2 for 1: BEST FISH & INVERT for cleaning sand and eating algae!

[RudyB]

2 for 1: BEST FISH & INVERT for cleaning sand and eating algae!

It's a 2 for 1 kind of Friday and today we're going to talk about what you think in the best fish and the best invert for two very important aquarium tasks! Keeping the sand clean and keeping the algae eaten! YES!

Sand gets ugly at times and (along with our own regular maintenance) needs a critter or fish to help keep it stirred and cleaned. Along with that is nasty algae that can begin to grow and various fish and inverts may or may not eat it depending on the type. So there are several variables at play here but today we're going to focus on the BEST of these in our own opinion. So now I need your opinion on the matter by answering the following questions.

1. What is the best invert and fish that is best for keeping the sand stirred and clean?

2. What is the best invert and fish that is best for keeping aquarium algae eaten?


@bubbaque's beautiful blue spotted jawfish

I have two Bullet goby's That keep my sand white and clean. Then I have my tangs that do the rest. I also noticed that my foxface does a good job as well.

 

[Michael Adam]

Am I the only one with most of what's being mentioned in my tank. Lol. I have everything mentioned except lawnmower/diamond blenny and urchins.

 

[GoTakeANap]

How do y'all think a blue spotted jawfish does for sifting sand?

I love mine. He does a great job. Just wish it cleaned the entire sand bed. Mine tends to just stay on the right side but it’s as clean as it could be.

 

[GrandpaShark]

Great topic. I have a diamond goby boy this guy works his fins off constantly moving my sand bed around. Also have a cleaner shrimp he is a cool dude and is hand fed. 2 crabs as well. Also have a few various hermit crabs and snails. Oh yeah and I have a urchin.
I recently purchased a foxface (foxy) wow he sure cleans up the algae as well constantly picking away.
Overall I think i am covered for now. I feel my CUC is doing a marvelous job, I couldn't be happier with their fishwork.

 

[Eric_Everts]

I have in my 180G Long :
1 Bella Goby - By far the best of all my sand sifters
1 Blue Spot Goby and Tiger Shrimp
1 Yellow Watchman and Shrimp
1 Sand Sifting Star
Many Nasarius Snails (10+)
and a few other misc CUC

 

[SRQreefer]

Purple pincushion urchins, turbo snails and some lettered olives for stirring the sand. These guys and stable parameters and I'm algae free!

 

[drblakjak55]

Best algae eating fish: Bristletooth Tang
Inverts: bunch of hermits. Blue or red leg never had a rogue. Large Nassarius snails.
However best algae remover is a good turkey baste of the rocks at least once a week. Especially include big zoa colonies

 

[Dark_Knightt]

2 for 1: BEST FISH & INVERT for cleaning sand and eating algae!

It's a 2 for 1 kind of Friday and today we're going to talk about what you think in the best fish and the best invert for two very important aquarium tasks! Keeping the sand clean and keeping the algae eaten! YES!

Sand gets ugly at times and (along with our own regular maintenance) needs a critter or fish to help keep it stirred and cleaned. Along with that is nasty algae that can begin to grow and various fish and inverts may or may not eat it depending on the type. So there are several variables at play here but today we're going to focus on the BEST of these in our own opinion. So now I need your opinion on the matter by answering the following questions.

1. What is the best invert and fish that is best for keeping the sand stirred and clean?

2. What is the best invert and fish that is best for keeping aquarium algae eaten?


@bubbaque's beautiful blue spotted jawfish

Im real happy we made this thread because i need a fish to eat lots of my algae XDD

 

[rtbell1771]

Sand - Diamond Goby and Fighting Conch
Algae - Turbo snail/ Emerald Crab and Sailfin Tang

 

[edreefer]

I have an abalone and fighting conch for algae, amoungst others, but these definitely are more vicious on the algae.

For sand sifting, diamond goby, pistol shrimp, and wrasses. My yellow corise and leopard wrasses stir up the tank every night to sleep under the sand bed.

 

[Thomas.Pope]

I have a Golden headed sleeper Goby that keeps my sand nice and white.
And for algae I have turbo snails and tangs and a one spot foxface but the one fish I’d have to say goes at the algae all day is my blue eyed Kole Tang

 

[LatinoHeat]

I have a question. I've never done anything other then a fiji pink sand bed. With my 40 breeder I'm starting, it's going to have a Hawaiian Black sand bed. Which is like a gravel. What combo do you guys recommend for that sand bed type?

 

[kruler]

+1 for any Bristletooth Tang for best algae eating fish. My whitetail bristletooth is constantly working on the rocks, glass and bottom of my tank and they are spotless. If I don't clean the glass you can see his lip marks covering the entire surface of the glass and bare bottom.

 

[All Delight]

Conch for me

 

[breefrost]

This is my first reef tank, 120g, and this seems to work out:

Sand sifting star - just one effectively keeps the whole sand bed looking clean
Nassarus snails - clean up any leftover bits after feeding
Cerith and Turbo snails - algae and diatoms on rocks and walls
Sailfin tang - picks constantly at any growth he can find, and follows the other fish around to eat their poop lol but it helps break it down and get filtered out
Engineer gobies and moray eels - blow out collected detritus from between the rocks

I also have a 2.5g quarantine tank for new frags with 2 sexy shrimp and a small peppermint shrimp

 

[thermoJoe]

Fighting conch for sand (but not bad on the glass) and tuxedo urchins (bejeweled with zoos here). But, i'm going to have to check out Abalones now!

 

[Crashnt24]

How do y'all think a blue spotted jawfish does for sifting sand?

They are beautiful fish, but they don't do too much for the sand. Mine doesn't even dig anymore, he just sits in different spots on top of the sand looking for food. He used to dig, make a burrow but not anymore. Either way, they usually pick one spot and keep it, so they don't do much for the rest of the sand bed.

 

[Floppyfish]

Man I must be overkill. Everyone seems good and healthy though. I have 3 nacassarius snails, 1 sand sifter starfish, a fighting conch, and a small diamond goby. May get rid of the conch tho cause he’s always getting stuck and the diamond goby puts him to shame in the cleaning department.

 

[RickSanford]

Twin spot goby, lawnmower blenny, 5x fighting conchs, ~10 trochus snails, powder brown & yellow tangs and a majestic fox face.

 

[scdigby]

1. What is the best invert and fish that is best for keeping the sand stirred and clean?

Fighting conchs and a Diamond Goby

2. What is the best invert and fish that is best for keeping aquarium algae eaten?

Trochus snails and a Foxface