Working Fish

[Learning_The_Hard_Way]

Since my recent bout with Ich, I learned about (and got ) a cleaner wrasse.  It really made a difference. Several of the fish stop and let him pick over them and thats neat to see and the kids love it.  I only learned of this from having a "Problem".

Are there other fish (or creatures) I should consider to get now for my tank that will help control "problems" of things that may or may not happen? That way its caught early and does not snowball into a larger problem.

[jd]

Here's a short list of fish/inverts that do a "job" Remember that most of these creatures only help mitigate problems and the things the help solve should be taken care of at their root.

Algae Control:

Rabbit fish
Foxface
Sailfin Blenny
Mollys (yes the 'freshwater' kind)
Sea Hares
Emerald crabs (hit or miss with bubble algae, may nip coral)
Various Snails

Pest Control:

Cleaner Shrimp (I love mine, weather he does anything or not, I don't care, he is very cool and active.)
Various Nudibranchs (remember there are far more dangerous kinds then good)
Copperband Butterflies (aptasia and other pest anemones)

Thats all I got for now. 

 

[Reefd Up]

Don't forget the six-line wrasse and the coris wrasse for flatworms...

[HUNGER]

and coral banded shrimp

[reefman]

cleaner wrasse are really a bad Idea unless you have huge fish over a foot long with lots of problems. Most cleaner wrasse never live long in an aquarium.

[jd]

cleaner wrasse are really a bad Idea unless you have huge fish over a foot long with lots of problems. Most cleaner wrasse never live long in an aquarium.

This depends on weather they eat prepared foods or not.

[lazylivin]

and coral banded shrimp

What do they do?

[jd]

What do they do?

From what I've heard, kill your other unwanted shrimp 

[Learning_The_Hard_Way]

Thanks guys.  My cleaner wrasse eats prepared food like crazy.  The 6 line keeps him in line, but other than that hes very active and a neat fish.  I saw my tang stop mid tank and let him look him over hit him in a few spots then moved on.  It was realy cool.

On the cleaner shrimp are there several types or just "cleaner shrimp"?

[rayviv]

The 'Skunk Shrimp' is called cleaner shrimp. They will hang on to fish and clean them. I believe that there is another shrimp that does likewise but is not prefered for reef tanks. The peppermint shrimp is also a good shrimp. Some one like joel will answer this much better.     

[reefman]

With the wrasse I do not think it matters, I will see if I can find the article about them.

[reefman]

Many marine experts confirm these problems, and do not recommend cleaner wrasses for home marine aquariums.

•In his book, The Conscientious Marine Aquarist, author Robert M. Fenner says, "I have heard stories and seen the endemic Hawaiian Cleaner, L. phthirophagus accepting dry-prepared, freeze dried, fresh, and live foods, still wasting away and dying."
•Authors Dr. P. V Loiselle and Hans A. Baensch in their book Marine Aquarist Manual, state, "Labroides dimidiatus, L. bicolor and L. phthirophagus differ only in the rapidity with which they starve to death in captivity." Additionally they describe that to escape starvation cleaner wrasses begin harassing their tank mates, "...slow starvation translate to incessant solicitation of their companions that drives both their intended clients and their keepers to complete distraction".

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http://animal-world.com/encyclo/marine/wrasses/information/CleanerWrassesInTheAquarium.php

[jd]

Thank you Reefman, that is a great article. Fingers crossed my does okay in the coming months.

[rayviv]

My cleaner wrasse does a great job at cleaning the fish and eats prepared foods like its going out of style.
 
He is a year and some months old.

[HUNGER]

good find reef man

What do they do?

iv seen them come out in my tank and what looks like clean a tang befor

[UD Flyer]

good find reef man



iv seen them come out in my tank and what looks like clean a tang befor

More like he's trying to catch him for a snack than clean him.

[Reefd Up]

Banded Coral Shrimp will often eat bristleworms and other small worms (note...they probably won't eat the giant worm Lonnie had...lol.)  Same goes for the Arrow Crab, but don't keep both in the same tank...they're arch enemies.

[HUNGER]

that be a big snack lol