Aquatic Environment cleaning major fishes by B

Aquatic ecosystems cleaning habits of few well known major fishes in fresh water, tanks, brackish water and marine waters for maintaining its habitat within living aquatic ecosystems and species health.

1. ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANING FISHES
By
BHUKYA BHASKAR
FISHERIES
TheBluestreakcleanerwrasseandtheBallanwrassearetwo
wrassespeciesthatarewellrenownedfortheircleaningabilities.
Byeatingparasitesandothermicroscopiccreaturesthatmaybe
ontheskinandgillsofotherfishinthetank,wrassescontribute
tokeepingtheaquariumclean.Theyhelpindecreasingthe
possibilityofinfectionwhilekeepingthemhealthy.

2. Cleaning fishes
•Cleanerwrassesareusuallyfoundatcleaningstations.Cleaningstationsareoccupiedbydifferentunitsofcleaner
wrasses,suchasagroupofyouths,apairofadults,oragroupoffemalesaccompaniedbyadominantmale.
Whenvisitorscomenearthecleaningstations,thecleanerwrassesgreetthevisitorsbyperformingadance-like
motioninwhichtheymovetheirrearupanddown.
•Thevisitorsarereferredtoas"clients".
•Bluestreakcleanerwrassescleantoconsumeectoparasitesonclientfishforfood.Thebiggerfishrecognisethem
ascleanerfishbecausetheyhavealateralstripealongthelengthoftheirbodies,andbytheirmovement
patterns.Cleanerwrassesgreetvisitorsinanefforttosecurethefoodsourceandcleaningopportunitywiththe
client.
•Uponrecognisingthecleanerandsuccessfullysolicitingitsattention,theclientfishadoptsaspecies-specificpose
toallowthecleaneraccesstoitsbodysurface,gillsandsometimesmouth.
•Otherfishthatengageinsuchcleaningbehaviorincludegobyfish(Elacatinusspp.)Thebluestreakcleanerwrasse
isknowntocleanbalaenopteridae,chondrichthyans,homaridae,octopodidae,anddermochelyidae.
"Fake"cleaner wrassebut
truesabre-tooth blenny:Aspidontus
taeniatus
L. dimidiatuswith a
clientsurgeonfisha
t acleaning station
Cleaner Wrasse with a clientMoray eel

3. Cont…
•Somefishmimiccleanerwrasses.Forexample,aspeciesofblennycalledAspidontus
taeniatushasevolvedthesamebehaviortotearsmallpiecesoffleshorskinfrombiggerfish
ratherthanridthemofparasites.
•Anotherspecies,thebluestreakfangblenny,Plagiotremusrhinorhynchos,mimicsjuvenile
cleanerwrassesoitspresenceistoleratedbythecleaners,which,itisassumed,enablesitto
takeadvantageoftheconcentrationofpotentialvictims.
•Indifferentregions,thebluestreakcleanerwrassedisplaysvariousdegreesofdependencyon
clients'ectoparasitesasaprimaryfoodsource.
•IntidalenvironmentssuchastheGreatBarrierReef,thebluestreakcleanerwrasseisa
facultativecleanerthatfeedsmoreoncoralsthanonfishclientele.
•Juvenilebluestreakcleanersareseentobitetheirclientsmoreoftenthantheadultswithin
thatregion,thuschangingthedynamicoftheknownmutualisticrelationship.
•However,inregionswherethebluestreakcleanersaresolelydependentonclients'parasites,
fishwhohaveaccesstocleaningserviceshavebetterbodyconditionthanthosewithout
cleaneraccess.
•IntheMarsaBareikaoftheRasMohamedNatureReserve,Egypt,thebluestreakcleaner
wrasseliveinspecificsectorsoftheshallowreefsandareshowntorelyonectoparasitesfrom
speciessuchasthebrownsurgeonfishandwhitebellydamselfish.
•Inthisregion,fishthatvisitcleanerwrasseshavelowerantibodyresponsesthanthosewithout
cleaneraccess,suggestingthatcleaneraccessmaydecreasetheneedforactiveimmunity.

4. Best Algae Eaters for Freshwater Aquariums
•1. Reticulated HillstreamLoach
•This oddball fish is one of the coolest-looking algae eaters you will ever see. Growing up to 3
inches (7.6 cm) in size, it looks like a miniature stingray covered with golden-brown dots and
intricate black stripes.
•Using their strong gripping abilities, they can easily clean large, flat surfaces like vertical
aquarium walls, rocks, and broad plant leaves.
•Think of them like your personal window washers for diatoms and other flat kinds of algae.
•They can sometimes be a little territorial toward their own kind, so it’s best to get either just
one loach or at least three loaches in a group to even out the aggression.
•Keep them in cooler waters with a stable pH, feed them high-quality sinking foods
likeRepashygel food, and you may be lucky enough to see some baby loaches pop up in your
aquarium.

5. 2. Cherry Shrimp
•Ifyoudidadirect,head-to-headcomparison,asinglecherryshrimp(orNeocaridinadavidi)
isn’tasefficientatalgaeeatingasanamanoshrimp.
•Thesebrightlycoloreddwarfshrimpbreedeasilyinhomeaquariums,andwithadecent-sized
colony,theyprovideexcellentpreventativemaintenanceagainstthebuildupofexcessfoodand
algae.
•Theirtinylimbsareperfectforpickingthroughthesubstrate,plantroots,andothertiny
crevices,andthey’rehappytoconsumeanythingthat’sdigestible.
•At1.5inches(4cm)long,cherryshrimpcomeinalmosteverycolouroftherainbowandcanbe
easilysoldforprofittoyourlocalfishstoreorotherhobbyists.

6. 3. Amano Shrimp
•Whilehillstreamloachesaregreatatconsumingflattypesofalgae,youmayalso
needamorenimble-fingeredalgaeeaterthatcanreachintonarrowgapsortear
offchunksoffuzzyalgae.
•MeetCaridinamultidentata,aclear-browndwarfshrimpthatcanreach2inches
(5cm)inlength.
•Theyareoneoftherareanimalsthatwilleatblackbeardalgaeandhairalgae,
butonlyifyoudon’tfeedthemtoomuch.
•Giventheirsmallsize,you’llneedagroupofatleastfourofthem(orevenmore)
tomakeasignificantdentinthealgaegrowth.
Amanoshrimpwillreadilybreedinyouraquarium,butyou
won’tgetanybabyshrimpunlesstheyareraisedin
saltwater.

7. 4. Nerite Snails
•ComingfromtheNeritidaefamily,wehaveaverydiversegroupofsmall,ornamentalsnails
thatareadeptatbothscavengingandeatingalgae.
•They’reespeciallyhandyatscrapingofftheverytoughgreenspotalgaeandotheralgaefound
onplants,driftwood,anddecor.
•Unlikemostothertypesofaquariumsnails,theirwhite,sesameseed-likeeggswillnothatch
infreshwater,soyoudon’thavetoworryaboutanout-of-controlpopulationboom.
•Whiletherearemanybeautifulvarietiestochoosefrom(e.g.,tiger,zebra,horned,andred
racer),wepersonallylikeoliveneritesnailsbecausetheyseemtobethehardiest.
•Justdon’tforgettoprovideextracalciuminthewater(usingcrushedcoralorWonderShell)
andintheirdiet(usingnanofoodblocks)tohelpwithhealthyshelldevelopment.
Green spot algae is very difficult to remove from rocks and
plants, but nerite snails are one of the few animals capable
of removing and eating it.

8. 5. OtocinclusCatfish
•ThecatfishoftheOtocinclusgenusarecommonlyknownasotosordwarfsuckermouths
becausetheytypicallystayaround2inches(5cm)inlength.
•Theirsmaller,slenderbodiesallowthemtofitintotighterspacesthanotheralgae-eatingfish.
•Likethehillstreamloach,theirmouthsareidealforeatingdiatomalgaefromflatsurfaces,and
youcanfindthemusuallyhangingoutontheaquariumglassorplantleaves.
•Otosarepronetobeingunderfed,somakesureyougivethemplentyofRepashySoilent
Greenandvegetableslikecannedgreenbeansandblanchedzucchinislices.
Otocincluscatfishareaschoolingfish,sotrytogetat
leastthreetosixofthesamespeciestohelptheseshy
creaturesfeelsafeandcomfortable.

9. 6. Siamese Algae Eater
•Crossocheilusoblongus(also known as SAE for short) is a 6-inch (15 cm) cleaner fish that is commonly used in
larger aquariums.
•Their downturned mouths are well-suited for eating hair algae, black beard algae, and leftover scraps in the fish
tank.
•SAEs are known to tend to eat more algae as juveniles because the adults are big enough to get the lion’s share of
feedings in the aquarium.
•Therefore, you may need to reduce food portion sizes in order to get older SAEs interested in eating algae again.
•As with hillstreamloaches, SAEs can be a little territorial with their own or similar-looking species, so choose to
either get one individual or at least three in a group for more algae-eating power.
SiamesealgaeeatersarenotthesameasChinesealgae
eaters,whicharemuchmoreaggressiveandcanget
twiceasbig.

10. 7. Florida Flagfish
•JordanellafloridaeisalsoknownastheAmericanflagfishbecauseofthemale’sbeautifulred
stripesandrectangularshoulderpatchthatresemblestheflagoftheUnitedStates.
•This2.5-inch(6cm)voraciousalgaeeaterhastheperfectmouthforrippingouthairalgae,
blackbeardalgae,andotherfuzzyalgaetypes,butitcansometimesdamagemoredelicate
plantleavesintheprocess.
•Ifyouhaveanunheatedtankwithotherfast-swimmingtankmates,thiskillifishmaybethe
rightalgaeeaterforyou.
As a native of North America, flagfishcan thrive in cooler water
environments without any aquarium heaters.

11. 8. BristlenosePlecostomus
•Plecostomus are one of the most well-known algae eaters, but they often get
very large as adults and aren’t suitable for the average home aquarium.
•Thankfully, bristlenoseplecosfrom theAncistrusgenus are peaceful catfish that
stay between 4 to 5 inches (less than 13 cm), making them perfect for a 25-gallon
tank or larger.
•Their suckermouths are made for devouring algae, vacuuming up food crumbs,
and keeping driftwood clean.
•Feed them a well-rounded diet ofsinking wafers, frozen bloodworms,
andRepashygel foodto make sure they get all the necessary nutrients.
Males are known for the bristles on their snout, whereas
females have a more clean-shaven face.

12. 9.Molly Fish
•MolliesarepopularlivebearersfromthePoeciliagenusthatliveinfullyfreshtofullysaltwater
intheAmericas.
•Becauseoftheirflat,graspingjawsandbottomlessstomachs,theyareconstantlypickingat
algaefoundonplants,hardscape,andevenflatsurfaces.
•Theaquariumhobbyhasselectivelybredthemintoawiderangeofcolors,patterns,fintypes,
andbodyshapes,andtheyreadilyreproduceifgivenplentyoffoodandhidingspotsforthe
fry.
•Asaheadsup,fancymolliesareoftenraisedinbrackishwaterfishfarms,soifyousensehealth
problemswithyournewfish,consideraddingaquariumsaltandextramineralstohelpthem
thrive.
•Differenttypesofmolliescanrangeinsizefromthe2-inch(5cm)balloonmollytothealmost6-
inch(15cm)sailfinmolly.

13. 10. Rosy Barb
•Certain barbs such as the rosy barb (Pethiaconchonius) have a taste for fuzzy
algae like hair, staghorn, and thread algae.
•This relatively peaceful species grows to 3 inches (7.6 cm) long and comes in
normal, neon, and long-finned varieties.
•Similar to the flagfish, rosy barbs can be kept in unheated aquariums with other
speedy tank mates.
•To lessen any aggression, make sure to keep them in groups of at least 6 to 10
(ideally with more females than males) in a 29-gallon tank or larger.
Unlikemostbarbs,Pethiaconchoniusarerelatively
peacefulandwon’tbotheryourotherfishaslongasyou
getadecent-sizedschooltokeepthementertained.

14. References
•https://www.ouraquariumlife.com/fish/fish-that-clean-tanks/
•https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluestreak_cleaner_wrasse
•https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/algae-eaters
Byeatinganylittlecrustaceansandotherpotential
animalsinthewater,pipefishassistinthemaintenance
ofhealthywaterquality.Theyaresometimesreferredto
as“micropredators”sincetheygrazeonminute
invertebratesthatmaybepresentinthewatercolumn,
includingcopepods,smallcrustaceans,andworms.
Thesemightaidinpreventingthebuildupofdetritusin
thewaterreservoir.Detritusisacollectionofdeadplant
andanimalmaterialsthatcangatherinthesubstrate
andotherpartsoftheaquarium,causingthe
accumulationoftoxicchemicalslikeammoniaand
nitrites.
OriginatingfromtheNorthernAtlanticOcean,
lumpfisharecoldwaterspecies.Theydon’teatalgae
orothertankwaste;thus,theyaren’toftenkeptfor
theircleaningabilities.
However,Lumpfishdohaveoneinterestingbehavior
thatmayindirectlyhelptokeepthetankclean.They
arereferredtoas“cleaningfish,”astheypick
parasitesanddeadskinoffthebodiesofotherfishin
thewild.
Green chromide
(Etroplussuratensis)
CichlidslikeOrangechromide,Greenchromide,
Geophagus,andSatanpercaareexamplesofcleaner
fish.Withtheirconsumptionofleftoverfoodandother
organicwaste,cichlidsperformanimportantpartin
maintainingtheaquariumwater’scleanlinessand
health.
Severalcichlidspeciesarevoraciousfeedersandwill
happilyswallowwhateverfoodthatissuppliedtothem
aswellasanyothertinycreaturesthatmaybepresent
inthewater.
Cichlidsthatareknownfortheirdiggingbehaviorscan
helptopreventdetritusbuildupbyactivelyturningover
thesubstrateandexposinganytrappeddebris.

15. BestFishesthat Clean Its Aquatic Environment
1. Rainbow Shark 2. Flagfish
3. Snails
4. Loaches
5. Goby
6. Catfish
7. BristlenosePlecos
8. Siamese&ChineseAlgae
Eaters
9. Siamese Flying Fox10. Shrimps Cichlids (Brackish Water
and Freshwater Fish)3. Lumpfish (Marine
Water Fish)
2. Pipefish (Marine
Water and
Freshwater Fish)
1. Wrasses
(Marine Water
Fish)