Fish you don't have to feed for a reef tank

[Abaddon]

I have a 75gal reef tank at my office with some SPS, zoas, clams, etc. I want some fish for the tank that don't have to be fed every day or that can live directly off the tank, maybe like a mandarin dragonet. Since it's at my office and I'm not there 7 days a week I want the tank to be self-sufficient or with some fish that can go every few days without being fed. Any ideas? Preferrably some one with nice coloration. Thanks for any ideas.

[chrisfont23]

Why can't you get an automatic feeder? If that's not an option, I don't know really. Fish don't have to be fed daily, but I would suggest every other day though. Since the weekends leave you with a full two days away, I am not really sure what to suggest. IMO,it's risk - assuming that the fish could be more prone to malnutrition or such disease. Leebca will probably be able to weigh in.

Why not a reef safe starfish like a blue linkia or something.

[Reefing Madness]

Why can't you get an automatic feeder? If that's not an option, I don't know really. Fish don't have to be fed daily.
Why not a reef safe starfish like a blue linkia or something.

Agree to this. Also, yes a Mandarin would work, you could feed the tank PODs once in awhile and it would feed off of that. Also, you could feed your fish 2-3 times a week with no adverse effect.

[Abaddon]

I have an automatic feeder but most of the best looking fish are wild caught and don't know what a fish flake is. No one has any ideas on fish that can just live off the reef or off of copepods? I can feed them daily 5 days a week but I don't want to know an animal is starving for two days. Even worse I like to go on vacation and camping and I don't want to run the risk of trusting someone in my office to not overfeed, forget to feed them, etc.

[kevinpo]

Hello,
Yes there is a good list of reef fish that don't require or won't eat prepared fish food. It would be better to use pellet type food in the automatic feeder. The majority of reef fish will eat those over time. Here are some fish that would do well in a 75 gallon established reef tank. I will list them by their common names if you need the scientific names let me know and I will look them up.

Rainford's Goby
Hector's Goby
Damsels from the Pomacentrus and Chrysiptera Genus
Lawnmower Blenny, Starry Blenny, and other algae eating member of the blenny Genus.
Brownbarred Goby (Amblygobius phalaena).
Members of the Bristletooth tang family.
Small members of the Dragonet Genus.
Dragonface Pipefish

Regards,
Kevin

[Abaddon]

Hey that's good stuff and greatly appreciated. I've kept many different damsels and they always tear up the tank and many of them terrorize the other fish so I'll steer clear of those. Anyone have any other types of fish to add to the list?

[Marinefish]

Bluestripe pipe. Small, active, and I don't even bother feeding mine! Have heard they will kill each other though.

[Abaddon]

Interesting. Is there anything that eats macro algae, too? Something that can keep caulerpa under control? Thanks for the ideas.

[kevinpo]

Is there anything that eats macro algae, too? Something that can keep caulerpa under control?

The One Spot Foxface Rabbitfish (S. unimaculatus) will do the trick. S. doliatus will also work but may get too large in a few years.

Regards,
Kevin

[Mad Mead]

I have a Bio colored blenny in my tank. He's like a pig in the sense that they will eat anything. He like's eat at the tank all day and then when I feed he'll eat what ever goes in the tank.