cleaning the fish up.
brittlestar makes sure that NOTHING gets left behind on the sand bed.
I also keep a string cleanup crew, including Pods, which likely are the best algae eaters in the tank.

Court_Appointed_Hypeman · Mar 10, 2023

atoll said:
I have 3 fish in my 100 gallon that are there not just because I like them and they fit in with my other fish, they're also there to do a job each.
1/ Black leopard wrasse. To eat any possible coral eating bugs.
2/ A Copperband butterfly. To eat any Aiptasia's that get into the tank.
3/ A Mimic tang. To browse on any algae that pops up in the tank.

I don't see any of the 3 things I want to keep at bay in my tank.

I also have a couple of chalk gobbies that help stir the top layers of my sand.

Would you happen to know of a good fish for a 75G display that likes algae like sea lettuce? I've been looking and it seems like my only option may be a dwarf angel.

Also, what do you think of getting a long nose hawkfish or wrasse for possible ciral eating bugs, IF i want to keeo a sustainable pod population for a mandarin I already have?

atoll · Mar 10, 2023

Court_Appointed_Hypeman said:
Would you happen to know of a good fish for a 75G display that likes algae like sea lettuce? I've been looking and it seems like my only option may be a dwarf angel.

Also, what do you think of getting a long nose hawkfish or wrasse for possible ciral eating bugs, IF i want to keeo a sustainable pod population for a mandarin I already have?

Tuff one do you know which ulva you have?if it's ulva intestinalis then consider a small mimic tang.the mimic is the smallest of the tangs and grows very slowly. You should be fine with it for a number if years before you may need to move it on.

A wrasse will decimate the pods and you will need to get a mandarin onto frozen foods, some get them to accept small pellets and even flake. I have no experience with long nose hawkfish so can't advise on them from experience.

vlangel · Mar 10, 2023

I have a tomini tang and a Coral Beauty angelfish to pick stray algae and detritus, a neon cleaner goby to clean fish of parasites and a yellow watchman goby to sift the sand although my cucumber is much more effective at cleaning the sand than the YWG. He just looks adorable grumpy, LOL.

Court_Appointed_Hypeman · Mar 10, 2023

atoll said:
Tuff one do you know which ulva you have?if it's ulva intestinalis then consider a small mimic tang.the mimic is the smallest of the tangs and grows very slowly. You should be fine with it for a number if years before you may need to move it on.

A wrasse will decimate the pods and you will need to get a mandarin onto frozen foods, some get them to accept small pellets and even flake. I have no experience with long nose hawkfish so can't advise on them from experience.

Ulva Rotundata