"Utility" crew

[kwhyle]

I just wanted to know what your utility crew is in your tanks. By utility, I mean fish that help control unwanted pests and help with algae control. Basically asking to stock my 20g long

[jambon]

A six line wrasse... eats flatworms and pretty much any tiny critters it can catch. Nice looking as well

[samnaz]

I have a 20L, no fish just inverts for algae control. Are you looking for fish suggestions only?

[RayWhisperer]

Is there a particular pest you want controlled? 

[ew_fish]

For a 20l its hard to stock with fish that benefit. Sixline wrasse is a great fish to have. 

[kwhyle]

No nothing at the moment, but I just want to take all the preventative measures as possible. 

[Clown79]

I don't buy fish for utility, most of those need larger tanks, including the 6 line wrasse.

 

I buy snails  and hermits for cleaning up.

 

There's no 100% prevention of pests and there's no 100% guarantee that fish that are supposed to eat certain pests will.

 

I had peppermint shrimp, supposed to eat aiptasia. They didn't touch them but certainly enjoyed eating 3 acans brain corals 

[kwhyle]

1 hour ago, Clown79 said:

I don't buy fish for utility, most of those need larger tanks, including the 6 line wrasse.

 

I buy snails  and hermits for cleaning up.

 

There's no 100% prevention of pests and there's no 100% guarantee that fish that are supposed to eat certain pests will.

 

I had peppermint shrimp, supposed to eat aiptasia. They didn't touch them but certainly enjoyed eating 3 acans brain corals 

I know I want a handful of trochus snails and nassarius snails. But for crabs I'm hesitant because this will probably be a zoa dominate tank. As for peppermint shrimp, I saw the ones my LFS had were actually eating aiptasia so if I run into that problem, I can deal with it that way. 

[Clown79]

2 hours ago, kwhyle said:

I know I want a handful of trochus snails and nassarius snails. But for crabs I'm hesitant because this will probably be a zoa dominate tank. As for peppermint shrimp, I saw the ones my LFS had were actually eating aiptasia so if I run into that problem, I can deal with it that way. 

You can use aiptasia x which is more reliable than the shrimp. They can and do eat corals.

[samnaz]

unless you have tons of algae growth in your tank, five trochus snails is probably overkill. I'd say start out with 2-3 and if you still have an algae problem, then get more. They can bulldoze algae from a tank completely and then starve to death if you have too many. Also keep in mind nassarius snails are scavengers, not algae grazers, and they need meaty foods.

[Clown79]

Nassaurius are for sandbeds and are great.

 

Always start off with a small cuc  and add as needed

[kwhyle]

Yeah I'm finally starting to see some diatoms, so the plan is to get small cuc in a couple weeks that consists of a 1 trochus, 2 nassarius, then wait a month or two then get a diamond goby. Then ill focus on coral. 

[Clown79]

Diamond gobies can grow to 6" and a refugium is best with these gobies.

 

Nano tanks can't provide the necessary food they need from the sand bed.

 

Most sand sifters die in bank's because in a very short time period, they deplete the micro fauna in the sand bed.