Saltwater catfish

Eric H · Mar 30, 2020

What do you guys think about saltwater catfish as a cleaner?

EmdeReef · Mar 30, 2020

Most grow to be fairly large (~1ft+) and saltwater is a bit of a misnomer as these are mostly brackish water fish or can tolerate higher salinity. Some are venomous too so watch out. If you are looking for a sand bed cleaner, nassarius snails, cucumbers etc will usually do a better job.

Mikedawg · Mar 30, 2020

Eric H said:
What do you guys think about saltwater catfish as a cleaner?
I've only seen one marine species for sale in LFS (Phetusus angularis) and know they are venomous and spend much of the day laying on the bottom, sometimes upside down. Don't get the sense they are active "cleaners" like some freshwater species. And they can grow to 12"
Like above recommendation, I'd go with snails, etc. Fighting conchs and Tuxedo urchinse are favorites of mine and do a great job on algae/detritus/biofilm. Are you trying to target a particular problem in terms of needing a clean-up crew?