Dirty Sand.

Was just wondering what would clean the surface of the sand. I have a goby but he is so lazy he waits for me to feed him. The surface of my sand sometimes gets ditritus build up in the corners and sometimes hair algae and brown algae growth. I usually have to clean it up myself sucking away some of the sand. What animal would clean it for me without disturbing the sand too much. Starfish? Sea cucumber?
Adam
 

snipe

Active Member
Fighting conch wont do it alone. I would suggest a sand sifting cuke there suppose to be pretty good but you will want alittle older tank before getting one.
 

the reef

Member
Originally Posted by Salisbury A D
Was just wondering what would clean the surface of the sand. I have a goby but he is so lazy he waits for me to feed him. The surface of my sand sometimes gets ditritus build up in the corners and sometimes hair algae and brown algae growth. I usually have to clean it up myself sucking away some of the sand. What animal would clean it for me without disturbing the sand too much. Starfish? Sea cucumber?
Adam
First of all what kind of goby do you have not all sift sand. and if you want the sand and the roock to stay nice and clean i would sugest one hermit crab per gallon of aquarium I have a 72 gallon and have 72 hermit crabs and 6 turbo snails. couple other things that will help is how much watter flow and your phosphate levels any questions on any of this just let me know
 
Its a 5 year old 46 gallon tank. Its a yellow watchman goby and he used to sift the sand around his cave but now just sits at the entrance tasting anything that floats by.
I know my lfs has fighting conchs and occasionally a cucumber.
I do have some blue leg hermit crabs, i used to have alot but they all killed each other.
Adam
 

the reef

Member
Originally Posted by Salisbury A D
Its a 5 year old 46 gallon tank. Its a yellow watchman goby and he used to sift the sand around his cave but now just sits at the entrance tasting anything that floats by.
I know my lfs has fighting conchs and occasionally a cucumber.
I do have some blue leg hermit crabs, i used to have alot but they all killed each other.
Adam
I have a dimond back goby he sifts the sand all over the tank all day he is the most reliable goby when it comes to sand sifting but if you have to much hair algea he will not sift that
 

chelle

Member
Hey look under the classified section, i first bought the snails to clean algae on my sand bed they are great. They are small and dont hurt corals either.
Chelle
 

snipe

Active Member
I want to question the 1 hermit per gallon. Thats alotta freakin hermits they must be like the equavalint of a desert lochust invasion.
 

alextrif

Member
one thing about the fighting conch - if you get one like mine (it's retarded) be prepared to un-wedge him from rockwork periodically.
 

the reef

Member
Originally Posted by Snipe
I want to question the 1 hermit per gallon. Thats alotta freakin hermits they must be like the equavalint of a desert lochust invasion.
in my tank you cant tell their are that many of them they keep my rocks from outbursts and i would say the minmum amout would be 1 per 2 gallons
 

ophiura

Active Member
No sand sifting star!
A cucumber would be OK depending on the type of substrate you have --> no if it is crushed coral.
How much circulation do you have?
How much and how often do you feed?
 
I have a 3-4 inch (varies in places) sand bed. Its a fine sand I think .5-1.5 mm grain size.
For circulation I have two powerheads which I dont remember the name but made by Hagen. I think they stopped making the model I have. Says powerhead 802 on the side. One of them is the return on the sump. And I also have the penguin 550. I have tried adding another one but it made the tank look cluttered and the sand would not stay in place.
Adam
 

snipe

Active Member
I would try and get some flow on the sand bed by a smaller powerhead or something (will give you flow but not move the sand around) Or with the small sand a cuke if your tank I would say 6 months or older.
 

chelle

Member
I have feather dusters all over my rock and behind my powerheads in the sand bed. Is this a good thing?? They have seem to come alive recently. Is there a way to get rid of some of them. There aer just small and rust colored, the ones on power head are white looking.
Thanks
Chelle
 
I went to the lfs this afternoon to look at fighting conchs cuz i know they have them and i didnt get any. I thought 7.99 for one was kind of pricy. But i come on here and they are the same price. Why so expensive for such a little thing. Maybe ill go back to geth them. I dunno. The heat the traffic and not having ac and not to mention gas prices. The station closest to my house is at 2.67 for regular.
I did get some food though so it wasnt a complete waste.
Adam
 

snipe

Active Member
Because there wierd looking and you cant have very many per tank so they sell for more. IMO I wouldnt get one as mine was always on the glass hardley ever on the sand.
 
Top