Game Changing Livestock

[ricksmithsdca]

Today let's talk about livestock, fish or invert, that you have added to your reef that ended up being a game changer for the overall health of your reef tank! I recently added in a sleeper goby and I feel like with his sand sifting abilities that he will be one for me! What about you?

What fish or invert have you added that you would consider to be a game changer to the overall health of your reef? Be specific!


image via @madweazl

I just added a Tang to my tank... I see him picking at the algae like there's no tomorrow. I feel like he is going to be a game changer in fighting the algae in my tank. I might change my answer after my cleanup crew gets her this week though lol

 

[SPS2020]

Cerith Snails...400 of them in my 100g. They are amazing at getting into small spaces. Ordered them from Amazon at a great price out of FL.

Also, a Bristletooth Tang; he gets along fine with my Yellow Tang and eats much more algae

 

[Edmunds Reef]

I have a goby that moves and cleans the sand. It is great for that. Bad part is that he is always putting sand on top of my Zoa's. I also have a Turbo snails that keep the algea out of the tank. I find some. Think I am going to have to clean it. Next morning they already cleaned it.

 

[WvAquatics]

My diamond gobie was a life saver until he disappeared. I'm not in the market for more sand sifters. They all jump though so I might need a lid. Ugh why did the goby suicide.

 

[KeystoneReefer]

Zebra snails was it for me. They made quick work of my cyano problem haha

 

[Razorp]

Yes, game changing for the worst unfortunately... My son was in love with skunk cleaner shrimp (aka the bug)...

That stupid thing spends all day and night picking my anemone to pieces and I cant catch him for the life of me. Someone please give me a tip to help with this lol.

1. Yes i feed him plenty.
2. i have tried shooing him away from the nem multiple times.
3. I have two nems, but its my oldest that he has almost picked to death. I even tried flipping the rock around where the anemone would be in a different spot.

 

[Reefvision]

Aphasia eating file fish ( ora I think/Biota) getting er done lol!”

 

[Jase4224]

Yes, game changing for the worst unfortunately... My son was in love with skunk cleaner shrimp (aka the bug)...

That stupid thing spends all day and night picking my anemone to pieces and I cant catch him for the life of me. Someone please give me a tip to help with this lol.

1. Yes i feed him plenty.
2. i have tried shooing him away from the nem multiple times.
3. I have two nems, but its my oldest that he has almost picked to death. I even tried flipping the rock around where the anemone would be in a different spot.

Just make one of these bottle trap and put food in it. Not my pic btw

 

[Jase4224]

I’m getting a yellow tang to keep my rock work clean and considering a couple of cucumbers for my sand. I have a harlequin tusk so don’t want to risk adding a sand sifting goby and he picks on snails.

If the tang and cucumbers do what I hope they will it will definitely take my tank to the next level and reduce maintenance.

 

[Razorp]

Just make one of these bottle trap and put food in it. Not my pic btw

Oh this is brilliant!! I will be doing this tonight, thank you!!

 

[Acroguy]

Tomini tang and scopas tang +trochus snails for algae grazing.Also picked up a couple of those tiny 1/4inch conch like snails at the LFS.Now I have like a hundred of them.They get into places the trochus can’t.
A pair of sixline wrasses for pest prevention.

 

[KWT]

A Diamond goby, and a Harlequin shrimp. Turbo snails as well.

 

[Chessmanmark]

Sold as a Melanurus. Turns out it is a Vrolick’s.

It eats pests which comes in handy for a reef tank.

In my nano I have a Filefish. It is also a great utility fish.

 

[GoReefin]

Probably my fighting conch he ate all my cyano bacteria in 1 night.

 

[mehaffydr]

I had Aptasia rel bad and I added a Kliens Butterfly and within 60-90 days all aptasia was gone.

 

[MKcat]

I've had several over the years to combat various issues. Peppermint shrimp for aptasia, emerald crabs for bubble algae, 2 cleaner shrimp when I had an ich outbreak(years ago and it was literally like the movie Nemo, my kids were small at the time and thought it was the coolest thing ever to see them jump on the tangs, and clean them. All of the tangs survived and the ich disappeared) Diamond goby to sift my sand bed.
I'm thinking now I need to add a sixline wrasse back into my tank(last one died a year ago that I had for 10 years) in the last week I've noticed a massive amount of bristle worms at feeding time come from the rocks and sand bed. It's nasty. It's like they suddenly exploded in population!

 

[Mike Butler]

Today let's talk about livestock, fish or invert, that you have added to your reef that ended up being a game changer for the overall health of your reef tank! I recently added in a sleeper goby and I feel like with his sand sifting abilities that he will be one for me! What about you?

What fish or invert have you added that you would consider to be a game changer to the overall health of your reef? Be specific!


image via @madweazl

Lawnmower Blenny for me. Best fish I have ever added to clean up and maintain algae. Yellow Tangs are also useful.

 

[Jakepen]

Just recently added and sleeper goby as well! Hated him for the first two weeks just because of how cloudy he made my tank. Now that he has turned over every square inch of my bed, it no longer kicks up dust and it’s white as snow.

 

[swee10]

My diamond Gobe keeps the sand clean. But I bought a yellow tang when I had so much Calerpa I was pulling it by hand every night. He cleared it all in a couple days and has kept the tank clean ever since.

 

[vetteguy53081]

best things that ever went in my large tank were these two teens, for if it was not for them, arranging rock during transfer would have been a nightmare.