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anmldr
Guest
Anyone ever purchase these for their tanks and do they do anything? Looking for stuff to add to an order and don't want fish just yet. (About to go on vacation)
fishkiller
Active Member
Most crabs DO sift sand. lol But seriously, just throw some more simple inverts. If you want an effective sand sifter, get a SS star. Get em small, they grow fast!
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anmldr
Guest
If you look at them on this website they don't look like crabs. I think they are the little bug looking things you see at the beach that bury themselves in the sand at the shore line. At least that is what I think of them. I am purchasing some fighting conchs to clean up my sand bed.
coral keeper
Active Member
I use to have a TON but my puffer ate them all lol.
coral keeper
Active Member
If i were you i wouldent get them because they need plankton to survive.
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anmldr
Guest
alright so waste of money? I guess I will just try and get my 79 dollars else were... Thanks
uberlink
Active Member
Originally Posted by fishkiller
Most crabs DO sift sand. lol But seriously, just throw some more simple inverts. If you want an effective sand sifter, get a SS star. Get em small, they grow fast!
I wouldn't get a sandsifting star. Everyone tells me they will decimate your sand bed and they will not ultimately survive in any tank.
That said, there are two in my 75 gallon tank that seem fine...they came with an existing system I bought second hand.
Most crabs DO sift sand. lol But seriously, just throw some more simple inverts. If you want an effective sand sifter, get a SS star. Get em small, they grow fast!
I wouldn't get a sandsifting star. Everyone tells me they will decimate your sand bed and they will not ultimately survive in any tank.
That said, there are two in my 75 gallon tank that seem fine...they came with an existing system I bought second hand.
fishkiller
Active Member
Well, a small one would be fine in a 55 for a year or two, but when it has to rely on 2 or 3 times that much food, you take em back to the fish store. We took those suckers back all the time and trade em out for a youngins. OR, you can stick em in your sump or fuge and alternate. We have had the same one in a 265 for more than 5 years, and he's a big dude!
ninjamini
Active Member
Two words: Nassarius Snail
They are the bomb. Soo much better than turbos. The stay in the sand all day, unseen. They come out if something dies or for lost food. They come out to clean the glass at night. They lay lots of eggs which is cool.
Leave all other sand sifting ideas at the door.
They are the bomb. Soo much better than turbos. The stay in the sand all day, unseen. They come out if something dies or for lost food. They come out to clean the glass at night. They lay lots of eggs which is cool.
Leave all other sand sifting ideas at the door.
mx mr bean
Member
i hate ss stars i had 5 and all of them died one by one. waste of money.
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anmldr
Guest
Originally Posted by ninjamini
Two words: Nassarius Snail
They are the bomb. Soo much better than turbos. The stay in the sand all day, unseen. They come out if something dies or for lost food. They come out to clean the glass at night. They lay lots of eggs which is cool.
Leave all other sand sifting ideas at the door.
I got some Nassarius snails - they stay on my glass and rock all day long. Only a few get in the sand and they stay there for about 30 min the come out. The problem I am having is that none of my cleaning crew is eating the diatoms ontop of my sand... I was told that some fighting conchs would take care of that. I am looking for some other stuff to add.
Currently I have
blue legged hermits - 10
green legged hermits - 10
nass. snail - 20
cerith snail - 20
turbo/astrea - 20
mexican turbo - 6
emerald crab - 6
brittle starfish - 2
Oh yeah, the tank is a 125gal long with about 15-20x turn over, fowlr, 120#ls, 150#lr
Two words: Nassarius Snail
They are the bomb. Soo much better than turbos. The stay in the sand all day, unseen. They come out if something dies or for lost food. They come out to clean the glass at night. They lay lots of eggs which is cool.
Leave all other sand sifting ideas at the door.
I got some Nassarius snails - they stay on my glass and rock all day long. Only a few get in the sand and they stay there for about 30 min the come out. The problem I am having is that none of my cleaning crew is eating the diatoms ontop of my sand... I was told that some fighting conchs would take care of that. I am looking for some other stuff to add.
Currently I have
blue legged hermits - 10
green legged hermits - 10
nass. snail - 20
cerith snail - 20
turbo/astrea - 20
mexican turbo - 6
emerald crab - 6
brittle starfish - 2
Oh yeah, the tank is a 125gal long with about 15-20x turn over, fowlr, 120#ls, 150#lr
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garychef1
Guest
personally, i wouldnt count on crabs to sift the sand. I have emeralds and a sally lightfoot but if you really wanted a sifted sand bed get a diamond goby. IMy sand bed was loaded with algae and stuff and in 2 days it was pure white. I had mine for a month but last night he went carpet surfing and didnt make it. So this morning i went out and got another at my LFS. I feel horrible. Last night i turned off all the lights (LED's) and i guess the pure darkness caused him to jump. And then today my pump alm ost broke because a filter bag got caught in it and my fish have ick and it as a bad friday the 13th for me. Anyway, get a diamond goby if you want a really good sifted sand bed. Its fun watching him clean too.
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anmldr
Guest
Originally Posted by Garychef1
personally, i wouldnt count on crabs to sift the sand. I have emeralds and a sally lightfoot but if you really wanted a sifted sand bed get a diamond goby. IMy sand bed was loaded with algae and stuff and in 2 days it was pure white. I had mine for a month but last night he went carpet surfing and didnt make it. So this morning i went out and got another at my LFS. I feel horrible. Last night i turned off all the lights (LED's) and i guess the pure darkness caused him to jump. And then today my pump alm ost broke because a filter bag got caught in it and my fish have ick and it as a bad friday the 13th for me. Anyway, get a diamond goby if you want a really good sifted sand bed. Its fun watching him clean too.
I am so sorry to hear that your friday has been that bad, mine has been bad but not like that. Thanks for the info. Not ready to put fish in the tank but will eventually get a type of goby.
personally, i wouldnt count on crabs to sift the sand. I have emeralds and a sally lightfoot but if you really wanted a sifted sand bed get a diamond goby. IMy sand bed was loaded with algae and stuff and in 2 days it was pure white. I had mine for a month but last night he went carpet surfing and didnt make it. So this morning i went out and got another at my LFS. I feel horrible. Last night i turned off all the lights (LED's) and i guess the pure darkness caused him to jump. And then today my pump alm ost broke because a filter bag got caught in it and my fish have ick and it as a bad friday the 13th for me. Anyway, get a diamond goby if you want a really good sifted sand bed. Its fun watching him clean too.
I am so sorry to hear that your friday has been that bad, mine has been bad but not like that. Thanks for the info. Not ready to put fish in the tank but will eventually get a type of goby.
ninjamini
Active Member
I question weather you really have nassarius snails. Let me see a picture of one of them.
If you have diatoms then you have 2 problems. Too many nutrients (nitrate, phosphate) and too little flow. Reduce the first, increase the second.
A sand sifting goby is great as sifting sand. There champs at it. They take a mouthful to the top of the tank and let it go and go get another mouth full. Lotsa sand on rocks. they also burrow under rocks so you had better make certain that you have them steady. Some people even put some egg crate under the sand where the rocks are so that they can place the rocks right to the bottom. That way the rocks dont go tumbling down.
Originally Posted by anmldr
I got some Nassarius snails - they stay on my glass and rock all day long. Only a few get in the sand and they stay there for about 30 min the come out. The problem I am having is that none of my cleaning crew is eating the diatoms ontop of my sand... I was told that some fighting conchs would take care of that. I am looking for some other stuff to add.
If you have diatoms then you have 2 problems. Too many nutrients (nitrate, phosphate) and too little flow. Reduce the first, increase the second.
A sand sifting goby is great as sifting sand. There champs at it. They take a mouthful to the top of the tank and let it go and go get another mouth full. Lotsa sand on rocks. they also burrow under rocks so you had better make certain that you have them steady. Some people even put some egg crate under the sand where the rocks are so that they can place the rocks right to the bottom. That way the rocks dont go tumbling down.
Originally Posted by anmldr
I got some Nassarius snails - they stay on my glass and rock all day long. Only a few get in the sand and they stay there for about 30 min the come out. The problem I am having is that none of my cleaning crew is eating the diatoms ontop of my sand... I was told that some fighting conchs would take care of that. I am looking for some other stuff to add.
fishkiller
Active Member
Originally Posted by mx Mr Bean
i hate ss stars i had 5 and all of them died one by one. waste of money.
What size tank? Because if there are too many in a tank, there will not be enough food for them all, hence the one star
i hate ss stars i had 5 and all of them died one by one. waste of money.
What size tank? Because if there are too many in a tank, there will not be enough food for them all, hence the one star
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anmldr
Guest
ninjamini said: