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.