No clean up crew no Inverts mean dirty tank?

I already added a 25 pond bag of sand to my tank and was planning on adding more and I'm thinking that the sand will get dirty without a "clean up crew" what is the best sand bed for a no invert tank? bare bottom? Shallow? Deep?

It would be no invert because I may buy a aggressive fish which may eat the snails and any gobies I buy to shift the sand

(haven't bought any aggressive fish yet pondering the idea)
 
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Yeah I figured starboard was right and port left after all I was a captain for a few years. Anyways I was hoping to get some insight on how people with triggers and puffers keep their sand bed clean. Constant replacing of snails?
 

jay0705

Well-Known Member
Depends. Blue throat trigger and say valetine puffer would be ok w alot of sand sifting fish. Others say if well fed they leave snails "mostly" alone
 
Depends. Blue throat trigger and say valetine puffer would be ok w alot of sand sifting fish. Others say if well fed they leave snails "mostly" alone
In some ways I regret adding the sand before I know what I will be adding for fish. Hover it will all most likely be removed over time if I use a gravel vacuum (Only 25 pounds) so I will just grab some snails and hope for the best... If I decide to go down the route.
 

silverado61

Well-Known Member
You don't have to vacuum the sand in a saltwater. That removes the good bactero that you need in the tank.
 

pegasus

Well-Known Member
With good flow in the tank, dirty sand should not be an issue. It's poor flow that results in dirty sand, as it allows stuff to build up on the surface. Good strong flow keeps stuff stirred up in the water column, so it can be removed by the filtration system. Good flow also helps keep the tank and inhabitants healthy. Sand and rocks stay cleaner, food gets distributed to all the critters, and your fish get exercise at the same time. I prefer to have a sand bed, as houses denitrifying bacteria which supplements filtration. It all boils down to what you prefer...
 
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