Sand Sifting

[anastasia]

Hello;
What do you suggest I get that will help with sifting my sand. I have a 1.5 inch sand bed 75 gallon tank with:
75 lbs live rock
hippo tang
cardinal
2 clown fish
mandarian blenny
1 coral beauty angel
I also have 2 hairy mushroom corals
Thanks

 

[beachbumtx]

Hiya!,
A sand sifting star fish will help out with the substrate. Also, a conch will as well...but I forget what species it is that doesn't get real big.
Diamond gobies will eat substrate to get what is on it before spitting it back out.

 

[gregvabch]

fighting conch's don't get as big as queen conch's. i think this site used to sell sand sifting crabs, maybe not. i just go to the beach to get them

 

[karajay]

I recommend about a dozen each nassarius and cerith snails.
Beware of getting sand "sifting" creatures as this usually implies that they'll eat all the sand bed infauna (not a good thing).
Look for sand "shifters" not "sifters".

 

[telemachus]

Hi
I have a decorated goby that does an excellent job of keeping the surface of my sand clean. He takes a bite of sand and expels the sand through his gills. I have attached a pic of Smokey.

 

[anastasia]

I also have a decorated goby, I forgot to put it on my list. He does a great job. Sometimes he stays in 1 place and my sand starts to look bad.