What is your favorite 'utility' reef safe fish?

[Eva Rose]

What is your favorite 'utility' reef safe fish that you have had in your tank? I'm referring to fish that are beneficial ( do a 'job') like algae-eaters , sand sifters etc.

 

[jcdeng]

foxfaces, one spot to be more specific.

 

[michellejy]

Magnificent foxface. I almost cried when I had to give him up when my tank started leaking.

 

[Eva Rose]

Magnificent foxface. I almost cried when I had to give him up when my tank started leaking.

 

[Eva Rose]

They are gorgeous fish -especially the red accents on the magnificent.

 

[mute0514]

Starry blenny. Every tank I set up has to have one.

 

[Wiz]

I know they have mixed reviews but I have had a six line wrasse in every set up for 10 years. I love the colors on the fish and have never had any issue with them. They clean out any pests and are very active. Absolutely my favorite utility fish. Also love algae blennys. Not very attractive but extremely great personality!

 

[Quah]

Magnificent Foxface hands down the most useful fish I have. Eats bubble algae - what more could you ask for?

 

[AdamNC]

Lawnmower Blenny

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

A lawnmower blenny isn't the cutest thing, until you get to know him, but he works hard! HA!

 

[Eva Rose]

A lawnmower blenny isn't the cutest thing, until you get to know him, but he works hard! HA!

Thanks for your input. Really enjoying R2R. My hubby was in hospital and reading posts on R2R helped me pass time while he was sleeping/having tests. You have the best Forum site available! The members are friendly, helpful and conscientious. Thanks for creating such a positive environment!

 

[Psiber_Syn]

I love my lawnmower he's got such personality and I think he's cute with the eyebrows and all and he is always at work or watching tv he does that a lot also

 

[Jongalt26]

Im going to have to go with the lawnmower blenny as well, or as my wife and kids call him, The Sea Monster. Close call with our orangespot rabbit though.

 

[ReeferMaddness843]

Lawnmower blenny. Full of personality.

 

[Waters]

Either a Kole Tang or like everybody else, a Lawnmower Blenny.

 

[zoomonster]

That's a tough one. My bug patrol is my sixline and melanurus. Lawnmower blenny rocks the algae. Quite a personality and even my wife loves him because he's unusual and so ugly he's cute. When you get down to it though probably the only ones w/o a lot of benefit are all my Anthias and purple pseudo. The rest of the wrasses eat stuff too and the angels and tangs munch any algae to be found.

I'm going to say it again... always loved sixlines and had in every thank I've had since first in 89. They have gotten such a bad wrap and so many people hate them. I know people have had problems but I would venture that half the people have the opinion because they heard from so and so that someone they knew had an issue with one. This one I've had over 1.5yrs and i got him small which I think is a good idea. He's fat but in that time he really has not grown much if any. I think if you get a big one from the wild you might be asking for trouble. Thinking back none of mine have ever been big like some I have seen.

 

[Psiber_Syn]

I had a sixline he eventually jumped out after almost a year think My green coris chased him out though I never seen him eat bristles or any pest but he was always in the hunt for something the green coris wrasse was a good pest eater ate bristles and flatworms but the sand storm he caused multiple times a day lead to him finding another home. Had a file fish who ate aptasia pretty good but when it was all gone started eating zoas so he also had to go my fav animal is my harlequin shrimp he decimated asterina stars but now that they are gone have to feed her chocolate chip stars but I love watching her wrestle the star when I first put one in its like they can immediately smell it when it hits the water she comes out hunting for it almost as soon as it hits the bottom

 

[Eva Rose]

I had a sixline he eventually jumped out after almost a year think My green coris chased him out though I never seen him eat bristles or any pest but he was always in the hunt for something the green coris wrasse was a good pest eater ate bristles and flatworms but the sand storm he caused multiple times a day lead to him finding another home. Had a file fish who ate aptasia pretty good but when it was all gone started eating zoas so he also had to go my fav animal is my harlequin shrimp he decimated asterina stars but now that they are gone have to feed her chocolate chip stars but I love watching her wrestle the star when I first put one in its like they can immediately smell it when it hits the water she comes out hunting for it almost as soon as it hits the bottom

I had a sixline he eventually jumped out after almost a year think My green coris chased him out though I never seen him eat bristles or any pest but he was always in the hunt for something the green coris wrasse was a good pest eater ate bristles and flatworms but the sand storm he caused multiple times a day lead to him finding another home. Had a file fish who ate aptasia pretty good but when it was all gone started eating zoas so he also had to go my fav animal is my harlequin shrimp he decimated asterina stars but now that they are gone have to feed her chocolate chip stars but I love watching her wrestle the star when I first put one in its like they can immediately smell it when it hits the water she comes out hunting for it almost as soon as it hits the bottom

 

[Eva Rose]

That is interesting. I have a pair of the ORA Bristletail Filefish. I had a few aiptasia in my tank and was so excited when they would peck all around the aiptasia. But they would never eat the aiptasia. They eat off the Nori clip with my tangs.
Did yours eat aiptasia immediately?

 

[Psiber_Syn]

Sure did but the of a I got him from was already using it for that purpose so maybe he was pretrained the Doris wrasse was the same way would eat bristle worms and flat worms all day