Advice on good Sand Sifter

[lutz493]

I've just put in a 3 inch sand bed in my tank.
What is my best bet for keeping sand circulated?
I am looking for an invert if possible, I didn't wanna to add a fish to my bio-load if I didn't have to.
I read horseshoe Crabs, Sifting Stars are good? What is best any advice what to get?
Thanks.

 

[fshhub]

worms, snails and conchs

 

[lutz493]

Fsh -
That works - I'm gonna just buy them off the site - For 60lbs of Live Sand how many Fighting Conchs and Sand Sifting Snails do I want?
3-4 Fight Conches and 20 Snails?
Thanks.

 

[thomas712]

Originally posted by Lutz493
Fsh -
That works - I'm gonna just buy them off the site - For 60lbs of Live Sand how many Fighting Conchs and Sand Sifting Snails do I want?
3-4 Fight Conches and 20 Snails?

What size tank and how many pounds of live rock do you have?
Thomas

 

[lutz493]

Right now I have 80lbs of Live rock about 15 pounds of Lava rock I used as base, the tank is 55 Gallons

 

[fshhub]

2 or 3 conchs, you only want 1 per 2 sqare foot of bottom
snails, youwant a dozen or so nassarius snails.
some stomatella(margarita) snails(help with the rock)
about 20 turbos for the glass

 

[lutz493]

Right now my Clean-up crew is 2 Peppermint Shrimp, 3 Emerald Crabs, 4 Scarlets, I took out my 10 blue hermits yesterday going to just get 10 scarlets because of being less agressive. I have 4 large Turbos and then 15 smaller turbos.
I'll get then 3 Fighting Conchs and 12 of the other snails.
Thank you.

 

[killafins]

i would recommend horse shoe crabs as the best but they disappear and u never know if they are alive or dead

 

[sea goblin]

I would advise against a horse shoe crab....they will get very large and depleat the sand of all the little organisms that we like to have. I have collected shells from these guys that were 2 to 3 FEET long...i dont know of many aquariums that will suport that animal for very long. I think what you have decided on with the snails and choncs is a good choice.
Sea Goblin

 

[fshhub]

no way, would I put a horshoe in a tank with a dsb, it will turn over too much sand, you do not want to disturb anything except for the upper layer. Also, they do get way too big for a 55 gallon. And have been known to get stuck behind the rock, later either dying or knocking over the rock work trying ot get freee. If they die and yo do not remove them, they are bit too much decomposing matter for a small tank and would surely crash the tank. Possible major ammonia spike