sand cleanup help

[keith gray]

What would everyone use in a 75gl with lr corals and fish to cleanup the sand.
I thought about crabs but hate how they crawl all over the corals,
Maybe some snails ?
Maybe sand sifting star fish ?
Maybe diamond goby ?
What are the plusses and minuses on all of these ?
anyone ?????

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith Gray http:///forum/thread/383789/sand-cleanup-help#post_3359163
What would everyone use in a 75gl with lr corals and fish to cleanup the sand.
I thought about crabs but hate how they crawl all over the corals,
Maybe some snails ?
Maybe sand sifting star fish ?
Maybe diamond goby ?
What are the plusses and minuses on all of these ?
anyone ?????

Snails in a way are your best choice unless you have hermit crabs that kill them. Sand sifting stars or gobies remove the fauna from the sand, that may not seem a big deal right now but as the tank matures you need the balance of the sands micro-critters to keep the tank healthy.
UNLESS you have a refugium. As I understand it, with a refugium the sandsifters do no harm since the sand in the fuge keeps the balance.
LOL...Keep in mind, because I say as I UNDERSTAND it....it means that I may be wrong and I'm not all that sure.

 

[spanko]

I would recommend for a 75 gallon
10 Nassarius
20 cerith
2 Florida fighting conchs.
I would stay away from anything that actually sifts the sand as Flower said. I would not consider them even with a fuge again because they will deplete the fauna in the display and you need that fauna to help to keep the sand shifted around and the detritus -algae consumed.

 

[keith gray]

Thanks for the reccomendation. I set this tank up about a year ago with mostly old lr from another tank. So it is pretty established but I have been fighting cyano a little and I know I need new lights for one(I'm picking them up tomorrow). Hopefully this will help alleviate. I'm probably going to do my water change Saturday, lightly vacuum the bottom and I would like to add some of these critters. I think the snails are a good idea. I'm not familiar with fighting conchs, or nay conch for that matter, but I will research them to learn more.
Any other comments or suggestions are wlecome