Any suggestions for sand cleaners?

[stupid_naso]

My tank has finished its cycle, and now my live sand is full of algae. It's brown now. Anyway, all I have as a clean up crew are cleaner shrimp, sally light foot, three astrea snails, and one feather duster (does feather duster counts as a clean up crew?).
I need a sand cleaner. I know that there is another post on this matter, but I need more help. My tank is only ten gallons, so I am limitted to have only two fishes, and I already have them, though I think of getting rid of the damsel. But anyway, I know there are, bleenies (scooter, lawnmower), gobies (g.h. sleeper), and also hermitt crabs, but I do not know which one works best.
My concern with hermitt crabs is they will eat my snails if I do not provide them with enough empty shells. And I also read on the other post that they move to lr after awhile. So can anyone help???
Thanks,
stupid_naso

 

[fshhub]

first off, you do not want a scooter blenny, not for this problem, they do NOT eat algae at all(well maybe if they got a mouthful trying to eat a pod, but then he'd spit it out)LOL, we like our algae(aka lawnmower)blenny, they are awesome, and do work on algae, but for best result IMO i'd get some trochus or turbo snails ro nassarius(to stir the sand and eat detritus, thus eliminating algae food)
also, how about a powerhead?, esp if it is collecting in one spot
HTH

 

[goofieones]

Sleeper gobies are awesome, mine is always sifting sand. The problem with them, is they eat all the live critters in the sand. So if you don't care about that, then they are good.

 

[von_rahvin]

how about a cuc? cucumbers are great. they clean the sand. Also if you are not trying to have a mandarin or some scooters, then a horseshoe crab might work for you. Lawnmover blenies are great to watch. for taking care of algea they are the best. oly problem is that once they get rid of it all they might starve. and since they get big and your tank is small . . . . . just soem thoughts.

 

[captained]

If your sand is deep enough, maybe a burrowing white starfish? Not sure how much sand they need, but I have 2 in my 65: one mostly travels on or just under the sand, and the other is more adventurous and often climbs the glass or rock (usually then falling off).

 

[vkesu]

If you have a dsb, I was told to use nassarius snails for sand, and sometimes glass. They never get on rocks.

 

[vkesu]

Oh..I'd add maybe one/two scarlett reef hermits for the rock clean up. Ask for half dozen empty astrea snail shells and you shouldn't have trouble. My scarlett reefs do a great job.