Best Sand cleaners?

cam78

cam78

Active Member
Well always having aragonite and recently switching to live sand I noticed it is harder to keep clean. Aragonite was heavy enough to stick a siphon in the aragonite and just lift and take away poop. With the live sand it is a pain in the AZZ. All the sand comes up. If I lowered the siphon it wouldn't lift up the sand or the poop. Suggestions? Im gonna get a diamond goby but I still want something to eat the debris.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member

Sand sifters eat all the good stuff out of the sand, nitrates don't get converted into a harmless gas but remain in the tank until you do water changes....The diamond goby, sleeper goby any of that family will keep the sand super clean, a refugium will help allot if you have these critters.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
I don't remember what size tank you have, but get a bunch of nassarius snails......they burrow in the sand and STIR it up....also conch are good at that too....cerith snails will help stir/clean it too
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3296386
I don't remember what size tank you have, but get a bunch of nassarius snails......they burrow in the sand and STIR it up....also conch are good at that too....cerith snails will help stir/clean it too

I always forget folks don't always have big tanks. I have allot of hermits and not many snails so I'm glad you chimed in. Do the snails clear the sand of the fauna as well?
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
they do a lot of "stirring" they are not usually a threat to the "fauna"
so I have been told anyways
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
I suggest Nassarius and Cerith snails as Meowzer recommended.
Depending on the size tank you have and how much sand you have, one goby may or may not deplete your sand bed of the good fauna.
For example: In my 155 I have two sand sifting starfish and a sand sifting goby as well as nassarius snails, but since I have so much sand, it really isn't too much of an issue.
Nassarius snails usually just clean up left over fish food and poop. It's cool to watch them pop up out of the sand when you feed or after the lights go out.
 
cam78

cam78

Active Member
I have a few nas snails. Its a 120 I have a 55 gallon refuge, 35 gallong LR tank and a 50-55 gallon sump. How do you guys suck this stuff up without pulling all the sand out of the tank? Using a python I am referring to
 
btldreef

btldreef

Moderator
Originally Posted by CAM78
http:///forum/post/3296494
I have a few nas snails. Its a 120 I have a 55 gallon refuge, 35 gallong LR tank and a 50-55 gallon sump. How do you guys suck this stuff up without pulling all the sand out of the tank? Using a python I am referring to
I have never siphoned my sand except for when I had flatworms years ago.
I have stirred it, but that's about the extent of it.
If you have build up on the sand and you have a proper clean up crew, my guess is that you don't have proper flow in the tank... How many is a "few" nassarius snails?
 
cam78

cam78

Active Member
Originally Posted by BTLDreef
http:///forum/post/3296625
I have never siphoned my sand except for when I had flatworms years ago.
I have stirred it, but that's about the extent of it.
If you have build up on the sand and you have a proper clean up crew, my guess is that you don't have proper flow in the tank... How many is a "few" nassarius snails?
Maybe 5. I have plenty of flow IMO. In matter of fact I am trying to figure out how th sand from blowing aroun and making large drifts in my tank. Ill tanke suggestions on that too.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
A variety of Bristleworms should be the backbone of your sand cleaners. Cerith Snails and a sea cucumber are good assistants.
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
That one will be fine and they are slow growers. My yellow watchman didn't clean my sand like my current orange spotted goby does. Rather yellow boy made him a cave like structure under a rock and just kind of hung out there.
 
mrdc

mrdc

Active Member
What type of shrimp are you talking about? A pistol shrimp? That is what mine paired with but there are no guarantees that this will happen.
 
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