Fish that serve a purpose in a reef tank

greenreefer

greenreefer

Active Member
tried this in fish discussion about a week ago with no responses, so i'll try again here.
I'm setting up a 125 and I will be bringing a sixline wrase from another tank, but other than that it will be a fresh start. I'd like to build a list of the fish that will serve a purpose first (pest control, algea control, etc) and then I can suplement with things I might like. I primarily keep zoanthids, but will occasioanlly add something else including SPS. I'd like a Tominni or Kole Tang and probably a purple or yellow tang, so that's 3 fish. Open book from here. thanks
 
oceansidefish

oceansidefish

Active Member
Thats a great idea....However, in a well balanced tank you will have few things that will need much control. Haveing specialized fish will only require you to have special feedings in your tank. Personally I would go with a Reef that is naturally sustainable. Meaning getting aquacultured livestock and corals instead of things that are wild caught.
 
greenreefer

greenreefer

Active Member
I hear ya, but I think I'm like most folks here, I like to buy, sell, and trade, so new critters and macro algae constantly coming in.
 
cveverly

cveverly

Member
Your CUC should do most of the work in a reef tank. Fish are primarily eye candy. There are exceptions like your wrasse if you have a pyramidellid snail or flatworm issue. Copper Band Butterfly has been known to eat Aiptasia and Majonos. Gobies can be nice little sand sifters. As mentioned above the lawnmower blenny for algae control. Foxface has been known to eat bubble algae.
I am sure there are others that will be added to the list.
 
mr_x

mr_x

Active Member
what is your substrate? perhaps something to keep the sand surface clean? a sand sifting goby...even an engineer goby will move the sand alot, but mine likes to bury frags from time to time.
 
fattony

fattony

Member
Green.. a Kole is going to take a lot of suplemental feeding with Nori, but they are excellent workers on algae. They have a voracious appetite! I'd also recommend a cleaner fish or shrimp with the addition of Tangs, and a sandsifter of some sort...
 
jpa0741

jpa0741

Member
I keep a foxface for any algae, A wrasse for pyramidellid snail and flatworm and a diamond goby for keeping my sand white.
 
greenreefer

greenreefer

Active Member
With two tangs is a 125 how often should a clip of nori be added to the tank? Any rough idea how big of a piece should used (approx)?
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Neon goby's... unbelievable parasite eaters/cleaners IMO much better than cleaner shrimp. They also do not rely solely on parasites as their food source. They are omnivorous so they pretty much gobble anything up. Its also really cool to see them ride your bigger fish around the tank.
 
girlina4x4

girlina4x4

Member
Originally Posted by GreenReefer
http:///forum/post/2746110
With two tangs is a 125 how often should a clip of nori be added to the tank? Any rough idea how big of a piece should used (approx)?
The sheets I get are about 5x6 (think of a large index card). I cut it in half and put it on the clip. By the next day, its gone. I have a 2 inch sailfin and a lawnmower blenny who eat the seaweed. The snails eat any leftovers. I would plan on putting in one sheet per day.
 
perfectdark

perfectdark

Active Member
Originally Posted by GreenReefer
http:///forum/post/2746186
thanks, i didn't know they ate both parasites as well as other food. I'll add one to the list.
With a tank that size you could do 3 or 4 of them. They stay very small only 2" max length.
 
fattony

fattony

Member
Originally Posted by Girlina4x4
http:///forum/post/2746199
The sheets I get are about 5x6 (think of a large index card). I cut it in half and put it on the clip. By the next day, its gone. I have a 2 inch sailfin and a lawnmower blenny who eat the seaweed. The snails eat any leftovers. I would plan on putting in one sheet per day.
+1
 
greenreefer

greenreefer

Active Member
does a diamond goby (sand sifter) need to be feed anything or do the live on live stuff in the sand? If they live on live stuff in the sand I assume there is a certain amount of time that the tank should be up and running for the population yo be established before adding a dimond goby.
 
alix2.0

alix2.0

Active Member
Originally Posted by GreenReefer
http:///forum/post/2745646
Are copper banded butterflies polyp safe?
only read the thread down to here, so excuse me if this doesnt pertain. my CBB left all my softies and LPS alone except for my favites brain. didnt bother my zoas at all.
 
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