Clean up crew
a beginner's guide
When building a reef tank, most aquarists focus on stunning corals and colourful fish. But every healthy aquarium needs more than beauty — it needs balance. That’s where utilitarian fish come in.
These hardworking species are often called the cleanup crew of the fish world, providing vital services like algae control, sand sifting, and even parasite removal. Adding the right utilitarian fish not only reduces maintenance but also creates a healthier and more natural marine ecosystem.
Below is what we think are the best utilitarian fish for saltwater aquariums and how they can help your reef tank thrive.
— 1. Tang Species (Surgeonfish) –
— 2. Wrasses – Natural Pest Control Popular choices: Six-Line Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia) Melanurus Wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus) Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) Why they’re great: Wrasses are fantastic saltwater pest control fish. They hunt flatworms, nudibranchs, and other pests that can damage corals. Cleaner wrasses even set up “cleaning stations” to remove parasites from other fish. Tank tip: Always keep a tight lid — wrasses are known jumpers!
— 3. Blennies – Quirky Algae Grazers Popular choices: Lawnmower Blenny (Salarias fasciatus) Tailspot Blenny (Ecsenius stigmatura) Why they’re great: Blennies are peaceful, full of personality, and excellent at controlling film algae and microalgae. The Lawnmower Blenny in particular lives up to its name, tirelessly grazing rocks and glass. Tank tip: Provide plenty of live rock for grazing and hiding.
— 4. Gobies – Sand Sifters and Cleaners Popular choices: Yellow Watchman Goby (Cryptocentrus cinctus) Diamond Goby (Valenciennea puellaris) Why they’re great: Gobies are sand-cleaning fish for saltwater aquariums. They sift sand through their mouths and gills, removing detritus while keeping the substrate aerated and white. Tank tip: Best kept with fine sand substrates and a peaceful tank environment.
— 5. Rabbitfish – Algae Control Specialists Popular choices: Foxface Rabbitfish (Siganus vulpinus) One-Spot Foxface (Siganus unimaculatus) Why they’re great: Rabbitfish are hardy, adaptable, and excellent at controlling tougher algae like bubble algae and macroalgae that tangs may avoid. Tank tip: Handle with care — they have venomous dorsal spines.
— Choosing the Right Utilitarian Fish Before adding these saltwater cleanup crew fish, consider: Tank size – Tangs and rabbitfish need larger aquariums. Compatibility – Some fish may be territorial with similar species. Reef safety – Most listed here are reef-safe, but always double-check the species. Supplemental feeding – Even hardworking utilitarian fish need a proper diet. — Final Thoughts Utilitarian fish are more than just attractive tank mates — they’re the unsung heroes of a healthy reef. Whether it’s tangs keeping algae in check, wrasses removing pests, or gobies keeping your sandbed pristine, these species provide essential ecosystem services. By adding the right mix of utilitarian fish, you’ll spend less time battling algae and pests — and more time enjoying your reef.
Tang / Surgeonfish
The Ultimate Algae Eaters
Popular choices: Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) Kole Tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus) Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon)
Why they’re great: Tangs are some of the best algae eating fish for reef tanks. They graze constantly on nuisance algae, preventing outbreaks before they get out of control. Bristletooth tangs such as the Tomini Tang are especially effective at cleaning rocks and glass.
Tank tip: These active swimmers need space. A 250 litre tank or larger is recommended.
Shrimp are another sought after addition to the clean up crew. Some shrimp will get into nooks and crevices to eat detritus and leftover food that other inverts cannot reach, whilst others will eat unwanted worms and parasites off fish.
Carnivore, feeds on ectoparasites and dead tissue on fish. They will literally clean your fish, some fish love it so much, they stop by for regular cleaning. They will scavenge about the rocks looking for detritus and uneaten food.
Carnivore, are among the most striking inverts available. They will set up cleaning stations to clean ectoparasites and dead tissue from fish while also scavenging the tank for leftover food.
Carnivore, Peppermint shrimp are favoured because of their appetite for Aiptasia anemones but are also effective scavengers and occasionally cleaners. They will scavenge about the rocks looking for detritus, uneaten food, and decomposing organic material.
Carnivore, scavenges about looking for leftover food, accepting frozen, flakes, or pellets. They are active, showy shrimp that tend to be a peaceful member of an aquarium. They can be aggressive toward other shrimp in the same aquarium, so just a single specimen is best, unless collected from the wild as a pair.
Carnivore, A very cool looking shrimp with a very specialised diet of starfish. These are not for every tank and should only be kept if you can sustain their diet. Most hobbyists don’t think of these shrimp as clean up crew but they can make quick work of an asterina star infestation.
Carnivore, feeds upon sand dwelling crustaceans like tube worms, copepods and amphipods. While a great invertebrate to keep the sand bed thoroughly sifted, it comes at a price. They will decimate your sand bed off all living creatures. It will then proceed to stay hidden in the sand, starve to death, and decay. Our personal recommendation is to not add these starfish into your aquarium. While a few people do have success long term with them, that is an exception and should be taken into consideration when thinking about purchasing one.
Carnivore, feeds upon meaty bits of food and detritus. They tend to hide in the rock work and all that is visible is their arms sticking out of the rocks trying to grasp at pieces of food as they float by. Some will venture out of the rock work and hunt down pieces of food in the tank after you have fed your tank. Be cautious of the Green Brittle Stars (Serpent Star) as they are known to go after fish of all sizes, but the other types of brittle stars are generally safe with all different sized fish and invertebrates.
Herbivore, that can be very useful in a reef tank. The Tuxedo Urchin, although uncommon in Australia, grazes upon all types of algae including coralline and will occasionally pick up loose pieces of rubble, sand, and even coral frags and “carry” them around the tank. The Longspine Urchin will also graze upon all types of algae and unfortunately will sometimes graze upon corals as well, specifically SPS corals like Acropora and Montipora. Proceed with caution in a reef tank. Short Spine and Collector Urchins are opportunistic feeders, and feed voraciously on algae. If not enough algae is present for any species of Urchin, simply supplement with nori.
Herbivore, cucumbers will sift through the sand bed and will digest the algae and detritus off of it. Some can get quite large and some are toxic if they die within the aquarium. Cucumbers can be sensitive, so we would not recommend them to beginner hobbyists.
Herbivore, one of the best for removing hair algae. Will quickly remove hair algae from an aquarium, therefore once removed, make sure to supplement with nori. Sea Hares can secrete a purple ink when feeling threatened so make sure to house with appropriate tank mates. They tend to be very sensitive to changes in water conditions, so you will want to make sure you keep your parameters stable for them.
Herbivore, great for film algae, hair algae and diatoms. Abalone are nocturnal meaning they will hide and rest throughout the day and be active at night. Will quickly remove algae from an aquarium, therefore once removed, make sure to supplement with nori.
