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3 Types of Utilitarian Fish EVERY Reef Tank Should Have
Last updated on November 17th, 2023
Utilitarian Fish
Nearly every tank experiences some kind of pest or algae eventually. Rather than tearing down the tank to remove the pests, you can keep utilitarian fish that eat these pests. Keeping these fish as part of the cleanup crew will reduce the pests and algae in your tank, keeping your fish and coral happy, as well as making your reef tank look great! Below are some of my favorite Utilitarian Fish for Any Reef Tank. I split the fish up in to groups that are best for different size reef tanks to help choose which utilitarian fish is best for you!
Algae Eaters
Annoying algae has a way of making nearly any tank look poorly maintained. One of the most popular being Green Hair Algae. Thankfully there are a variety of fish that can help you keep the tank clean.
Nano Tanks
Lawn Mower Blenny (Salarias fasciatus)
The lawn mower blenny (also known as the algae blenny or sailfin blenny) is a known algae eating Utilitarian Fish. They especially enjoy green hair algae. Where else do you think they got their name? The lawn mower blenny needs a roughly 30 gallon tank and can grow up to 5 inches long. Thet are easy to care for and tend to stay near the bottom of the tank on on the rock.
Average Tanks
Tomini Tang (Ctenochaetus tominiensis)
The tomini tang is a bristletooth tang with interesting coloration, making it a great Utilitarian Fish. The tomini tang, like the yellow tang, is known for cleaning algae off the rocks and glass all day. The tomini tang can get up to 6 inches long, and as such should be kept in a tank roughly 70 gallons or more. Making the tomini tang a great alternative to the yellow tang for smaller tanks.Tangs require a good amount of nutrients and should be provided nori on occasion.
OR
Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)
One of my favorite Utilitarian Fish, the yellow tang, is one of the staples of most reef tanks. The yellow tang is known for cleaning algae off the rocks and glass, spending all day hunting it down. The yellow tang can get up to 8 inches long, and as such should be kept in a tank roughly 100 gallons or more. Though smaller yellow tangs can be kept in a smaller tank until it grows too large. Tangs require a good amount of nutrients and should be provided nori on occasion.
Large Tanks
Rabbitfish
Another personal favorite Utilitarian Fish, the Rabbitfish, including the foxface, are amazing algae eaters. They are fun, active and very colorful. Generally rabbitfish are peaceful, but they are easilly spooked. Rabbitfish and Foxface have venomous spines that will pop up when startled or threatened. The foxface can grow to 8 or 9 inches and need somewhere between a 75 and 100 gallons as a minimum tank. The other rabbitfish species can grow even larger between 9 and 12 inches and need 120 gallons as a minimum in most cases. This will depend on which rabbitfish you choose. Like tangs, occasionally you should feed the Rabbitfish Nori to supplement their diets.
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Pest Eaters
There are a variety of pests that can eat or irritate your corals. Some of these include the Zoa Eating Nudibranch, Acro Eating Flatworms, Flatworms and more! Keeping an all-around pest eating Utilitarian Fish in your tank will help keep these neucense away.
Nano Tanks
Six Line Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia)
When it comes to flatworms, nudibranchs, and other small pests, the six-line wrasse is one of the most famouse Utilitarian Fish to handle the job. They only get up to 3 inches long, and will spend their days hunting pests for snacks. They can be agressive, so only one six line wrasse is reccomended per tank.
Average Tanks
Melanurus Wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus)
The Melanurus Wrasse, much like the six line wrasse, will spend its days hunting flatworms, bristleworms, and nudibranchs, among other small bug and worm like pests. The melanurus wrasse is a larger breed with a max size of 4.5 inches, and should be kept in a 50 gallon or larger tank. The melanurus wrasse can be agressive toward other similar wrasse and should be kept as the only wrasse of this type.
Large Tanks
Dusky Wrasse (Halichoeres annularis)
A favorite Utilitarian Fish, The dusky wrasse, is almost identical in behavior to the melanurus wrasse with a beautiful coloration. The dusky wrasse will spend its days hunting flatworms, bristleworms, and nudibranchs, among other small bug and worm like pests. The dusky wrasse is larger larger than the melanurus wrasse with a max size of 6 inches, and should be kept in a 70 gallon or larger tank. The dusky wrasse can be agressive toward other similar wrasse and should be kept as the only wrasse of this type. This includes the melanurus wrasse.
Aiptasia Eaters
Aiptasia is a pest anemone that grows and multiplies very quickly. Keeping a fish that will help manage the population can protect your coral and fish from their stinging tentacles. There are few solutions for aiptasia. For more information on solving aiptasia problems, check out the Aiptasia Solution Guide.
Nano, Average, and Large Tanks
Matted File Fish (Acreichthys tomentosus)
The matted file fish, also known as the aiptasia eating file fish, is a very cool fish related to the trigger fish. As far as Utilitarian Fish go, the matted file fish is a "must have". They have a rough body and very peaceful personalities. They tend to keep to themselves and hunt aiptasia within your reef tank. The Matted File fish only gets to about 3.5 inches long and only needs a 30 gallon tank. Making the Matted File Fish a good fit for nearly any reef tank.
Butterfly Fish
I will note that butterfly fish are also known to eat aiptasia but are very difficult to get eating beyond this. As such, they frequently die rather fast in reef tanks. As such I DO NOT recommended the butterfly fish, despite the beautiful appearance.
Conclusion
With all of these great utilitarian fish, it's hard to choose! I recommended at least one from each category depending on the size of your reef tank. Make sure to do research on the size, feeding habits, and any special needs these utilitarian fish may need. If you click the link under the image, some of this information will be provided to you by Live Aquaria. Happy Reefing!
About the Author
John Krenzer
John is a Software Engineer with a passion for saltwater aquariums, as well as the founder and president of Reef Stable. He started in the aquarium hobby as a child with a 20 gallon freshwater aquarium. His interest in aquarium life grew and in 2008, John set up his first saltwater aquarium.
Today, John maintains an over 300 gallon reef tank system, consisting of a 120g reef and a 210g reef. These large tanks are contained within the same system, sharing a sump as a means to reduce total maintenance and increase total water volume.
John writes articles for the blog as a means to learn about more reef aquarium topics. These articles act as a reference for the readers as well as himself. John updates these articles frequently to provide additional information or make corrections as new information becomes available.
If you would like to request an article, tank tour article, or to collaborate, let me know via the Contact Me Page!
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