Need Bottom Feeder

[warrenk]

I have a 50 gallon tank with a clown, yellow tang, 3 damsels, hawk fish and false eyed puffer. I am looking for a bottom feeder to pick at food that the other fish miss. Any advice?

 

[Opcn]

A horseshoe crab 6 inches in length might do, untill it molted.

Perhaps a goat fish or an engineer goby

 

[SkiFletch]

Agreed, sand sifting gobies

 

[warrenk]

Agreed, sand sifting gobies

I have crushed coral on the bottom of the aquarium. I heard gobies need sand in the aquarium...is this true?

 

[superman]

Most bottom feeding fish don't last long (because most will deplete the bottom of food and starve) So just go with a large population of nassarious vibex snails, and ditch the coarse gravel!

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, you're gonna have trouble finding anything that'll work with crushed coral

 

[@ombomb]

If you can move to sand then definitely go with some nassarius snails as suggested, as soon as any food hits the sand, mine are on it straight away.

 

[Opcn]

Mixed substrate maybe?

 

[FishOwner]

Do you have corals in this tank?
I notice you have a "false eyed puffer" (?) and a hawkfish. If you have no corals, then I would suggest a large hermit crab like the red starry hermit. They are large enough to fend off the puffer and hawk and the large hermits do an awesome job of cleaning the bottom!
If you have corals then forget I said anything as the larger hermits will sometimes eat corals!!