Transformative fish that eliminate problems

[Chessmanmark]

There are countless posts about the same issues, aiptasia, bryopsis, sandbeds, etc.

While hobbyists continue to bang their heads against their tanks, often over thinking how
to solve the problem, there are often simple biological fixes.

If you have a problem keeping your sand bed clean a diamond goby will solve your problem.

The debate continues over aiptasia. In my experience Burghia is a temporary solution. I used them and it fixed my problem for a year, but it was not a permanent solution. A captive bred Filefish will keep aiptasia at bay for as long as you have the fish.

Hair algae, in particular bryopsis, can be frustrating. In my experience a good Foxface will set your mind at ease. At least it solved my problem. Keep in mind individual fish don’t always live up to the group expectation. Eradicating bryopsis in the overflow is another issue. Manual pruning only goes so far.

Then there are issues like bubble algae that emerald crabs will eliminate, however pulling it out manually has worked for me.

For a nano tank I find linear blennys superior when it comes to eating hair algae to other blennys.

Wrasses also do a wonderful job keeping certain “ pests” at bay. A Melanurus wrasse is a great addition to a tank.

And bumble bee snails can help with vermetids. Just be aware they can also eat other snails as well.

What are the biological work horses in your tank?

 

[shakacuz]

court jester goby eats the hair algae in my tank, yellow coris wrasse keeps pests at bay(although i am thinking he's not eradicating them. have a feeling i have something that's veeeeeery slowly eating at my zoa's..).

i have a 40B and dealing with bryopsis in my fuge.

 

[Chessmanmark]

court jester goby eats the hair algae in my tank, yellow coris wrasse keeps pests at bay(although i am thinking he's not eradicating them. have a feeling i have something that's veeeeeery slowly eating at my zoa's..).

i have a 40B and dealing with bryopsis in my fuge.

Great minds think alike. You were posting about a Coris Wrasse, which adds a terrific splash of yellow to a tank, as I was editing my post to add a Melanurus. My lights were just coming on and I noticed my Vrolik’s wrasse which has served me well. It’s a beautiful and active fish.

 

[Rtaylor]

Copperband butterflyfish will typically handle aptasia…..although mine seems to have gotten a bit lazy.

rock urchins and abalones decimate many algaes

sleeper gobies are good sand sifters, also conch snails, and sand sifting starfish

for bryprosis just use fluconazole (Reef flux)

 

[Chessmanmark]

Copperband butterflyfish will typically handle aptasia…..although mine seems to have gotten a bit lazy.

rock urchins and abalones decimate many algaes

sleeper gobies are good sand sifters, also conch snails, and sand sifting starfish

for bryprosis just use fluconazole (Reef flux)

I was considering trying Reef flux before I purchased my Foxface. I have a predominately soft coral build in my 40B, and would not have hesitated, however I have expensive SPS in my 90 and I was nervous about using it in there. I’m glad I didn’t have too. Losing two years worth of growth with expensive corals would be devastating. For as many positive testimonials I have read on here, I have read more problematic experiences.
I don’t think a once size fits all approach is prudent when it comes to chemical treatments that have the potential to cause harm. I had a terrible experience with Chemi Clean back in 2006 and would always try an approach that avoids chemical treatments first.

 

[Sean Clark]

My Atlantic blue tang is the best rock grazer that I have ever had. All day every day it pecks at the rocks.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Great thread!

 

[mattdg]

Agree with all of the above. There is a reason why the biggest tanks, with a large population of tangs, blennies, wrasses, file fish seem to stay clean of algae and many other pests. I know this thread is about fish, but I'll add the common tank bred variegated pin cushion sea urchin to this list along with the common abalone. Both do an excellent job at grazing on algae and are interesting to watch.

 

[brandon429]

two points:

the diamond gobies are truly amazing bed cleaners agreed. to the degree they're about as good as a rip clean and require no tank takedown to attain pristine sand.


not considering disease vectoring is a massive risk in this method, just a massive serious risk to anyone's current fish stock. So, buy the pre quarantined options of these animals. source: the entire fish disease forum and Jay's article on biosecurity.

it would be neat to account for these fish's abilities in the original tank setup or during the original disease prep steps

 

[Reef_Obsessed]

I have heard about of all natural fixes and it’s all good and well if it worked for you, but I’ve never been lucky. Anytime I’ve introduced anything to fix an issue, it backfired. For example, I had terrible GHA one time, so I figured, why not, I’ll try a sea hare. It munched on the GHA for a few days…until it fell right into the middle of my elegance coral and got stung to death. Seahare turned the water purple. Good thing I had a skimmer. Took 3 days for the water to clear. I was lucky I didn’t lose any stock.

I saw an orange-spot goby I’d love to buy, but I’m concerned it will make a mess of my sand.

 

[135zman]

I’ve have a large pink spot goby in my 135 g cube tank that has been with me for 6 years. He isn’t interested in sand cleaning. Would adding a diamond goby be compatible with the pink spot or would pink spot be territorial? Anyone have experience with different types of sand dwelling gobies?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

One spot foxface (Siganus unimaculatus) eliminated any algae concern, including a substantial caulerpa racemosa infestation in my display tank.

Chelmon marginalis ( similar to copperband butterfly) eliminated a substantial aiptasia infestation.

Both were added for these purposes, and both were successful.

 

[davidcalgary29]

Matted filefish are very hit-or-miss. Mine ignored the substantial aiptasia population in the tank...but ate my acans. It's also turned into a dedicated nori eater, and will actually eat some nuisance algae, so there's that.

Diamond gobies aren't your only option for substrate cleaning. The Sleeper Gold Head goby is another sand sifter, but has gorgeous colouring, as well.

Molly miller blennies really do eat a lot of algae, including nuisance varieties. Mine does not, however, eat aiptasia.

My mandarin goby repeatedly picked at vermetid snails. I don't know if it ate them, but it sure did like their mucus nets!

 

[muzikalmatt]

I know this thread is about fish, but I'd also add the harlequin shrimp for dealing with asterina starfish. I'm considering getting one myself as they have exploded in my tank and I'm noticing that they are starting to irritate my zoas. I enjoyed them at first when their population was smaller and they didn't seem to bother anything, but now I think it's time for them to go.

 

[Grumblez]

court jester goby eats the hair algae in my tank, yellow coris wrasse keeps pests at bay(although i am thinking he's not eradicating them. have a feeling i have something that's veeeeeery slowly eating at my zoa's..).

i have a 40B and dealing with bryopsis in my fuge.

My court jester liked to pick at the algae but so small would need a fleet to make an impact

 

[shakacuz]

My court jester liked to pick at the algae but so small would need a fleet to make an impact

they're more for smaller tanks anything less than 40G is ideal for them. anything bigger would require more of them.

 

[Chessmanmark]

I’ve have a large pink spot goby in my 135 g cube tank that has been with me for 6 years. He isn’t interested in sand cleaning. Would adding a diamond goby be compatible with the pink spot or would pink spot be territorial? Anyone have experience with different types of sand dwelling gobies?

I have a Watchman and a Diamond Goby in a 40B. I would think a 135 g cube would give ample space for two gobies to have enough territory of their own to coexist.

 

[mattdg]

I now always keep a Fiji Blue Devil Damsel, or two, in my tank. Many years back, I had a flatworm infestation and I'd blow the little jerks off the coral into the water column with a Maxijet. I think the blue devil damsel thought I was doing it just for him. He'd dart around gobbling up every single worm that came off.

When you see one of your fish totally going to town on one of your dreaded reef enemies, really... there is nothing more rewarding than that.