Keeping the substrate clean....

[fantomkoala]

Anyone have any suggestions for me? My 55g FOWLR just never stays clean. I have 20 astrea snails, 25 scarlet hermits, about 60 blue legged hermits, 2 emerald crabs, a sally lightfoot, and a brittle star. And still, there is diatom growth all over the substrate and it plain looks dirty. I don't really mind it at all, I'm pretty sure the ocean floor doesn't look much better. Just wondering if there is a good critter I may be missing that I should add. (And unfotunately no shrimps for the tank, my girlfriend is scared of them.) >=)
Thanks!
Fantom+K

 

[bobber]

How long has the tank been setup? The diatoms will go away on their own. It just take a while. How long I cannot say-it differs for tank to tank. Pateince Daniel-son! Focus-always look eye! HTH--Bob

 

[saltwater marauder]

Powerheads?

 

[mr . salty]

Do you have sand.or crushed coral??? For sand you can get a yellowhead sleeper gobie,They do an excellent job keeping sand clean.If you have CC(crushed coral) you should be vaccuming it evey time you do a water change.Or get rid of the CC and switch to sand.

 

[totalxtreme1]

I agree with all the post above. I would have recomended the samethings. I have a little bloom once in a while but My sleeper head useually takes care of it as well as the snails and hermits. Lots of luck.

 

[nm reef]

With cc I had the same sort of problem.....its very hard to keep clean.....went with LS and have a dragon goby that sifts it constantly......never a problem any more........

 

[fantomkoala]

I have sand, not CC. Only problem with that is powerheads tend to blow it all over the place if I put them down by the substrate. I might look into a goby to stir things up. Thanks everyone.
Fantom+K
Oh, the tank has been up since beginning of february.