cleaning the sand

rcoultas

Member
most aquarists have a cleaning crew in their tank and also do light vacuuming to the sand bed (never deep vacuum) In time when the tank has matured you will have to vacuum very infrequently
 

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.
 

lucky?

Member
water changes, cleanup crews, and don't overlight. I've had a few probs, and I've learned my lighting caused a lot of them, just on too long.
 

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?
 

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.
 

t316

Active Member
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.
 

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.
 

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.
 

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.
 

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
 

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.
 

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.
 

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.
 

m0nk

Active Member
Originally Posted by FishyGurl
i have blue legged hermits and some emeralds and definatly nassarius!
I agree fully with the Nassarius snails, they're great sand sifters. Also, cerith to a nice job too, and they also get the glass, so it's a nice blend.
 
Top