Bottom Picking Fish

[reefbyremote]

Any suggestions for a fish to pick on diatoms and algae on the substrate?

Also a free swimming fish that stays high in the water column?

Both are for a reef tank.

Thank you.

[fishoholic]

I have a sand sifting starfish that does a good job in keeping the sand bed clean. However they need an older established large sand bed to help keep them alive. Your sig. says you have a 90g which should be fine for a sand sifting starfish if you choose to go that way.

[reefbyremote]

My tank was established in Sept 2009 with 75 lbs of very alive rock. It has lots of copepods in the refugium and the main tank has lots of bristleworms and small brittle stars. (I thought about a 6 line wrasse but read they turn into little terrors.) My dragon goby is a sand sifter but he avoids diatoms and actually is looking very poorly lately. My fear is a sand sifting star would have the same fate.

[The Grizz]

I have 2 sand sifting stars, a blue spotted Goby and a orange spotted goby and they are all working hard to clean up sand bed. I have about 80 lbs of sand. As for the 6 line, mine is more content to pick at stuff on my power heads.

[soapy]

Hectors Goby is a nice little omnivorous fish for a peaceful tank. It will eat some filamentous algae and will sift the sand lightly.

[Skimmerking]

i feel that conchs will do the same 3 should do your sand bed perfect.

[Marlin65]

What about a cuke mine does a good job on my tank?

[reefbyremote]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Lots of options for me which is great.

[naesco]

I suspect your goby (which is challenging to keep) has similar live foods needs as a mandarin and you need to take care of its needs first before you add anything to the tank.
It appears it is starving so you need to add some of the refugium live rock which is teeming with pods to your main tank. You may also try catching the pods and transferring them.

It takes six months or so to get your pod population up and running in your main tank and for that reason it is not recommended you add a mandarin before that time as the pod population cannot keep up for the mandarins demand for food.
You can also try to see if it will eat frozen mysis etc. but that is doubtful.

I also suspect that the algae/diatom problem is a result of water conditions in a new tank which can be dealt with by consistant water changes and slowing down the fish additions to your tank.
Good Luck.

[reefbyremote]

I added pods from the refugium and tried brine and mysis shrimp but the goby was not interested and did not make it. I have to chalk up this disappointing event to experience having taken the advice to add him to churn my sand. Needless to say no gobies for a few months... and more research before buying a fish on a single recommendation.