Coral Safe Fish To Eat Inverts?

[rastaangel]

My tank has become over run with snails, crabs, and all other kinds of inverts. And I want them all gone!!! I pick them out daily but they keep coming back and there driving me nuts, the snails get caught in my glass magnet and scratch it up and they all get trapped and die in my SPS resulting in spots dieing off...
So basiclly im looking for a coral safe, pretty fish that doesnt get super huge or eat my smaller fish, Anyone got any suggestions?

[jagermaier]

You could try a pink tail triggerfish although they do get pretty big.

[Nano]

Tried any traps?

[rastaangel]

Ive thought about a trigger but im afraid they will break my corals up trying to get at the acro crabs, which dont bother me LOL need a programable one
I have a trap in there but it does nothing...

[Nano]

Ive thought about a trigger but im afraid they will break my corals up trying to get at the acro crabs, which dont bother me LOL need a programable one
I have a trap in there but it does nothing...

Did you bait it with anything?

[rastaangel]

Did you bait it with anything?

tried shrimp, mysis, nori, pellets and a mix. Ive caught a few hermits and a nassuarius with it

[TimT]

I would try a Yellow Canary Blenny from Fiji for your snail problem. For crabs you might want to try a coral banded shrimp.

[dsaundry]

Huma Huma or a Niger would be my choice, great little triggers..

[gregzz4]

Stupid suggestion ???
Mantis shrimp

[Myka]

My tank has become over run with snails, crabs, and all other kinds of inverts. And I want them all gone!!! I pick them out daily but they keep coming back and there driving me nuts, the snails get caught in my glass magnet and scratch it up and they all get trapped and die in my SPS resulting in spots dieing off...

Exactly what kind of snails and crabs and "other inverts" are you talking about?

Btw, magnet cleaners suck. Even coralline caught in the magnet will scratch the glass. Use a scraper instead. :)

[reefgirl189]

Bag them up and send them to me - I could use some more troops in my CUC :mrgreen:

[tang daddy]

As mentioned before the yellow canary would deal with snails, even better a melanarus wrasse will wipe out the snail population in great time, any crabs that venture out will be smacked against the rocks and eaten, great thing is when you want to catch the wrasse it takes 2 mins as they are fearless and love food. Just shove a piece of shrimp tied to a rock in a Fish trap and done!

[Reef Pilot]

I had a Green Bird Wrasse. It ate anything that crawled. And with it's long beak, was good at sucking critters out of holes in the rock. Didn't touch any of my corals. But you won't be able to keep any clams, shrimps, snails or crabs with this one.

[rastaangel]

What about coris wrasses? anyone got anything on them?

[Myka]

The Red Coris Wrasse grows over a foot long. The Yellow Coris Wrasse would pick at inverts a bit, but the Melanurus or Grey-Head Wrasses would be a better choice.

[lpsreefer]

It all depends on the fish. My melanairus wrasse only eats small snails. But so does my sailfin. I have a six wrasses in my tank and they all leave my big snails and hermits alone. None of the wrasse I have are reef safe. Oh but they do like to eat gorilla crabs.
I haven't tried a bird wrasse, but a trigger has my vote.

[Corbin]

Stupid suggestion ???
Mantis shrimp

yeah i got 2 in my reef :)

[rastaangel]

I think im gonna look into a small blue throat or pink tail when i get back from vacation.

[Myka]

Niger Triggers are fairly reef-safe (for the corals) too, although they get close to a foot long. Pink-Tail Triggers will get over a foot long. Blue-Throats are the best choice for smaller reefs at about 8 or 9".

[fishytime]

nigers and pink tails can be aggressive tho......bluethroats/sargassum/crosshatch seem to be much mellower in attitude....

and Im assuming Mindy means teeny tiny snails when she mentions the melanarus.....mine has never even sniffed at the larger store bought snails

[Myka]

I forgot about Sargassums and Crosshatch...haven't seen them around in awhile. I'd sure love a Crosshatch ($$$). I think of the three though the Blue-throat tends to be more "reef-safe", no? I'm not a Trigger-in-reef expert by any means.