fish crazy
Member
how do you guys keep your sand so clean with critters or machines, and how do you get rid of the agae and ect.
cleaning the sand
- Thread starter fish crazy
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waterlogged
Member
RO water helps with algae a lot.
sepulatian
Moderator
Don't vacume the sand at all. You will do more harm than good. Detrivores do the job without taking beneficial organisms out of the system.
waterlogged
Member
Originally Posted by sepulatian
Don't vacume the sand at all. You will do more harm than good. Detrivores do the job without taking beneficial organisms out of the system.
What do you recommend for detrivores?
Don't vacume the sand at all. You will do more harm than good. Detrivores do the job without taking beneficial organisms out of the system.
What do you recommend for detrivores?
lesleybird
Active Member
There are two schools of thought here, and I am from the vaccuum school. I do so every two weeks with my Phython (whatever it's called) as my large angelfish poop a whole lot and no clean up crew can keep up. It does not remove too many of the sand worms. Must make sure to put a net over the output in the sink so as not to clog the drain. I use 1 to 2mm. size sand, not sugar fine as it would all get sucked up. Lesley
sepulatian
Moderator
Originally Posted by Waterlogged
What do you recommend for detrivores?
You can get bristle worms, snails, conchs, crabs of many different types, etc.
What do you recommend for detrivores?
You can get bristle worms, snails, conchs, crabs of many different types, etc.
sepulatian
Moderator
Originally Posted by Lesleybird
There are two schools of thought here, and I am from the vaccuum school. I do so every two weeks with my Phython (whatever it's called) as my large angelfish poop a whole lot and no clean up crew can keep up. It does not remove too many of the sand worms. Must make sure to put a net over the output in the sink so as not to clog the drain. I use 1 to 2mm. size sand, not sugar fine as it would all get sucked up. Lesley
The poo from your angels will clog your drain if you don't net it? WOW! I have neve heard anyone have that situation. You are certainly not the only person on here with large angels. Something isn't proportionate.
There are two schools of thought here, and I am from the vaccuum school. I do so every two weeks with my Phython (whatever it's called) as my large angelfish poop a whole lot and no clean up crew can keep up. It does not remove too many of the sand worms. Must make sure to put a net over the output in the sink so as not to clog the drain. I use 1 to 2mm. size sand, not sugar fine as it would all get sucked up. Lesley
The poo from your angels will clog your drain if you don't net it? WOW! I have neve heard anyone have that situation. You are certainly not the only person on here with large angels. Something isn't proportionate.
sepulatian
Moderator
Originally Posted by T316
My sand is starting to look bad too. Not just the standard brown that you can stir up, but "clunky". Is this what you are vacumming out? I have still been breaking it up and stirring it, but it keeps coming back, even worse.
What do you have for detrivores? If it is clumpy then you do not have critters sifting through it. No, don't buy a sand sifting fish or star. There are many inverts that will do the job for you. They aerate the sand much as earthworms do for a garden.
My sand is starting to look bad too. Not just the standard brown that you can stir up, but "clunky". Is this what you are vacumming out? I have still been breaking it up and stirring it, but it keeps coming back, even worse.
What do you have for detrivores? If it is clumpy then you do not have critters sifting through it. No, don't buy a sand sifting fish or star. There are many inverts that will do the job for you. They aerate the sand much as earthworms do for a garden.
t316
Active Member
Originally Posted by sepulatian
What do you have for detrivores? If it is clumpy then you do not have critters sifting through it. No, don't buy a sand sifting fish or star. There are many inverts that will do the job for you. They aerate the sand much as earthworms do for a garden.
Current cleanup crew is about 10-15 snails, 10-15 hermit crabs, and 1 sand sifting cucumber. My thoughts are, regarding the clumps, is the cucumber, he sifts sand all day long, and poops it out as white clumps. Not sure if this is where all the clumps are coming from. Some clumps have recently started growing green hair algea on them, that's why it's ugly and starting to disturb me. I know this is a small crew for a 270, but looking at recomendations per gal, that seems like I would have critters everywhere.
What do you have for detrivores? If it is clumpy then you do not have critters sifting through it. No, don't buy a sand sifting fish or star. There are many inverts that will do the job for you. They aerate the sand much as earthworms do for a garden.
Current cleanup crew is about 10-15 snails, 10-15 hermit crabs, and 1 sand sifting cucumber. My thoughts are, regarding the clumps, is the cucumber, he sifts sand all day long, and poops it out as white clumps. Not sure if this is where all the clumps are coming from. Some clumps have recently started growing green hair algea on them, that's why it's ugly and starting to disturb me. I know this is a small crew for a 270, but looking at recomendations per gal, that seems like I would have critters everywhere.
bjoe23
Active Member
Originally Posted by T316
Current cleanup crew is about 10-15 snails, 10-15 hermit crabs, and 1 sand sifting cucumber. My thoughts are, regarding the clumps, is the cucumber, he sifts sand all day long, and poops it out as white clumps. Not sure if this is where all the clumps are coming from. Some clumps have recently started growing green hair algea on them, that's why it's ugly and starting to disturb me. I know this is a small crew for a 270, but looking at recomendations per gal, that seems like I would have critters everywhere.
that is a good clean up crew plus a cleaner shrimp, mine always cleans everytihng, rocks, sand, side of the tank, u name it he cleans it. He helps out alot
Current cleanup crew is about 10-15 snails, 10-15 hermit crabs, and 1 sand sifting cucumber. My thoughts are, regarding the clumps, is the cucumber, he sifts sand all day long, and poops it out as white clumps. Not sure if this is where all the clumps are coming from. Some clumps have recently started growing green hair algea on them, that's why it's ugly and starting to disturb me. I know this is a small crew for a 270, but looking at recomendations per gal, that seems like I would have critters everywhere.
that is a good clean up crew plus a cleaner shrimp, mine always cleans everytihng, rocks, sand, side of the tank, u name it he cleans it. He helps out alot
sepulatian
Moderator
Originally Posted by T316
Current cleanup crew is about 10-15 snails, 10-15 hermit crabs, and 1 sand sifting cucumber. My thoughts are, regarding the clumps, is the cucumber, he sifts sand all day long, and poops it out as white clumps. Not sure if this is where all the clumps are coming from. Some clumps have recently started growing green hair algea on them, that's why it's ugly and starting to disturb me. I know this is a small crew for a 270, but looking at recomendations per gal, that seems like I would have critters everywhere.
There is a big difference between sand sifters that eat detris and consume it and sand shifters. The cuc is eating beneficial creatures in your sand and leaving behind detris. He can stay but what kind of snails do you have? Pick up some nassarius snails that will dig through the sand and consume detris. Bristle worms are very beneficial scavengers as well.
Current cleanup crew is about 10-15 snails, 10-15 hermit crabs, and 1 sand sifting cucumber. My thoughts are, regarding the clumps, is the cucumber, he sifts sand all day long, and poops it out as white clumps. Not sure if this is where all the clumps are coming from. Some clumps have recently started growing green hair algea on them, that's why it's ugly and starting to disturb me. I know this is a small crew for a 270, but looking at recomendations per gal, that seems like I would have critters everywhere.
There is a big difference between sand sifters that eat detris and consume it and sand shifters. The cuc is eating beneficial creatures in your sand and leaving behind detris. He can stay but what kind of snails do you have? Pick up some nassarius snails that will dig through the sand and consume detris. Bristle worms are very beneficial scavengers as well.
sepulatian
Moderator
Originally Posted by T316
Current cleanup crew is about 10-15 snails, 10-15 hermit crabs, and 1 sand sifting cucumber. My thoughts are, regarding the clumps, is the cucumber, he sifts sand all day long, and poops it out as white clumps. Not sure if this is where all the clumps are coming from. Some clumps have recently started growing green hair algea on them, that's why it's ugly and starting to disturb me. I know this is a small crew for a 270, but looking at recomendations per gal, that seems like I would have critters everywhere.
Are you sure he isn't "spitting out his guts"? I know it sounds weird, but they do that as a defense mechanism so that they can escape from whatever they find as a threat. It has been noticed in the hobby that they do it seasonally. You should have a larger cleanup crew IMO for that sized tank.
Current cleanup crew is about 10-15 snails, 10-15 hermit crabs, and 1 sand sifting cucumber. My thoughts are, regarding the clumps, is the cucumber, he sifts sand all day long, and poops it out as white clumps. Not sure if this is where all the clumps are coming from. Some clumps have recently started growing green hair algea on them, that's why it's ugly and starting to disturb me. I know this is a small crew for a 270, but looking at recomendations per gal, that seems like I would have critters everywhere.
Are you sure he isn't "spitting out his guts"? I know it sounds weird, but they do that as a defense mechanism so that they can escape from whatever they find as a threat. It has been noticed in the hobby that they do it seasonally. You should have a larger cleanup crew IMO for that sized tank.
fish crazy
Member
thanks for all the post guys, whats crabs and snails do you recommend?
alex4286
Member
With the sand agae there are many factors that contribute to its growth. 1 being too much sunlight. 2 not using RO water. 3 not strong enough flow to not allow the agae to settle on the sand. or 4 not enough water changes (agae feeds on nirates!)
I just purchased this one sand sifting dragonite in at the LFS he was $30 and WOW really exotic looking, doesn't eat pods but sifts the sand constantly & picks at the rocks while still a frees-swimming fish & eats everything else i throw in it for my other fish.
I just purchased this one sand sifting dragonite in at the LFS he was $30 and WOW really exotic looking, doesn't eat pods but sifts the sand constantly & picks at the rocks while still a frees-swimming fish & eats everything else i throw in it for my other fish.
