Need Ideas for Beneficial Reef Fishes

[Terrance]

I'm almost done plumbing and setting up my 120g. I want it to be a coral-only bare bottom tank with 1 cleaner shrimp. Corals is the main reason why I'm a reefer, and I don't care much about fishes.

My family wants me to get a few fishes. I might consider getting 1-2 fish if they are beneficial to my system and/or corals. At my LFS, they have 1 fish in each of they coral tanks - yellow tang. When I asked why a Yellow tang, a staff told me they are great for eating those eyesore algae. If I have to get a fish, then it seems right for me to get a Yellow tang at the first inhabitant. Any other beneficial fish recommended for reef? Or perhaps an invert?

[chris1292]

I have a yellow tang and kole tang. Both keep rocks clean but the kole seems so chomp at rocks more then the yellow.

[Clownin Aroun]

I have a white tail bristle tooth tang, he is constantly picking at the rocks! Pretty much all tangs will do that for you. If you only want a fish that will help out as well as look good go for a rare cool looking tang. That's why I got my tang, he's awesome looking and gets a job done for me!

[scarface70706]

reef safe fish will always be a benefit for a reef tank. corals love fish poo. just my two cents.

[that guy]

Foxface or kole tang for algea
six line/ yellow coris wrasse for pests

[Terrance]

I'm ok thanks for the suggestion for six line.

Yellow and kole are strong candidates.

[rtecanoe]

my yellow tang never ate any of my algae, my kole tang eats it all day long, my life is much easier now!

[FTDelta]

Six line wrasse are aggressive and folks here regret having them. LOL! You can't go wrong with clownfish.

[dml931]

i have a kole tang and a algae blenny that do a phenomenal job keeping my algae in check. along with my CUC members as well. snails, crabs, blennies will all help keep things in order in the right quantity.

[Arkayology]

Yellow Coris Wrasse is a good choice for an active fish that will eat pods and flatworms.

[mudcat1]

I have several acan colonies in my tank. My LFS told me that a kole tang might eat my acans. Have you had this problem in your tanks? I am considering a scopas tank or some type of bristle tooth tank (i.e. yellow eye kole tang) but don't want to lose any of my acans.

[Terrance]

I was looking into the lawnmower blenny until I read that some eat corals while others are peaceful. The hit-or-miss kinds of fish is not for me.

[MileHiReefR]

Lawnmower blennies are definitely hit or miss. I've had 2 in different tanks and 1 was great, always moving around in hard to reach crevices, stirring up stuff, feeding & never bothered anything really. The other was so aggressive he actually was leaving mouth marks on fish that he was attacking. Kole Tang would be my choice~

[Terrance]

I'm about to pick up both Kole and Yellow tang for my 120g tomorrow with 2 cleaner shrimp. No other occupants besides 1 astrea snail.

Would this be consider high bioload for my tank? I'm trying to go for as low bioload as possible.

No refugium, 1 skimmer and running carbon in my 120g with 40g sump.

[greg1786]

Good call on the kole tang. I have a yellow and a lavender in my 125 and they do a pretty good job picking at the little algae i have. They dont do anywhere near as good a job as my brothers kole tang used to. He lost it durin a power outtage but it was by far, hands down the best algae eating fish id ever seen. The only time he wasnt picking at the rocks was at night when he slept and twice a day when my brother fed his tank. Besides that fact they are pretty cool looking. As far as bio load with only two fish and three small inverts that is a very low bio load for a 160 gallon water volume.

[NeilFox]

Originally Posted by Terrance

I'm about to pick up both Kole and Yellow tang for my 120g tomorrow with 2 cleaner shrimp. No other occupants besides 1 astrea snail.

Would this be consider high bioload for my tank? I'm trying to go for as low bioload as possible.

No refugium, 1 skimmer and running carbon in my 120g with 40g sump.

Almost zero footprint. What coral are you planning to keep? You may end up starving your corals and fish, inverts. It's worth considering your coral choices to balance things out. Without food many SPS will lose color, forget about Zoas. They need nitrate to do more than just survive. If you are just propegating corals frag tank style this may be OK, you will need to feed the coral though. Even then alot of inverts and some fish are aiding in nutrient export. I think you could add alot more snails for example and hardly affect your bioload. One Astrea in a 120 is a drop in the bucket. They aren't really much to look at for the most part either. I would put about twenty in at a minimum. They won't add anything unless you feed them. Otherwise they are removing the nutrients. Be careful with the GAC also. I would suggest using it sparingly. Just my two cents. Again your coral selection has alot to do with it.

[Terrance]

i plan to only keep bta/lps only, then feed each coral jumbo mysis shrimp 1-2 times weekly.

i am also just thinking about get several more astreas (19 more as you mentioned) with 2 cleaner shrimls and not get fish at all. i am mainly doing this tank for the corals. some would consider my tank as a propagation tank, but im making it into a display tank. perhaps fish would only add phosphates (from feeding them) and nitrates (poop and waste).

also what do you mean by using GAC sparingly? i thought hobbyist use it to help with chemical warfare and polishing the water.

[NeilFox]

Originally Posted by Terrance

i plan to only keep bta/lps only, then feed each coral jumbo mysis shrimp 1-2 times weekly.

i am also just thinking about get several more astreas (19 more as you mentioned) with 2 cleaner shrimls and not get fish at all. i am mainly doing this tank for the corals. some would consider my tank as a propagation tank, but im making it into a display tank. perhaps fish would only add phosphates (from feeding them) and nitrates (poop and waste).

also what do you mean by using GAC sparingly? i thought hobbyist use it to help with chemical warfare and polishing the water.

Your plan sounds pretty good. I think that it is mainly softies that are the chemical warfare specialists. Even then this is usually limited to a stressed coral or one being crowded. I mainly feel that you don't need to use GAC all the time. Years ago I got overzealous with it. I stopped using it for awhile at the advice of a friend and saw my corals improve. I would still use it but for a few days at a stretch. LPS usually benefit from some nitrate, BTA's are pretty tough to keep and I am no authority on them. I am sure others will chime in.

[Hudds]

allthough not fish, you definately have to add a dolabella auricularia

[plastrman]

I have a Dussumieri tang that is none stop grazing on rocks

[alton]

Your tank needs to run for a couple months before adding fish. Maybe add some cuc's, check your parameters, and make sure everything is stable.

[saltyfishd]

+1 on the lawn mower blenny as they do help eat the algae on the glass and the nuisance algaes on the rocks. They may look not as pretty but they can be cute at what they do in a weird way haha

[Michigan Mike]

I love my lawnmower Blennie.
I think I may add a six line wrasse to my 29g that has a mean clownfish in it, it gets old having own fish attack you every time your hand touches the water & maybe the six line will eat some worms.

[Terrance]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

I will take the advice on the carbon.

I decided to go with no fish. Just got my 2 cleaner shrimps. Next purchase will be for a bunch of astrea snails. I'll probably just buy 1 astrea snail every time I see my LFS. It shouldn't take long before I have an over abundance of snails

Do you guys recommend any other critters that require no care and eat algae? Mexican turbo snails might take up too much space when it grows large. The only care I do now is daily checks to see if my astrea snail is flipped upside down and unable to get back on its feet.