The MUST HAVE workers in your tank that really earn their keep!

Are you housing specific fish & inverts for the sole purpose of "working" in your tank?

  • Yes

    Votes: 731 90.4%
  • No

    Votes: 68 8.4%
  • Was unaware of working fish and inverts

    Votes: 10 1.2%

  • Total voters
    809

flsalty

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I think most have a CUC added for that purpose. As far as fish go, I would never add one to do a specific job. As has been mentioned, that can backfire. However, if a fish I like happens to benefit the tank in some way, that is a bonus.
 

Jfinn

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Yellow-eye Tang, check
08E67C7F-37BE-4993-996F-66B9B4431FD3.jpeg

Diamond Goby, check
241943A7-1A7B-41A6-8264-F2C31CDB6146.jpeg

Conch, check
E0C47F4B-8C53-431A-8155-A70D976100DB.jpeg

CBB, check
B86CCA5C-5DF1-4A78-B68F-D58D0F697429.jpeg
 

KrisReef

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Filefish for algae control and entertainment.
Tangs for my wife and to work on the algae.
A wrasse to look pretty and hunt worms, (just added yesterday).
Clowns to tend the anemone, to look nice and someday breed.
All of the fish were hired to eat fish food and produce coral food.
Snails to clean the glass (they have failed!)
Live rock for the sponges, and clams to look nice while they filter feed.

I kicked the peppermint shrimp to the refuge when they were suspected of eating corals instead of Aptasia.
 

Dr. Dendrostein

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Today let's talk about the fish and inverts that really earn their keep! They are the best bang for the buck when it comes to housing them in exchange for the "services" they provide!

What are the MUST HAVE workers (fish,inverts) in your tank? Please tell us why as well!


image via @Mike&Terry
3.png
I couldn't do it without my 150+ Nassarius snail
 

norfolkgarden

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20190817_171825.jpg

This guy is my algae eating champ. I also have a tuxedo urchin to get into smaller spots.
Gorgeous!

We finally found one with a dime sized body for our 75 gallon. About 4 inch diameter to the outside of the spines.
It grew to a quarter size in 6 months.

Returned it while I still could as it was outgrowing the tank. Lol, and I was tired of accidentally poking myself...

Supposedly they can reach more than 3 inch body in size.
Saw plenty of 3 inch sized scuba diving in Hawaii.

Lol, Bought one of the plastic container boxes to set it in inside the bag to get it home.

Used the same container to return it.

Would love to have a tank large enough in the future to keep one for life.
 

Aheinz

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Got my blue sapphire damsel to try and make a dent with red planaria, worked for a bit then she realized easier to just eat prepared foods
 

Emon

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I had a problem with algae on my sand bed and then I got two conchs and they are doing their job keeping the sand bed virtually spotless. Also I housed a diamond back goby but, after awhile he started to move too much sand and also started playing football with the small hermit crabs so I had to evict him. In my fishonly tank I housed a sea hare and he did a real good job taking care of algae not only on the sand bed also all my rock
 

living_tribunal

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Yes, my two clowns weren’t pooping enough to keep my nitrate and phosphate at 3 and .03 so I ordered more fish to add more poop.
 

living_tribunal

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I had a problem with algae on my sand bed and then I got two conchs and they are doing their job keeping the sand bed virtually spotless. Also I housed a diamond back goby but, after awhile he started to move too much sand and also started playing football with the small hermit crabs so I had to evict him. In my fishonly tank I housed a sea hare and he did a real good job taking care of algae not only on the sand bed also all my rock


My conch is a bad mfer, dude mean mugs me from the caves in my tank.
 

ca1ore

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Other than the clean up crew, tangs to eat algae, halichoeres wrasse to eat pests, cleaner wrasse to pester the tangs, pyramids/angels to eat aiptasia/majano.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 64 36.8%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 59 33.9%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 14.4%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 26 14.9%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
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